The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-02-12


ran to the front OF the house but found ma
tiyes there, he then tried the back and
found that blockaded also, and finally he
managed to elude the vigilance of the ma
tives by crawling underneath the verandah
boards, and concealing himselfin some flax
in the immediate neighborhood of the house
whence he had view of the entire proceed
ings of all parties. On looking back he
saw that the 'Hauhaus had got into the
kitchen, and were lighting the fire and eat
ing food they had discovered; poor Major
Biggs was laid upon the ground outside,
and one of the fiends was beating oft his
brains with the butt end of musket.-
Mrs. Biggs was held in the arms of others of
these brutes, screaming to be allowed to go
to her husband, and struggling to escape,
and Jane Farrell the nurse, whose husband
was wounded on former engagement at
Napier, and whose parents, reside in this
city, was holding the baby, an infant of
seven months old, and was heard to say
that she would stay with Mrs. Biggs, and
would live or die with her. The whole
family were afterwards seen killed and ly-
ing on the ground outside. The boy,
Charlie James, after witnessing the fright
Jul scene, fled towards Mr.. Bloomfeld's
house, and in passing that of Mr.. Wilson
heard the doors being battered in and vol
leys fired, and shortly afterwards saw flames
breaking out of the windows. He states
that the yard around Mr.. Biggs' residence
was full of Moors, and that they seemed to
be very numerous in the immediate neigh
borhood. Mr.. and Mrs. Wilson and their
four children were afterwards seen dead.
A little boy, brother ofMrs. McCulloch,
aged eleven years, at Turanganui on the
afternoon of Tuesday, accompanied by Mrs.
James and Ler six children, who had made
their escape from Mr.. Goldsmith's through
the scrub. The little boy says that whilst
Mr.. McCulloch was getting in the COWS to
milk in the early morning, he was surprised
and chased by the Hauhaus He fled to-
wards his house, and his family hearing the
alarm, rushed out and endeavored to escape.
Mrs. McCulloch's little brother ran ahead
of the Others, and relates that on looking
back ne saw his sister following him, and
he beckoned her to hurry on. Shots were
then being fred in rapid succession, and
in reply to his signals she shook her head
and fell. Mr.. and Mrs. McCulloch, and a
niece, aged seven years, were all victims to
the attack.
Sergeant Bittress, of the military settlers
was working at sheep at the sta
ton OF Messrs. Pepperd s. Dodd, who
were partners in sheep-run at Matawhero,
and on Tuesday morning he went to the
station to work as usual quite unaware
that anything had happened, and proceed
ed to the shed to sharpen his shears
Hearing no one about, he then went up to
the house, and found Messrs. Pepperd and
Dodd lying shot, on the ground, outside
the door, with no other covering than their
shirts. He at once ran off and warned Mr..
r. Atkins and his wife, who Immediately
came down from Wairangi, and on their
way down saw the Wilson family living
murdered outside their house.
Goldsmith, a stockman on Captain Reeds
station, heard firing at an early hour on
Tuesday morning in the direction of Mr..
Mann's house, and, saddling horse, at
once gallepped off to the spot Coming
suddenly upon the house, he beheld q most
dreadful spectacle. The Hauhau demons
were dragging Mrs Mann out of the door
by the hair of the head, and striking her,
and upon getting her outside they were pro-
ceeding to set fire to her clothes, when
some of them, catching sight ofGoldsmith,
made spring at the bride of his horse
Goldsmith, however, being an excellent
rider, put spurs to his horse and rode right
over one of the wretches He was botly
pursued by number of them, but fortu-
nately their firearms were not loaded, and
he effected his escape into the redoubt.-
Mr.. and Mrs. Mann and their child were all
killed.
About five o'clock on the fatal morning
a man-servant in the employ of Mrs Bloom
field awoke, and on going out of his hut
which was some little distance from any
house, he saw some natives retreating from
Walsh's house. Thinking that all was not
right he went to Mrs. Bioomfelds house,
and found the family gone; he went to
Walsh's house, and there he found Mrs.
Walsh lying dead outside; beside her lay
her infant child, two months old; the poor
little creature was shot through the head,
but life was not extinct and it was still
moaning. After leaving Walsh's house the
witness to these awful atrocities went to
Makaraka, and packed up few valuables,
went down to the redoubt at Turanganui.
Mrs James, whose arrival at the .redoubt
we previously mentioned, states that on the
way down she saw married woman, named
Maria Goldsmith, a halfcaste, who lived
near Mr.. Wilson's place, lying on the ground
with her little brother-both shot. A
friendly, named Peropi, his wife, and three
sons, were killed close to Mrs. Bloomfeld's
residence, and two native men and two chill
dren at Makaraka met with the same fate.
A military settler, named Pedbury, who
lived with Mr.. Walsh, was murdered with
the family; and Mr.. Gable, storekeeper
and military settler, was seen lying outside
his house, shot through the head. Up to the
time that Mrs. Bloomfield and her party
embarked on board the Tawera, no word
had been received of any of the scouts I'M
der Mr.. Gascoigne, nor had the Hauhaus
approached the redoubt, but they saw three
houses in flames, one of which was Mrs.
Bloomfeld's together with new store, only
just completed and fnll of goods
A large number of settlers have, it is be-
lieved, escaped in the direction of Walroa.
Mr.. Wylie's house was burnt, but he and
his wife and six children, Dr. Smith, Mr..
and Mrs. Benson and child, Mr.. and Mrs.
Stevenson and child, and Mr. and Mrs
Fireman and three children, and several
others, are reported to have got away to
Walroa-about two days journey. Cap
tain Westrupp and his family took refuge
in the pa of the friendly chief Timihana,
but it seems that some matter of disagree
ment arose. and Captain Westrupp set out
for Walroa. Mr.. Poynton who was on his
ohaoy, citation M r+b,, Uo,Sx4l,o.so IT,.