TRAMPER KILLED.
FALL OVER CLIFF.
ACCIDENT ON WEST COAST.
COMPANION REACHES BODY.
(By Telegraph. — Own Correspondent.)
TE KUITI, this day.
A young man named Theodore James King fell over a cliff while hiking yesterday afternoon and was killed. He was employed by the Auckland Education Board as a teacher at Kiritehere, and was out tramping with a fellow teacher named Ryan.
While exploring the rugged coastline between Tirau Point and Nukuhakere, on the sea coast north of Taranaki, Mr. King lost his balance and fell to the beach below.
With great difficulty Mr. Ryan descended the steep face of the cliff and removed the lifeless body from the reach of the incoming tide.
A party of settlers from Marokopa has left to bring the body to Te Kuiti, and is expected to arrive later in the day. An inquest will be held.
Mr. King was a single man, aged 26 years. His mother resides at Maori Hill, Dunedin. He was most popular in the West Coast settlement. He was a member of the Te Kuiti Harriers' Club. -Auckland Star, 7/8/1933.
TRAGIC FALL OVER CLIFF
DEATH OF YOUNG TEACHER
OUT TRAMPING WITH FRIEND
ACCIDENT ON COAST NEAR KAWHIA
Falling over a sharp cliff on the coast near Marakopa on Sunday, Theodore James King met his death. He was a young teacher at Moeatoa School and the tragedy occurred while he was on a tramping trip with a friend, Mr. Ryan, a teacher at the neighbouring school at Keretihere.
It appears that while they were walking along the seacoast Mr. King fell over a sharp cliff between Tirau Point and Nukuhakere. Mr. Ryan lowered himself down the cliff to the bottom, where he found Mr. King, whom he believed to be unconscious. He drew him up to a point at which he considered the sea would not reach, him, and then went for assistance.
He had to travel some distance, and when he returned with helpers they found that the tide had made so much that they were unable to reach the spot where Mr. King had been left. The party could therefore only wait until the tide receded sufficiently. They recovered the body early yesterday morning and took it to Kawhia, where an inquest will be held.
Mr. King, a native of Dunedin, was a pupil teacher at the Maori Hill School, and an Otago University student before coming to the Taranaki district. He was about 25 years of age, and was considered a very promising teacher. -Taranaki Daily News, 8/8/1933.
BODY RECOVERED
TRAMPER'S DEATH.
COMPANION'S EXPERIENCE.
INQUEST ADJOURNED.
(From Our Own Correspondent.)
TE KUITI, Tuesday.
The inquest into the death of Theodore James King, the young schoolmaster who fell from a steep cliff on the West Coast at Nukuhakere, was opened before Mr. Percy Rose, coroner. After the formal identification of the body and hearing of the medical evidence, the inquiry was adjourned pending the recovery of deceased's companion, Mr. G. P. Ryan, who is suffering from shock and exhaustion.
After scaling the precipice, following the recovery of the body of his companion, Mr. Ryan fought his way. through dense bush and undergrowth to the homestead of Newton King's sheep and cattle station, where he arrived after dark, thoroughly exhausted and cut and scratched. Mr. Howard, the station manager, immediately organised a party, which reached the vicinity of the fatality at midnight, but was forced to wait for daylight before attempting to bring the body up the face of the cliff. Transport along the beach for miles between Kiritehere and Nukuhakere is blocked by broken rocky cliffs, against which a rough surf breaks unceasingly. The only possible way out was by the same track the two companions had traversed in bright spirits a few hours previously. At 5 a.m. the journey over Moeatoa Mountain was commenced. It was a herculean task. With stretcher almost perpendicular for hours, the party bore the body up the mountain side winding through the bush, rising to an altitude of 800ft in 20 chains. The journey of five miles to Mr. Loundy's sheep station at Kiritehere occupied eight hours. This was the point from which the trampers had set out on Sunday morning after spending the night with Mr Loundy and family.
