BOER GENERAL SHOT DEAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15717, 18 September 1914, Page 4

BOER GENERAL SHOT DEAD.

DID NOT HEAR CHALLENGE

MISTAKEN FOR DESPERADO,

By Telegraph—Prees Association—Copyrieb*

Johannesburg, September 16. General Beyers and General Delarev, while motoring near the town did not hear a policeman's challenge, and General Dclarey was shot dead.

Capetown advices state that the two generals were returning in the evening from Delarey's farm. The police had been seeking a gau» 0 f desperadoes who were using a motor-car similar to that used by Delarey and Beyers

Three gangs of desperadoes had been operating on the Rand. They raided a bank last week, and shot dead a man who discovered them and dynamited the safe. On Sunday they killed two policemen, and escaped on a motor-cycle.

Armed police organised ? hunt. and paid a surprise visit to the hiding place of the bandits. The latter killed a detective and escaped with a woman and child, while firing upon residents. The police have since hunted the bandit; in motors.

The police had previously killed a doctor and wounded his wife and sister under similar circumstance to those under which General Delarey met his death.

General Beyers has resigned the Commandant-Generalship v i the Union Defence Forces

j Genpral Delarey was bon in 1847 in this ; Lichenburg district of South Africa, and in his youth and early manhood saw much , service in savage warfare. In 1395 he entered the Yolksraad of the South African Republic, and was an active supporter of the policy of Genera! Joubert. At the outbreak of war w;th Great Britain in 1899, Deiarev was made a general and he was engiged in the western ranpaign against Lord Methtien and Lord Roberts. He won his first great success at Xitral's Nek. on July 11, 1900, when he compelled the surrender of a strong detachment of British soldiers. In the second, or guerilla, starve of the war Delarey became ore of the most conspicuously successful Boer loaders. He was assistant to General Botha uid a member of the Government, with chair* of the operations in Western Transvaal. The principal actions in which he was successful were NooiUredacht, Vlakfontein. and the defeat and capture of Lord Methuen at Klerksdorp. on March 7, 1902. The British general was severely wounded in the action, and Delarey, beincr unable to afford him proper "medical assistance, released him at once. This humanity and courtesy marked Pelarev's conduct throughout the war, and. even more than his military skill and oaring, earned for him the esteem of his enemies After the conclnsivi of peace Delarey, who had borne a prominent part in the negotiations, visiud Europe with the other generals, with the intention of raising money to enable the Boers to resettle their country. In December. 1903, he went on a mission to India and indnced the whole of the Boer prisoner? of war, who were detained there, to accept the new order of things and to take the oath of allegiance. In February, 1907, General Delarey was returned unopposed as member for Venters-dorp in the first Transvaal Parliament tinder self-government, and he has been a member ever since.