MACDONALD TRAGEDY.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 852, 28 March 1903, Page 2

MACDONALD TRAGEDY.

FURTHER DETAILS,

SOME CONTRADICTORY STATE-

ME.NTS

TACT AND GOOD FEELING DISPLAYED IN PARIS.

STATEMENT AND DENIAL OF AN AUDIENCE WITH KING.

THE BODY INTERRED IN PARIS,

By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright. Received 5.10 p.m., March 27. LONDON, March 20. At the suggestion of Lord Roberts I-lis Majesty the King specially gave an audience to General Macdonald. His Majesty advised him to demand a court-martial.

General Macdonald lived very quiely in Paris, lounging around the ho.els.

His efforts not to attract attention suggest the belief that he premeditated suicide, a premeditation which the publicity given to the charges accelerated.

He appeared startled at the contents of the Paris edition of the New York Herald.

The Paris newspaper Le Matin states that on reading the article Sir Hector Macdonald burst- into tears. Then he pondered, and deliberately re-rcad the article. Then, apparently having decided upon his course of action, he went to his bedroom.

He must- have shot himself rp the

temple with a revolver almost immediately, for when the maid found the body an hour later he had been dead only three-quarters of an hour. Received 7.15 p.m., March 27. It was a n open secret among tho officers for several weeks that General Macdonald was under a cloud. His health had been bad during his residence in Ceylon. He was much depressed on the voyage to England. The body will lie brought to London.

Received 11.1-1 p.m., March 27. PARIS, March '27. In accordance with the wishes of his relatives, the body of General Macdonald was buried in Paris. The funeral was of a private charactes.

The British colony at Paris sent many wreaths. General Macdonald shot himself behind the right ear. The bullet penetrated the brain in an upward direction, severing the vein. Received 11.14 p.m., March 27.

LONDON, March 27. A late edition of the Evening News authoritatively -denies that the King received General Macdonald, who was only a few hours in London. The War Office ordered his immediate return to Ceylon, and arranged for General Kelly, formerly at Pretoria, to supervise the trial, and take command in Ceylon. General Macdonald tarried in Paris, in the hope of fresh instructions sparing him retirement from the rank and pension. It is supposed that he committed suicide on reading Sir West Ridgeway’s speech. Received 12.12 a nt., March 28. LONDON, March 27. The War Office offered to defray

Macdonald:s funeral expenses, His brother declares that General Macdonald complained of an intrigue at Ceylon, -due to jealousy over his promotion. He would never have left Ceylon if

guilty. The fact that lie faced Lord Roberts demonstrates the proud, sensitive man’s indignation. The French authorities displayed great tact and good feeling. They decided that the death should be announced first in London. At their instance the fact that it was a case of suicide did not ap’pear ill the evening papers in Paris,