A SONG OF CRIME.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1713, 2 January 1920, Page 6

A SONG OF CRIME.

/ SOLDIER'S FIMItFUL RECORD.. Freddy Albeit,,» South African soldier, was executed, a few weeks ago in bite moat of the Citadel at Lille. a» was 22 years of a"gb", atid a untTVo oi the Cape, and the soil of a white woman, lie was, however,' a bad character", ami the despair of life parents, and had, moreover, booh often imprisoned for breaches of the law.. During the war he enlistee! in the army, where lie also very soon proved liimsejl' to be a b.ul soldier. At the this year lie lor.m : etl, in Flanders, with several regimental companions, a formidable band, which devoted itself to plundering and committing murders,- otVwhich the motive was theft. Albert and his accomplices, named Little Da*id, Rig David, D.evries. afld Stevens,,murdered in ill seven persons, of whoip three, whb wmkilled at Passchendaele, in Bebvtuin.on May 17, were women who had come to look for the graves of relatives killed oil the field of battle. The victimsivoro shot and afterwards robb'ed. Ihe household of a fanner at i'Vttrr met the same fate" on June, V>, and another couple were shot at Morris on -June 22. As the result of'the latter crime jl dispute arose between Stevens and Albert as to the distribution of the Npoty, whereupon the latter killed his accomplice.' ' Little David, Big David, and Harris wore all executed in Belgium, while Devries was sentenced to 15 years penal servitude. 11 was whilst accompanying hinisell in a banjo after his arrest that Albert :jiiug the story of his crimes to the police agents 'who were charged With, securing his confession. During the whole of the night before his execution, of whidi he bad been previously warn- ' ed. he continued to sing to the riccprnpanimerit of his banjor Hi} went to the plane of execution with a firm step.