Death of Cecil Rhodes.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 91, 29 March 1902, Page 3

Death of Cecil Rhodes.

j HIS LASI' MOMENTS A PEACEFUL END. MEMORIAL SKKVIOE AT WESTMINSTEK ABBEY. A PUBLIC FUNERAL AT GAPS TOWN. WARM TRIBUTES TO •' THB EMPIKK 1 BUILDER." WIDE3PREAD REGRET. PKR PRES3 ASSOCIATION, Received 27, 8.15 p.m. London, Marjh 27. Obituary: Cecil Rhodes, <etat 49. Received 28, 0.37 a.m. London, March 27. Ctcil Rhodes slept quiotly through the morning and afternoon. Hisbreathing at five o'clock became difficult. He was conscious f>r a few minutes during which he murmured farewells to! his family. His brother, Major Elmhurst Rhode o , and others wore at the b»dside. At six o'clock iha end csme, death being quiet and painless, and due to extreme weikness resulting from two attacks of heart failure. Tne London admirers of the late Mr Cecil Rhodes are preparing to hold a memorial service in Westminster Abbey.

Received 28, 0.50 a.m. London, March 27. Mr Rhodes wished to ba buried at Matappos Hills. Sir Gordon Sprig?, Cape Piemiev, has decided thr.t there sha'l be a public funeral s rvice at Gape To-.-n Cathedral The newspapers contain warm tributes to the "Empire builder" whose great ideal regarding his fortune was that it was a sacred trust for others. There is widespread regret at the loss sustained. It is recognised that Mr Rhodes' death will not materially aftect South African enterprise, inasmuch as the braid line of Imperialistic policy is now firmly laid. The pro-Bonr verdict on the Continent is that the late Cecil Rhodes was a good sownr who was not destined to reap the harvest. Some writers are virulent. Received 28, 10.30 a.m. London, March 27. The late Mr Rhodes' funeral service will tak< place at Cape Town on Wed-1 nesday. It is r< ported he has left a largf provision f>r the development of Rhodesia and the complcti ir. cf the Gape-Cairo prrj- ct. Received 28, J0.4; a.m. London, March 27. Dr. Jtmeson conveys the late Mr Rhodes' body for interment at Matoppcs. Amongst Cecil Rhodes' last words were: —" So little done—si much to do." The London S: > -k Exchange is not affected by the death. GXNKRAL MOFRKIN3 IN 80UTH AFRICA. Received 29, 0.25 a.m. London, March 28. Mr Rhodes bequeathsd Grootschur to tbe people of Cape Tow, *nd large sums to charities. TLe post-mortem disclosed extensive aneurism of the heart. There will be a State funeral. Signs of mourning are general in the chief centres of South Africa. A resolution of condolence has been carried by public bodies. A memorial service will be held on Thursday at St. Paul's Cathfdral. Members of tho Stock Exchange sent cables to fc'outh Afiica expressing their sense of the Empiie's loss, and the conviction that Mr ltt.odes cancoo be

replaced. The Bight Hod. Cecil John Rhcdrs, P. 0.. was a younger son of tba late Rey. F. W. Rhodes, Rector of Bishop Stodfor.', and wxa boru in 1853. He out to South Africa as a boy, on account of 111-hi-alth; but returned to England std took his M A. degree at. Oxford (Oriel Collet"'). He then wen* ag in to 4frie<, but at firs', met with lit'le surce-s. However, when the De Beers niin- was anything bir protprou», be combined various Kimberley mi> es under his ditec.i'Hi and nmatsed a l->rge forture. In •> f w years he stood a' the he d i f ' he £r at di mond monopoly as t! e I)° II rs ('on-solidaf-d Mines, Limi ooutrolling the world's supply o* t Cape politiiß th»n attraced Mr Rhodes, and he repifs-nted Barkley Wrs*. for a short peri )-!, holding a pos : ti >n in Sir Tho?. Bcatl>n's Min'*try. On the fall of :he|-Sprige JMiiiistry in July, 1890, Mr Rhodes bee imp Premier, and >em%ined in offian till January, 1896, whtn he resign* d in con-equence of the Jameson Raid in'o the Tr*nsvaai, Re then devoted himself to the development of Rhodesia, and filled perhapo, a larger space in the public eye than 'my other ra\n of Iris time. If; v as at that period that hu did his life's work, paitting :he m- p of South Africa red, as be would hnve phrased i*-, and his own name in bold characters across the face of a huge province. Of all our modern Empire-builders (* contemporary points nono been so distinguished as he. His energy, his great oiras, and his successes simulated Imperialism everywhere. Until tbfJmneflin raid disappointed eo many of his expectations Irs star was always in the ascendant. He set flourishing towns in the ht-art of wildernesses, and under hi* ent-i pricing direction the of a Zulu chief became a centre f civilisation. The Uitlandera in South Africa found 'heir tpjk sroan and leader in him. It nan the di earn of his life to jl.ee Sou h Africi u; d*rtho flag fiom the Zimbesi totl.es a, and to span the continent by aiail-ro.d from the Cipe to Cair . '' hi J gr at policy is s'radily and surd wn mj? its If cut. In 1897 he g v. " dene in England before the S uth Africa < ommit'e°, and then re'uried to take up h ; s work in Rhudesla. He 'ook a leading P'.it iu the election* to Parliament in 1898, kins himselF re j U'ned f_r two constituencies. When the wpi wi'b the Tram>var.l Iroks out in OcU b' : r, 1899, Mr Hh<»Vs ueit t ■ Kimb>rKy, ;md flier- dining its inve<'men» hy the wis rig a';d eq'ippiig a to ,; o gi id n* 400 m n. H s servi'-s wpr> ft I'Kurd?. publicly ;tcknow!edgt>d l.y L id IVhei ts in t is d spatches. The pi- a of Rho-j Ide-ia, the v.;st t rri o-y wi.i h he has aiieA \o British Emp : ie, is s t 1 down at three-qu rters of « mi lion square noilt-s, tims exc"'Pi'ing the | whole of (V? tr-il Eur >p : ' be' we n the Pyr-n e , 'ho rth S a, and (the Hufsi.m no tier. Mr Rhodes' nrsjtakrs have bee'- fu : ly <n's<:n-Bv.», end hisgener.;! :.cMouum|>hi ii'.'ily criticisd, but the huge p;opoitio<.s of the "Colossus" remain. Tha complaint. ■ from which he suffered v as often due to mental emotion, especially anger

an.i nervous shock, and it may be that tho cause of his retirement in 1896 have favoured the attack wbich has ended so padly. j