A PASSING RACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20583, 5 December 1928, Page 10

A PASSING RACE

DEATH OF CHRISTCHURCH CABMAN. BOER WAR INCIDENT RECALLED. (Special xo Daily Times, j CHRISTCHURCH. December 4. By the death of Mr Charles Parker, Christchurch lost one of its best known characters (says the Sun). Better knOWn as “ Bun,” Mr Parker ail'd his hansom cab for years resisted the modernisation of transport, and the old cabdriver became a notable figure of the city. When he was serving in the Boer war Mr Parker was responsible for an incident that might have led' to serious trouble. He failed to salute an Imperial army officer who passed close by him, and when the officer reprimanded him he replied in round colonial terms. He was tried by court martial and tied to a guncarriage. When the colonial troops heard of this the Australians and New Zealanders combined forces and went in a body to release him. Then they told the Imperial troops to do their worst. _ Lord Kitchener ordered 1 that the incident should be closed, and issued an order that Imperial officers should not interfere with the independent colonials. Few of the people who daily passed “ Bun ” op his stand realised that he nearly precipitated an Empire crisis.