THE LATE SIR HECTOR MACDONALD.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 12027, 28 March 1903, Page 3

THE LATE SIR HECTOR MACDONALD.

United Press Association—Per Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received 5.40 p.m., "March 27th. LONDON, March 26. The Macdonald tragedy caused a profound sensation. The Paris papers publish sympathetic articles. French travellers deflate that the rumours current at Colombo suggest a different offence to English surmises. Letters found on the body. signed by prominent residents of Ceylon. expressed sincere sympathy- The residents of Dingwall. Macdonald's" birthplace, are also greatly distressed. Received 5.45 p.m., March 2(th. At Lord Babexts* suggestion, the King { specially gave audience to Sir Hector Macdonald, and advised him to demand a courtmartial. He lived very quietly in Paris. lounging ar:,und the hotel. His efforts not Fo attract attention suggested the belief that lie premeditated suicide, which the publicity given to the charges accelerated. He appeared startled at the contents of ' the Paris edition o: the "New York Hetald." The Paris newspaper "Le Matin " states that Sir Hector Macdicald burst into tears, pondered deliberately, and reread the paper, and then apparently deciding on hi* coatee of action went to his "bedroom. He must have shot himself in the temple with a revolver immediately, for when the maid found the body an hour later, he had been dead only three-quarters of au iir.cr. Received 7.45 p.m.. March 27: h. It had been an open secret amoaj officers f. r several weeks that Sir Heotor Macilnuuld was under :» cloud. His health i has been bad during his residence in Ceylon, and he was much depressed on his voyage to England. The body is to be brought to London. Received 11.14 p.m.. March 27th. LONDON. March 27. A late edition of the "' Evening News" authoritatively denies the statement that the King had received General Macdonald -who was only a few hours in London. The. War Office ordered his immediate return to Ceylon and arranged for General Kelly, who was formerly "at Pretoria, to supervise the trial and "take command at Ceylon. Sir Hector Macdonald tarried in Paris ['.:■ rhe' hop'.' of receiving fre-h instructions sparing him lettrerasiit fr.ira h:< rank and pension. It :. sat.pnsed th->t rie committed suicide on reading Sir West Ridgewav's sneech. Received"l2.l2 a.m.. March 23th. The War Office has offered to defruv Genera! Macdonald's funeral expenses. Hi- brother declares that Sir Hector Macdonald h::d complained that the iiitrivriie in C'evlon was tine to jeahmsv over "hi< promotion, and that he would never have teft C'evlon if guilty. The fact that he hid faced Lord Roberts demonstrates 'a proud and sensitive nun's ir.rlicrnation. T!:i» French authorities d'spTared sreat r:.,'t <nd soor! feeling. They decided ; t!;nr Sir tlei-ror's death slumld be announced first in London, and at their instance the fa"' that It "\>s a case of suicide did not apnear in the evening papers in Paris.

PARI?. March 27. f:i accordant with his relatives' wfshes the body of Sir Hector Macdonald wi'l lie buried at Pari*, and the funeral will be of a private character. The British colony in Pjiris will send many wreaths. ' Oereral Macdonald shot himself behind the rirrht ear. and the bnller penetrated the brain in an upward direction severing the veins.

FROM PRITATE TO GENERAL. A REMARKABLE CAREER. Ther? was no more phturesone figure in the British a-nnv than Oeneryl Sir Hector MacdonaM. C.8.. or "Fichting Mac," as he was known to the men whom he commanded. Next to Lord Roberts, perhaps, no man was more popular with the rank and file of the army. General Macdonald was well-known to colonials, having visited the chief centres of" Australia and New

Zealand (including Christchurch) at the end of 1901. He was thee at the zenith of his fume, fresh from a war which had added new laurels to a great reputation. Who amongst those who assembled to do honour to a distinguished soldier during his recent visit ever imagined that so brilliant :: career would end in such a tragic manner?

