MURDERER REPRIEVED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21769, 7 April 1934, Page 2 (Supplement)

MURDERER REPRIEVED

PLEA TO PRINCE OF WALES STORY OF AFRICAN JJUNGLE BELGIAN GIRL'S APPEAL A remarkable story of how a beautiful Belgian girl pleaded desperately with the Prince of Wales for the life ol her lover, a condemned murderer, was disclosed in London recently. It is a story of ront'iiice, passion and death in the "heart of the African jungle, and concerns "a British beachcomber m Lourenco Marques (Delagoa Bay), who fell in love with a lovely Belgian girl working under a Portuguese liquor seller. . . So deep was their affection for each other that they decided to run away. But they had no money, and one night they set oil' in a hired car to cross the, Portuguese border into the Bntish native territory of Swaziland, where they could marry in (Security. But liefore the border was reached the driver of the car became suspicious and demanded money. The lovers were desperate under the threat of being taken back to Lourenco Marques. The Britisher thereupon drew a revolver, shot the driver, tumbled his body into the bush, and drove on furiously until the car ran out oi petrol. Thcv had achieved their object ot reaching British territory, but next morning the driver's body was found and a hue and cry was set up for the assailant. ... . ~ For the week the lovers hid in tho hills but when hunger drove them into a. native kraal to beg for food they were recognised and eventually arrested Jhe man was tried and sentenced to be I "Tt ! was at this time that the Prince of Wales was making an official tour ot

tho territory. r Outsido .tho.very gaol where the murderer was waiting l for his execution, a platform had been erected, where the Prince would receive the white residents. Officials and their wives and friends began to file past. Suddenly the Prince found himself faced bv a dark-haired beauty in a. floral-patterned frock. She spoke French, and the Prince replied in that language. She began to plead for tho life of ber lover, crying " Save bun! " The Prince listened," but an official realised what was happening, and the Belgian girl was hurried away and later informed that sho must address her appeal to the Governor-General. Ten days later the Britisher was reprieved. Although, of course, the Prince could only receive such an appeal with a proper regard for tho Court of Justice, the girl steadfastly believes he saved her lover's life.