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Sat 12 Apr 1902 - Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919)
Page 13 - The Executed Officers.
The Executed Officers.
STATEMENT BY THE WAR OFFICE.
TWELVE MURDERS PROVED.
(By Cable from Our London Correspondent.)
The official statement issued by the War Office
with reference to the sentences passed by court
martial on the officers of the Bushveldt Car-
bineers is as follows:—"In July and August of
last year the Bushveldt Carbineers were recruited
in South Africa, many men from the other colo-
nies being also included in their ranks. The
newly-raised corps was employed in the wildest
part of the Transvaal, known as the Spelonkon,
and took a certain number of prisoners. It came
to the knowledge of the authorities in October
that there had been grave irregularities on the
part of certain officers of the corps during the
previous three months, and an exhaustive investi-
gation was ordered. A Court of Inquiry assembled
on October 15, resulting in five officers being tried
by general court-martial at Pietersburg in
January. The prisoners were found guilty; either
as principals or accessories, of twelve murders.
Lieutenants H. H. Morant and P. J. Handcock
were sentenced to death, the death sentence duly
confirmed by the Commander-in-Chief, and car-
ried out. The same officers were also charged
with murdering a German missionary, the Rev.
C. Heese, on August 23, but, although there was
a strong suspicion that Lieutenant Handcock, in-
stigated by Lieutenant Morant, committed the
deed, the evidence on the point was not suffi-
ciently conclusive to justify a conviction. Lieu-
tenant G. R. Witton was found guilty of murder,
and sentenced to death; but, he being present
under influence, the death sentence was com-
muted to penal servitude for life. Lieutenant
H. Picton was found guilty of manslaughter.
Major Lenehan, commanding the Bushveldt Car-
bineers, became aware of the crimes subsequent
to their committal. He was convicted of cul-
pable neglect in emitting to report the offenders,
and was ordered to Australia, his dismissal from
the service being rendered unnecessary by the
previous disbandment of his corps. No doubt
exists as to the guilt of the accused, whose plea
of extenuation that a member of their corps had
suffered ill-treatment at the hands of the Boers,
was not sustained by the evidence at the trial.
The sentences were such as would have been in-
flicted upon any officers found similarly guilty."
LIEUTENANT PICTON'S STORY.
Lieutenant H. Picton was a passenger to Eng
land by the transport Canada, recently arrived.
Interviewed by a representative of the "Daily
Mail," Picton stated that when tho Carbineers
were attacking Barend Viijoen's farm as Duivel's
Stoep in September last, Captain Hunt was left
wounded on the verandah. Next day Hunt's
comrades, Morant and Handcock, found his dead
body, which had been stripped cf clothing and
brutally kicked. In addition, the face and legs had
been slashed with a knife, one eye had been
gouged out, and his neck had been broken. Mr.
Reuter, the missionary, at whose station Captain
Hunt's body was buried, is alleged to have con
firmed this description of how the corpse was
found. Picton goes on to state that Morant and
Handcock swore revenge for the brutality with
which their comrade had been treated, and order-
ed that if the murderers were captured no quar-
ter was to be given them. A Boer, who was cap-
tured dressed in the late Captain Hunt's clothes,
got short shrift. Later, eight other Boers were
captured, and a drum-head court-martial having
showed that they belonged to the same party,
they were executed. Revenge, not plunder, was,
Picton declares, the motive actuating Morant and
Handcock, who considered that the laws of war
justified their actions. The story of how Hand-
cock had twelve Boers shot in order to get pos-
session of £20,000 which they had concealed in
their waggons, he declares to be a lie. In con-
nection with the death of the German missionary,
Picton states that Mrs. Schiel, wife of the notori-
ous adventurer "Colonel" Schiel, now a prisoner
at St. Helena, proved at the court-martial that
both Handcock and Morant were at a farmhouse
forty miles away on the night that the Rev. C,
Heese was murdered. Moreover, Morant, when
dying, protested that he was innocent of the
crime.
PRESS COMMENTS.
The "Daily Mail" says the guilt of the irregular
troops casts no stain upon the conduct of the war
or of the army. The "Daily News" says the mini-
mum of facts elicited shows that Lord Kitchener
is a just and fearless commander. The "Stan-
dard" observes that misleading statements have
fostered a misunderstanding in Australia. The
facts, it adds, will ultimately show that the guilty
were treated with the utmost equity. The "St.
James' Gazette" remarks that the justice of Lord
Kitchener has vindicated the honor of the army.
Australia, it continues, should not be held res-
ponsible for the misdeeds of irregulars. The
"Pall Mall Gazette" thinks the exemplary pun-
ishment ought to convince the Boers of the even-
handed justice of the British. The New York
correspondents of the "Daily Mail" and "Daily
Express" say that Lord Kitchener's course pre-
vents the incident being charged against the
British.
