David Mitchell Luckie (5 October 1827 – 6 May 1909) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from Nelson, New Zealand. Background Luckie was born in Montrose, Forfarshire, Scotland, on 5 October 1827. He was the son of Thomas Luckie, a merchant, and Mary Mitchell. Educated in Montrose he first worked in a mercantile office, then as a law clerk before working starting his newspaper career. He married Fanny Clara Dickinson on 23 April 1861 at Ashton under Lyne, Lancashire. Luckie emigrated New Zealand in 1863 with his family, shortly after being offered the editorship of the Arbroath Guide. Newspaper career He became editor and part owner, with William Nation, of the Colonist in Nelson. His first editorial appeared on 31 March 1863, the day after he arrived on the Electra from London. He became noted for the "stinging lash of his invective and sarcasm". In 1873 Luckie moved to Auckland to become editor of the Daily Southern Cross, and from 1 January 1877 was associated with William Berry in the editorship of The New Zealand Herald after the two newspapers merged. Maungatapu murders Luckie achieved national prominence in 1866 for his part in apprehending the four men found guilty of the Maungatapu murders. He had chaired a meeting to raise money for a search for the missing party. He also reported the court proceedings and published an illustrated narrative of the murders. The Russian Scare Luckie, along with many New Zealanders, was concerned about the possibility of a Russian invasion. In 1873 he published a hoax report in the Daily Southern Cross about a Russian invasion of Auckland by the cruiser Kaskowiski (cask of whisky). Many Aucklanders believed the report and were alarmed to read that the crew of the Kaskowiski had seized gold and taken the mayor as hostage. Political career Luckie unsuccessfully contested the City of Nelson electorate for the House of Representatives in February 1866. He did gain a seat on the Nelson Provincial Council from 1869 to 1873. In 1872 he was elected to Parliament as the member for Nelson, and held the seat until 1875. In the 1872 election, Luckie had gained 307 votes against James Crowe Richmond's 156 and Alfred Saunders's 74. Luckie supported the Fox ministry's attempts to establish 'peace and progress', advocating direct taxation and 'economical administration'. The Lyttelton Times considered that Luckie would give the government 'fair and reasonable, but ...