THE AUSTRALIAN SENSATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2509, 16 April 1902, Page 27

THE AUSTRALIAN SENSATION.

LONDON, April 7. The widow of the Rev. C. Hee<=e has written a letter to the Berlin Missionary Society relating what she knows of her husband's death. She says that when the eight Boers who had surrendered were shot, the coloured men were left to bury the bodies. After the discovery of these murders Mr Hee^e went to the camp of the Carbineers to show his passport, in pursuance of a previous promise that what had occurred would never be known. The officers of the Carbineers allowed him to proceed, but compelled him to attach a white flag to hL waggon. Mr Heese met Van Royeu, who reported that there were no marauder^ about. Lieutenant Murray (?), Morant, or Handcock, with a patrol, followed Heese. The lieutenant ordered his followers to disperse in the bush, and he himself galloped ahead, and passed Hilas (this name being interpreted as that of Heese). A black boy aivd Heese were then murdered, and tho lieutenant returned to the camp. The guilt of the lieutenant could not be proved, as there wero no eye-witnesses of the murder. LONDON, April 8. A Liverpool man, formerly with tho Bush Veldt Carbineers, declares that Morant shot and killed Van Duren on tho open veldt while speaking to him about the murders. He then repoi'ted that he was gallantly killed in action. The officers and men of the Carbineers represented every nationality. The missionary Heese started tlie report about the eight Speloken murders-. He was shot. The murders totalled between 30 and 40. In .some instances the motive was robbery. Others wero committed from sheer recklessness and through drink. Neither officers nor men were ever .short of whisky. LONDON, April 9. Mr Balfour announced in the Hou<-e of Commons that it was not intended to publish tlie Morant-Handcock courtmartial proceedings. Mr Brodrick added that it was not customary to publish statements in regard to courts-martial. Lord C'ranborne said that no communication had been received from Germany or from tho British Consul respecting tho missionary Heen 1 . April 10. It is announced that Hec-e, tho German missionary, -was i( British «-übjpct. MELBOURNE. April 8. Puviito letters received from Lieutenant Witton since his imprisonment confirm the worst in regard to the murders. Witton viys, that Hunt was killed on August 7, not in September. This seems, to confirm the charge against Hunt that he had ordered his subordinates not to take Bot r prisoners.