Walker a favourite in community

‘‘It is our melancholy duty’’ stated the Waikato Times on January 15 1880, ‘‘to record one of the most distressing accidents which has fallen upon this community in the death yesterday of Mr Peter Walker of Kirikiriroa.

The deceased gentleman was so wellknown, was so general a favourite, took so active a part in all public matters, and was a member of so many local institutions, that his decease is felt as a bereavement affecting each of us individually.

Mr Walker has not been settled in this district more than three years, but at the time of his decease occupied the position of member of the Waikato County Council, Junior Warden of the Lodge Beta, a member of the Oddfellows’ Lodge, of the Cambridge Farmers’ Club, and Troop Sgt-Major of the Hamilton Contingent Te Awamutu Cavalry’’.

As to what happened to bring about Walker’s death, it transpired that Walker ‘‘heard the voices of dogs amongst his sheep in a paddock near by, and saying that he would kill the animal this time, ran for his carbine and started in pursuit.

Shortly afterwards the report of the piece was heard, and as Mr Walker did not return to the house, Mrs Walker went down to meet him, and was shocked at beholding her husband’s body stretched across the lower middle wire of a fence . . .’’

Her screams alerted a man riding by and he and a neighbour carried Peter Walker’s body back to the house.

It would have been horrific for Isabella Walker to see: the charge had entered under the chin and exited at the crown of his head.

Witnesses stated that there was a splice in the fence wire at the place where Walker had started to climb through, and that the hammer of the carbine must have caught on the protruding wire.

On the following day Isabella and their housekeeper, Mary Ann Bennet, gave evidence at the inquest that he had been well and in cheerful spirits.

The inquest found a verdict of accidental death.

It wasn’t the first instance of dog-worrying on his and neighbouring farms.

His farm was ‘‘Woodstock’’ towards Newstead, possibly 200-300 acres.

He was a man of means, and had purchased a pedigree shorthorn bull, Lord Stephenson who won prizes at local shows.

And not the first misfortune: in May 1877 when the Walkers and Miss M. Campbell were driving home, the horse pulling the trap bolted, the trap overturned.

Peter Walker had a few scratches, but Isabella was ‘‘much hurt’’ about her face and head, and Miss Walker ‘‘suffered a dislocation of one of the ribs’’. Both ladies were ‘‘for some time, insensible’’.

The following year, the Walkers’ outbuildings burnt down, destroying nearly all of his farming implements.

The Waikato Times ran advertisements re funeral arrangements: the Hamilton Light Infantry Volunteer Band was requested to parade: ‘‘in uniform, with crape’’; the Hamilton Contingent Te Awamutu Volunteer Cavalry were requested to attend with ‘‘Carbines, pouch-belts, and white gloves’’.

The Brethren of Lodge Beta were to attend in full regalia.

Walker had only been in the district for three years, so it is a measure of his popularity that the funeral cortege was one of the largest seen, ‘‘fully 600 persons being present’’ - it took an hour for the procession to form.

The procession was as follows: ‘‘Hamilton Cavalry on foot, the Light Infantry Band who played the Hymn of Luther, Masons, Oddfellows, the Coffin, private carriages, equestrians and the general public on foot’’.

A large number of ladies were present in carriages and on horseback, and representatives from all parts of the Waikato. The procession was ‘‘fully a quarter of a mile in length’’.

At the graveside at Hamilton East Cemetery the Presbyterian service was read and the Masonic funeral sermon was performed by the Chaplain of Lodge Beta.

At the conclusion of the ceremony a firing party of the Cavalry Volunteers fired three volleys over the grave.

Walker’s death highlights the importance of gun safety, even in times of stress.

Climbing through a fence with a loaded firearm is not a good practice.