Wild pig hunting
Haman Ellmers, a 40-year-old Marokopa farmer, was standing on a tree trunk, eating his lunch, when his gun, which had been resting on a log, slipped. He bent down and picked the gun up by the barrel. Suddenly it fired, the shot shattering his wrist.
It was late July in 1914, and Haman was pig hunting with Mr Ross and Mr Stokes. After a painful night his friends placed him on a horse and walked beside him for 12 difficult miles over a rough bush track. A horse and trap then took him a further 12 miles to Hangatiki, where he was placed on a train, eventually being admitted to Waikato hospital at about 7.30pm. An operation was performed immediately, Dr Douglas, medical superintendent, conducting the surgery, and Dr Cameron administering the anaesthetic.
Haman had come to New Zealand as a child with his family in 1878, where they settled near Christchurch. Haman would become one of 10 siblings and half siblings in a family headed by Frederick, a German also known as ‘Bismarck’. Bismarck was a work shy alcoholic, who, the year the family arrived, was charged with assault and sentenced to six weeks hard labour.
He had very little grasp of English and needed the help of an interpreter at his court appearances. By the mid-1880s Bismarck was known for trying to get maintenance orders under the Destitute Persons Act against his elder children to provide financial support. The boys regularly gave their father almost all their wages and the court had no patience with Bismarck, at one hearing saying the sons’ had behaved in a most creditable manner and he ought to be ashamed of himself for bringing them before the court. After another attempt, Bismarck was told by His Worship he had no sympathy for him and he did not believe he tried to do anything to support his family. It was obvious the sons’ were willing to help him, but naturally enough refused to allow their hard-earned wages to be squandered in drink.
Two years later Bismarck, at the harvest and potato picking season, asked the authorities to release two of his children, one of who was probably Haman, from the Industrial School – an institution for neglected, delinquent or poor children.
“Well, Ellmers,” said the Magistrate, “is it the same old story?”
“Yes, your Worship.”
“Then it’s the same old answer. No.”
Two months later Bismarck, 45, died suddenly in his bed, an inquest finding the cause an excess of ardent spirits.
Having escaped his childhood horrors Haman, who never married, had become a progressive and stalwart settler, loyal to his friends and with an open generous nature. After his surgery the wound was stitched up but an artery had been left open. Haman collapsed and although restoratives were applied, he died a few minutes later. At the inquest Dr Douglas stated that he thought Haman was in a better condition than he was. He considered death was due to shock.
The district, noted a local paper, had lost a man in every sense of the word, whose place in the community would be difficult to fill. Haman, stout hearted Marokopa settler, was buried at Hamilton West cemetery.
Wild pig hunting