MESSAGE FROM LORD KITCHENER.
Through the Governor-General, Mr. Barton, who
is in Sydney, received on Sunday the following
cable from Lord Kitchener:—"In reply to your
telegram, Morant, Handcock, and Witton were
charged with twenty separate murders, including
one German missionary who had witnessed other
murders. Twelve of these murders were prov-
ed from evidence. It appears that Morant was
the originator of crimes, which Handcock car-
ried out in a cold-blooded manner. The murders
were committed in the wildest part of the Trans-
vaal, known as 'Spelonkon,' about 80 miles to
the north of Pretoria, on four separate days,
namely, July 2, August 11, August 23, and Sep-
tember 7. In one case, when eight Boer pri-
soners were murdered, it was alleged in defence
to have been done in the spirit of revenge for ill-
treatment of one cf their officers, Lieutenant
Hunt, who was killed in action. No such ill-
treatment was proved. The prisoners were con-
victed after a most exhaustive trial, and were de-
fended by counsel. There were, in my opinion,
no extenuating circumstances. Lieutenant Wit-
ton was also convicted, but I commuted his sen-
tence to penal servitude for life, in consideration
of his having been under the influence of Morant
and Handcock. The report of the proceedings
has been sent home."
Commenting on this report, the Prime Minister
states that it seems to establish murders of such
a character that the prisoners were necessarily
subject to the severest punishment. That the ques-
tion of the degree of punishment was considered
by Lord Kitchener is clear from the commu-
tation of the death sentence in Witton's case. At
the same time, it does not substantiate the wild
stories of plunder and robbery, and he (Mr. Bar-
ton) has received no information which for a
moment justifies the accusation that the executed
officers took life for the purposes of plunder.
Asked whether any steps would be taken to have
Witton's punishment lessened, Mr. Barton replied
that nothing could be done until the evidence
came to hand. He understands that Major
Thomas, of Inverell, who defended the prisoners
at their trial, is bringing out copies of the depo-
sitions.
THE ARMY ORDERS.
Major-General Hutton, who is in Melbourne,
has been handed the following Army Order
dealing with the case, and which has been re-
ceived privately, from Pretoria by an Australian
officer: "Army Orders, South Africa. Army
headquarters, Pretoria, February 28, 1902. I.
Discipline. The following extracts from the
proceedings of general courts-martial held at
Pietersburg, Transvaal, between January 16 and
February 19, 1902, for the trial of the undermen-
tioned prisoners is published for information:—
1. H. H. Morant, P. J. Handcock, G. R. Witton,
and H. Picton, of the Bushveldt Carbineers, were
charged with:—Charge: When on active service
committing the offence of murder. Finding: The
court find the prisoner Morant guilty of murder,
and find the prisoners Handcock, Witton, and
Picton guilty of manslaughter. 2. H.
H. Morant, P. J. Handcock, and G.
R. Witton, of the Bushveldt Carbineers,
were charged with:—Charge: When on
active service committing the offence of murder.
Finding: The Court finds the prisoners guilty of
the charge. Sentence: The Court sentenced the
prisoners, Morant, Handcock, and Witton to suffer
death by being shot, and prisoner Picton to be
cashiered. Confirmation: The General Com-
rnanding-in-Chief has confirmed the sentence in
the case of the prisoners Morant, Handcock, and
Picton, but has commuted the sentence awarded
to the prisoner Witton to one of penal servitude
for life. The sentences awarded to the prisoners
Morant and Handcock have been carried out. . . .
4. Major R. W. Lenehan, of the Bushveldt Carbin-
eers, was charged with:—Charge: When on ac-
tive service, by culpable neglect, omitting to
make a report which it was his duty to make.
Finding: The Court find prisoner guilty of the
charge. Sentence: The Court sentence prisoner
to be reprimanded. The finding and the sentence
have been confirmed by the General Commanding-
in-Chief."
Article identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71522700
Page identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page6005543
APA citation
The Executed Officers. (1902, April 12).Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), p. 13. Retrieved October 27, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71522700
MLA citation
"The Executed Officers."Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919) 12 April 1902: 13. Web. 27 Oct 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71522700>.
Harvard/Australian citation
1902 'The Executed Officers.',Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), 12 April, p. 13. , viewed 27 Oct 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71522700
Wikipedia citation
{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71522700 |title=The Executed Officers. |newspaper=[[Australian Town And Country Journal]] |volume=LXIV, |issue=1679 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=12 April 1902 |accessdate=27 October 2025 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}}

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