BULLET IN HEART.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 21, 25 January 1934, Page 10

BULLET IN HEART.

BOER WAR VETERAN.

DEATH* AFTER 30 YEARS. ! DARING ESCAPE RECALLED. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") NAPIER, tli its day. Tlir.ee remarkable Boer War incidents, two of which were linked together, are recalled by the death in Napier to-day of Mr. Andrew Gcarlicart Petersen, a member of the staff of the Customs Department. Mr. Petersen earned a measure of distinction by reason of the fact that he lived more than 30 years after receiving a bullet wound in the heart, and being labelled by doctors a doomed m an. When the Boer War broke out Mr. Petersen was a young man, and he went to South Africa when only 18 years of age. He was known as a daring soldier, and it was his disregard for risks that eventually found him a prisoner. He won his liberty again in spectacular fashion, involving two outstanding incidents. Working unremittingly for two weeks, he dug a tunnel nearly 200 yds long, by which he was able to leave the prison camp." It was a daring undertaking, and more than once before he had finished the tunnel he almost exposed himself to detection. The second episode followed immediately after ho got away from the prison cam]). As he crawled across the ground in his escape he was shot in the upper and rear part of the thigh. The builct fortunately inflicted only a flesh wound, and Mr. Petersen was able to take to his feet and run, eventually getting clear. His escape was the beginning of a long and painful trek. Trudging day and night for two weeks, he covered nearly 200 miles before he reached the British lines and safety. Invalided Home. It was on his return to service that he suffered the wound in his heart. The bullet pierced the pericardium, and the wound so weakened him that lie was invalided home, though doctors made no secret of their belief that he would never reach New Zealand. Nevertheless, he was still alive when the transport got to the Dominion, and for another 30 years lie lived in Napier, spending 22 years in the service of the Customs Department. Mr. Petersen was regarded in his work as most efticicnt, and was held in respect not only as a capable ollicer but also as a man of extremely fine and likeable disposition. He was a great animal lover. Mr. Petersen, who was 54 years of age, is survived by his widow. He was the son of Captain and Mrs. Petersen-, who now live in Wellington.