_ Born in 1853 at Dingwall, Ross-shire, in the Western Highlands of Scotland, he gave evidence in his early infancy of the wiry, iron constitution, which stood him in such good stead during long campaigns in India. Egypt, and South Africa. His father was "a small crofter, and kept a little shop besides. Young "Archie," after a few years of primary education, was sect to work at a draper's shop in Inverness, eight miles away, where he remained until his 18th year, when he enlisted in the G<>rdon Highlanders, and was sent to barracks at Aberdeen. This step seems to have been taken against the wishes of his friends, but young Macdonald was not the sort to go back od his plan?. After some months in depot, he was sent out with his regiment to India as a lance-corporal. This was in 1873. 1877 he was colour-ser-geant of '" C" Company, and in this capacity he did signal service by leading his men with such effect against the enemy that a serious teverse was avoided. Lord Roberts, then the G.0.C., sent for ColourSergeant Macdonald. and offered him the choice between a V.C. and a commission. He chose the latter, and at once stepped into the commissioned ranks as a second lieutenant. He was so popular with his brother officers that a sum - of £SOO wassubscribed in one day. together with a free kit and a presentation sword. There is a picturesque history attaching to this sword. Macdonald, of course, was very proud of his new possession, but he Io?t it when taken prisoner after the disaster at Majuba Hill. Lieutenant Robertson, it is said, told Joubert Macdonald's history, how that he had risen from the ranks, and had been presented with this sword for bravery in the field. Jcubert was so impressed that he promised to recover the sword and hand it back : to its owner, if it were still to be found in the Transvaal. He' offered a substantia! reward, and the sword was dulv restored.

. At Majnba Lieutenant Macdonald behaved with splendid aallantrv. When the work of decimation had been almost completed, and only a few of his battalion left, he. with his favourite sword in ore hand and a revolver in the other, turned round to his men with " Now. bovs, evervthing is lost, but I'll shoot the first man who attempts to retire. Let us die like soldiers." He himself fought like some infuriated wild animal, and had to be almost stripped before he was taken prisoner. Tn 1834 he» resumed active service in the Nile expedition until the fall of Omdnrman. His_ work there is too recent to need rec:.r.;fT,"ntion. an< * everybodv recollects the trn- T: - character sketch which the late A. G. S'eevens has siven the world of "Fi<»hting Mao." in " With Kitchener to Khartoum."

After the Soudm campaign Sir Hector was sent off to India, to be summoned thence in hot haste to South Africa, where he took command of the HieMand Brigade after the death of General ~Wauchope? at Magersfontein. He wounded in.the foot at Paardeberg Drift, when Cronj'e was surrounded and captured. He never left his regiment, however, for as Steevens said of him. " ; He had been known to have fever, but never to be unfit for dutv." He was appointed to the command of" the Southern and Belgaum district in India on his return from South Africa, in 1901. and was transferred to the ccmmanl of Cevlon last yeir. It was during his furlough* in 1901 that he visited the" colonies, arriving in Christchnrch on October 28th. and stavintr here several days. His progress through the colonies was marked 'bv a series "of ovations. -

Frnm the beirirninr: his career was one of splendid strength of purpose and personal heroism. In appecranre he looked the

vigorous. ind<-niitable soldier he was. One of hi< conntrymen has said of him: " Macdonald's "face, it strikes yon. could in a tense moment, wber the march was on. or the battle going, become a perfectly cut situate, a challenge to fivery side, hard, almost relentless. The cheek bones are prominent at the base as well as at the to; they suggest the strenuous, determined, indomitable man. Yon think of the tramp cf armed men who have no sort cf idea-of turning back." Mr Bennet Burleigh holds that Mnodocn!d had just thattouch of genius which distinguished the great soldier from • the good one. Undoubtedlv he had one c f the c;na!ities of genius, an infinite capacity for taking pains. The crrind of work lie had been through in the Rondan. making "riCeme- from mud." probably: no one but himself knew. He was a stern discipb'n.irian, sparing no map. himself leasTf of all. but he was adored by everv Tommy who ever followed him into battle.—(" P"res«.")