EXECUTION OF A TRAITOR.
As briefly referred to in the last chapter, there occurred in the
early part of February, 1901, what I always regard as one of the most
unpleasant incidents of the whole Campaign, and which even now I
cannot record without awakening the most painful recollections. I
refer to the summary execution of a traitor in our ranks, and inasmuch
as a great deal has been written of this tragic episode, I venture to
state the particulars of it in full. The facts of the case are as
follows:--
At this period of the War, as well as subsequently, much harm was done
to our cause by various burghers who surrendered to the enemy, and
who, actuated by the most sordid motives, assisted the British in
every possible way against us. Some of these treacherous Boers
occasionally fell into our hands, and were tried by court martial for
high treason; but however damning the evidence brought against them
they usually managed to escape with some light punishment. On some
occasions sentence of death was passed on them, but it was invariably
commuted to imprisonment for life, and as we had great difficulty in
keeping such prisoners, they generally succeeded, sooner or later, in
making their escape. This mistaken leniency was the cause of much
dissatisfaction in our ranks, which deeply resented that these
betrayers of their country should escape scot-free.
About this time a society was formed at Pretoria, chiefly composed of
surrendered burghers, called the "Peace Committee," but better known
to us as the "Hands-uppers." Its members surreptitiously circulated
pamphlets and circulars amongst our troops, advising them to surrender
and join the enemy. The impartial reader will doubtless agree that
such a state of things was not to be tolerated. Imagine, for example,
that English officers and soldiers circulated similar communications
amongst the Imperial troops! Would such proceedings have been
tolerated?
The chairman of this society was a man by the name of Meyer De Kock,
who had belonged to a Steenkampsberg field-cornet's force and had
deserted to the enemy. He was the man who first suggested to the
British authorities the scheme of placing the Boer women and children
in Concentration Camps--a system which resulted in so much misery and
suffering--and he maintained that this would be the most effective way
of forcing the Boers to surrender, arguing that no burgher would
continue to fight when once his family was in British hands.
One day a kaffir, bearing a white flag, brought a letter from this
person's wife addressed to one of my field-cornets, informing him that
her husband, Mr. De Kock, wished to meet him and discuss with him the
advisability of surrendering with his men to the enemy. My
field-cornet, however, was sufficiently sensible and loyal to send no
reply.
And so it occurred that one morning Mr. De Kock, doubtlessly thinking
that he would escape punishment as easily as others had before him,
had the audacity to ride coolly into our outposts. He was promptly
arrested and incarcerated in Roos Senekal Gaol, this village being at
the time in our possession. Soon afterwards he was tried by
court-martial, and on the face of the most damning evidence, and on
perusal of a host of incriminating documents found in his possession,
was condemned to death.
[Illustration: Execution of a Traitor.]
About a fortnight later a waggon drove up to our laager at Windhoek,
carrying Lieutenant De Hart, accompanied by a member of President
Burger's bodyguard, some armed burghers, and the condemned man De
Kock. They halted at my tent, and the officer handed me an order from
our Government, bearing the President's ratification of the sentence
of death, and instructing me to carry it out within 24 hours. Needless
to say I was much grieved to receive this order, but as it had to be
obeyed I thought the sooner it was done the better for all concerned.
So then and there on the veldt I approached the condemned man, and
said:--
"Mr. De Kock, the Government has confirmed the sentence of death
passed on you, and it is my painful duty to inform you that this
sentence will be carried out to-morrow evening. If you have any
request to make or if you wish to write to your family you will now
have an opportunity of doing so."
At this he turned deadly pale, and some minutes passed before he had
recovered from his emotion. He then expressed a wish to write to his
family, and was conducted, under escort, to a tent, where writing
materials were placed before him. He wrote a long communication to his
wife, which we sent to the nearest British officers to forward to its
destination. He also wrote me a letter thanking me for my "kind
treatment," and requested me to forward the letter to his wife. Later
on spiritual consolation was offered and administered to him by our
pastor.
Next day, as related in the previous chapter, we were attacked by a
detachment of General Kitchener's force from Belfast. This kept me
busy all day, and I delegated two of my subaltern officers to carry
out the execution. At dusk the condemned man was blindfolded and
conducted to the side of an open grave, where twelve burghers fired a
volley, and death was instantaneous. I am told that De Kock met his
fate with considerable fortitude.
So far as I am aware, this was the first Boer "execution" in our
history. I afterwards read accounts of it in the English press, in
which it was described as murder, but I emphatically repudiate this
description of a wholly justifiable act. The crime was a serious one,
and the punishment was well deserved, and I have no doubt that the
same fate would have awaited any English soldier guilty of a similar
offence. It seems a great pity, however, that no war can take place
without these melancholy incidents.