A large number of young people assembled at the Methodist Church this evening, when a memorial service was held. The Rev. B. Hames, B.A., a leader in the youth movement, spoke of the self-sacrificing devotion of deceased, who was a vice-president of the New Zealand Youth Movement. -Auckland Star, 9/8/1933.
Memorial Service.
An impressive memorial service to the late Theodore James King, who met with a tragic death by falling over a cliff at Nukuhakere on Sunday, was held in the Methodist Church on Tuesday. A very impressive address was delivered to a large gathering by Rev. Bernard Hames, who came to Te Kuiti to attend the services. The deceased was vice-president or the Youth Movement in New Zealand and was well and popularly known. -Waikato Times, 9/8/1933.
Mr. Theodore James King, the young schoolmaster who met an untimely end in a hiking accident near Te Kuiti this week, was well known in Dunedin athletic circles, being for three years champion and holder of the Otago University three-milerecord (telegraphs "The Post's" Dunedin correspondent). He also had several meritorious performances in Otago cross-country championships to his credit, and represented three clubs in all. -Evening Post, 11/8/1933.
FUNERAL NOTICE.
THE Friends of Mr and Mrs E. J. King (and family) are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral of their late son, Theodore James, which will leave their residence, 346 Highgate, Maori Hill, TO-MORROW (Saturday), the 12th inst., at 2.30 p.m., for the Northern Cemetery.
R. McLEAN AND SON, Undertakers. -Evening Star, 11/8/1933.
THEODORE JAMES KING
AN APPRECIATION
By E. E. B.
The passing of a young man in his early twenties calls forth usually a feeling of pity for the non-completion of work aspired to, for the non-realisation of hopes and ambitions, for the nonattainment of specific aims and ideals. To those who knew him, the tragic passing of Theodore King meant more than that. It meant the severance from this world of one who had already made his mark, one who had by his life inspired others to nobler and better service. We knew him in four spheres — in the physical, where as fellow-harriers we sought together the perfection of the body; in the mental and intellectual, where as students we were seekers after knowledge and truth; in the social, where his popularity attested to his personality; above all, in the spiritual, where his experiences and example provided for us an inspiration and a joy.
As a student, he followed the dictates of science, in which realm he caught the true spirit of. science, the search for truth, the ultimate reality, as revealed in the material wonders of the universe. As a young scientist he could not be expected to find what scientists after years of patient search had only succeeded in attaining; but as a young scientist he did grasp the ideals and the idealism of those more experienced searchers. Never did he appear to doubt that the best things in life are above the material plane. Thus he was building up for himself a philosophy of life which, though based on experiences from the sphere of science, contained the better elements of idealism.
Our spiritual experiences together are among my treasured memories. Whilst at the Training College he identified himself with the Student Christian Movement, in which he was honoured in election to the presidency. During his term of office, the movement was a “live" and active branch of college activities, and many will look back on those years of spiritual refreshment inspired by the president's zeal and courage. That courage was required is obvious when it is stated that this band was active in a community of young people whose main diversion from study was pleasure.
A young man, commencing his life's work, that of the teaching of the young, inspired by lofty ideals and by cherished hopes, he was contributing to the community the same hopes and ideals, and his work was furthered by his zeal to give of his best. In him the world has lost one of that comparatively small band who distinguish themselves finally by results achieved after long, patient and exhaustive effort. The sphere of science has lost a seeker who was not content until the final solution of the problem had been made; and, further, it has lost one who, in his seekings and searchings, would have contributed much to the philosophy of the universe, blending as he did science with the ideal. The teaching profession has lost one who had already made rapid progress, who inspired confidence and ambition in his pupils, and who was ever a ready and sympathetic helper to his confreres.
But it is as a friend that he will most greatly be missed. Appreciating as he did the truest and best qualities, and having himself qualities which make for true friendship, he endeared himself to all those who knew him. I shall ever cherish those experiences, physical, social, mental and spiritual, which I have shared with him, and I mourn with others who had shared with him similar experiences in any sphere. Above all, we feel for his parents, who have lost a devoted son, a son of whom they were justly proud. -Otago Daily Times, 11/8/1933.
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