A SOUTH AFRICAN TRAGEDY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1295, 23 September 1872, Page 2

A SOUTH AFRICAN TRAGEDY.

A South African paper has the following account of a sad case of poisoning at Middelburg, South Africa, which will, be ' read with interest by old residents in ' Taranaki and Canterbury : — .. , The return of Messrs Smith and Gatesfrom.Middelburg enables us now to putbefore our readers the facts of the sad and melancholy event: recorded in oiir last issue, whereby the lives of Mr Reeveand the youngest son of Dr Coward, have been cruelly sacrificed. It will be re- f membered that Dr and Mrs Coward were on a visit to Graaf Reinet the -week r before last, whither they had arrived from a trip to various parts of the colony, which had been undertaken owing tothe - •- ill-health of Dr Coward. While on this ■: trip, Miss Coward was left at home in charge of her brothers and sisters.: Among the servants was a bushmaiugirl, ., ■• who was continually endeavoring to . M frighten the children by going but at night and making the most hideous noises. Miss Coward spoke to her on ; the subject, but as she did not desist from the practice, it was mentioned to Mr Haupt, as also the fact that the girl was in the habit of admitting, what we suppose we must call her ; lover, into the house at night. Mr Haupt, we understand, spoke to the gill on the subject, v who thereupon threatened Miss Coward that "she must, take care of what she would do." Having thus premised, we return. Dr and Mrs Coward left Graaff Reinet on their way home last Tuesday wee*, 15th inst. Mr Reeve, who had been on one of his periodical business tours, and had re-' turned, not feeling in his usual health, determined to visit Middloburg for a few days, in the hopes of benefiting by the change. He therefore loft on Wednesday, . and arrived at Middleburg on Thursday, the guest of Dr. Coward, to whose daughter he was shortly about to be united. On the morning of Friday, a curry was pre- • pared of which the doctor, Mr Reeve, and Miss Maud Coward partook, and all of whom, shortly afterwards, fell sick. This Dr Coward attributed to the curry 1 being too rich, and no further, notice was i taken of it, especially as, in the course of the day, they recovered. On Saturday, at dinner, all the family sat down to the meal, together with Mr Reeve. Imme* mediately after partaking of soup, Mr Reeve rose, and apologised for leaving, saying he felt sick ; and he was fqllqwecV by the remainder at table, who felt the same sensation. Dr Coward then suspected, from the symptoms; that they . bad partaken of poison in the soup, and . did all he could to counteract its effect, r although suffering himself from the same cause. ' Unfortunately his efforts were of no avail as far as his youngest son and Mr Reeve were concerned. During the day Mr Reeve suffered not the slighlesf pain, and as .evening approached appeared to haye a conviction that his case would terminate fatally. He desired to have a clergyman present, and the Rev. C. S. Morgan went to his bedside, and never left him until he breathed his ; last ';The ; death of the youngest son of Dr Coward followed at one o'clock the same. day. The funeral took place last Tuesday, the service being performed by the Rev. Canon Sjteabler, who went to Middleburg immediately upon receipt of the sas intelligence. All business was suspended during the afternoon, and the funeral/_V was one of the largest ever witnessed ins Middleburg. J Dr Coward, although seriously affected with the poison himself, used his utmost endeavors to counteract its effects in all ■-■ the victims,; but Mr Reeve and his youngest son were beyond his skill. , Suf - . fering as lie was, he continued his exertions towards the remaining members of his family. The "magistrate of Middle-, burg, C. W. Andrews, Esq., had, on be-f coming acquainted with, the mtlancholy : ''" facts, immediately scut to C r A.dock|pr : . Dr Gray, whose professional skill ;wfls , exerted to save the victims of this foul ;. deed, and we are happy to be. able io : 7 record that, together . with the exertions ; . of Dr Coward previously, in the remaking cases he had been successful/with ■;. the exception of the poor cookjvhowaa dying when Messrs Smith and -Gat^sl; left. Dr Coward, Mrs "Coward, and j the remaining members of the family, although confined to bed,, were slowly re» : covering, and no further fatal t^riilinatioifs I are expected.. The supposed author of this dire' calniity " is tho Bushman girl before referred to. It is suspected that her fiendish spirit adopted , this method of revenge for Miss Coward .. having acquainted Mr Haupt in the first instance, and her father afterwards, of her— conduct" during his absence. . The girl is in gaol awaiting her trial, together with the being she calls her lover. , It is re--ported in Middleburg that this fellow I confessed to a fellow prisoner .that he - could not. rest because he had. given the , poison to the girl, which had caused the ' terrible calamity." -