The Shooting of Colonials.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 188, 10 April 1902, Page 3

The Shooting of Colonials.

London, April 8.

A L^ er P° o 1 m an,.formerly the Bush Veldt G&rbineers, declares that Morant shot .and killed Van Duren on the open veldt, while speaking to him about the murders, then reported, that he had been gallantly killed in action. The officers and men of the Carbineers represented every nationality. The missionary, Mr Seese, had started to report about eight of the Speloken murders and was shot* The mut* ders totalled between thirty and forty. In some instances the motive

was robbery, in others the murders were committed in sheer' recklessness through drink. Neither officers nor men were ever short of whisky. The Bush Veldt Carbineers are now called the Pietersburg Light Horse, retaining only one officer of the original command. The widow of the Rev. 0. Heese has written a letter to a Berlin Missionary Society, relating what she knoyrs of her husband’s; death. She says that when the eight Boers who surrendered were shot, coloured men were left to bury the bodies; After the discovery of the'murders

Mr Heeaa-wedtjo the; oamp.of fchCarbineers to show his passport in pursuance,of p promise, that what had occurred would never be known. The officers'.of the Carbineers dlowed him to. proceed, but compelled him to attach.a white .fhg to his waggon. Mr lleese met Vanroyen, who reported, thac there were no marauders' about. Lieutenant Mbranfc, or Lieutenant' Handcock, with a patrol, followed Mr.Heese. The lieutenant ordered his followers to disperse into the bush, and he himself galloped ahead. Mr Heese was then murdered, and the lieutenant returned to the-camp. The guilt of the lieutenant could not.be proved, as there was ho eyewitness of the murder.

Melbourne, ' April 8,

’ Private letters received from Lieutenant Witton since his imprisonment confirm the worst in regard to the murders. Lieutenant Witton says that Captain Hunt was killed on August 7, not September. This seems to confirm the charge against Captain Hunt that he ordered his subordinates not to take Boer prisoners.