TARRED AND FEATHERED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24415, 28 September 1940, Page 2

TARRED AND FEATHERED

FORMER BALCLUTHA RESIDENT REFERENCES TO NAZISM A former Balclutha resident, who is now living in South Africa, was recently the central figure in an episode which aroused widespread indignation there. He was Mr F. M. B. Ferrar, who, after spending the greater part, of his earlv life in Balclutha. left for South Africa 42 years ago returning to New Zealand to visit relatives in Otago several years ago. Mr Ferrar is now a member of the East Rand School Board representing the town of Springs, and in that capacity made accusations that Nazism had been preached by teachers in the schools. Subsequently he was kidnapped from his home in Springs by three men and taken in a motor car to a lonely spot on the Heidelberg road, 27 miles from Springs. His clothes were stripped off him and his back and head tarred and feathered. He was left in this condition on a bitterly cold night followed by rain, and it was only by a stroke of good fortune that Mr Ferrar was able to extricate himself and find his way to an isolated dwelling house about two miles from the scene of the outrage. One night at his home Mr Ferrar received a telephone call purporting to come from the police. He was informed that the Springs Printing Works in Second street owned by his son had been broken into and that a native had been arrested. He was also told that two detectives would call for him shortly and take him to the printing works. Soon afterwards a sedan car drew up at the house, and Mr Ferrar took a seat at the back of the car between two men. A third man was the driver. Instead of proceeding to the scene of the supposed burglary, the car was driven along one of the main roads leading to Johannesburg. As soon as it started Mr Ferrar was blindfolded, and both men clasped their hands tightly over his mouth. He was kept in this position until the car was several miles out of Springs. After a run of about 40 minutes a halt was made at a lonely spot near some mealie lands. Mr Ferrar was ordered out of the car, and the three men led him blindfolded to a place 200 yards from the road. Here he was ordered to undress. The night was bitterly cold with a rain-clouded sky. Mr Ferrar told them he was a man of 67 years of age, and that if he were to undress the cold would not be to his advantage. Immediately he was seized and his clothing stripped off. While standing with only his boots and stockings and underpants he was painted on the back and head with a thick coating of bitumen or tar. Feathers were thereafter thrown upon him. The next.indignity was to force him to his knees and make him repeat under a threat of being shot the words: "There is no fifth column m this country. I will not report anything which has taken place to-night. Under another threat of shooting he was ordered not to dress for half an hour. The men than disappeared. Mr Ferrar, after remaining on the spot for a short while, endeavoured to find his bearings. After a walk of about two miles he came to an isolated dwelling house on the Heidelberg road, where he received every attention. The owner motored him to tea rooms about three miles distant. There the police were communicated with, and Mr Ferrar was taken back to his home in Springs, which he reached in the early hours of the next morning.