CHARGE OF FLOGGING NATIVES TO DEATH.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12470, 22 February 1909, Page 3

CHARGE OF FLOGGING NATIVES TO DEATH.

■According to the "Rhodesia Herald, "before Mr. Justice Waternieyer and -a'" jury,' at the criminal sessions at Battlefields, four , -white settlers— a contractor; Mr Murdo Macaiilay, and three others— employed about; the mine's, wer charged with flogging to deatfr two - natives and "assaulting' ' a third "with intent to do him bodily harm.V The boys were suspected of having stolen some money belonging to a 'clerical gentleman. As 'the "accused"\did not confess to their, crime they were, -according to the evidence tied '■ upVfco a tree by their hands and flogged with the sjambok by the four men charged before the jury.; The flogging !was repeated on three days until the boys confessed. .-. V ... .-■ i . I)r Mackenzie, the district surgeon at Hartley, stated before the court that. -.the; flogging in the cases of two of ..the natives brought on pneumonia, and they died, one -on -the]". day. .after his release arid the other a" few days later. It \vas also stated by witnesses that after ; the ; flogging the deceased were Scarcely able to -crawl about, and one of them, after the final flogging,, attempted to commit suicide by stabbinghimself.: with a knife. ■ The defence argued that the crime become rajnpant in the district,- and that the police had proved themselves, as on previous occasions,;inefncient. It was also denied that the flogging had been severe, and pleaded that pneu« monia must have been contracted by this" deceased through a chill caused by sleeping out; ~ • : The jury, after ten minutes' absence, returned a verdict of "not guilty" on all counts,; and the accused were discharged.