The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-03-26
GEN. MACDONALD
COLD IN DEATH
British Officer Could Not Survive
His Disgrace.
BULLET ENDED HIS CAREER
ACT WAS COMMITTED IN HOTEL
REGINA IN PARIS.
BULLET ENDED HIS CAREER

Paris, March 25-Majcr General Hec-
Tor Macdonald, commanding the Brit
lsh forces in Ceylou and one Of the
foremost officers In the British army
against whom charges based on inn
moral acts were filed some time AGO,
committed suicide today ut the Regina
here. He shot himself in the right
temple shortly after noon. and expired
a Few minutes later. The general was
alone iu his smaH chamber at the time
or the tragedy one of the female att
tendants heard the pistol shot and.
opening the door saw the generals
ugure stretched out on the floor with
blood gushing from a bullet wound iu
I'm The head. She ran screaming Co the
balcony overlooking the lobby of the
hotel where many guests. including
a number of ladies. were assembled.
The proprietor of the hotel was the
first OF reach the expiring man. Mcdi-
cal help was Immediately summoned.
but was found t0 De useless. death en-
suing quickly ON the fatal act The
cOmmissary of police was notified. and.
accompanied by "a doctor proceeded to
make "a preliminary Investigation. 40
money or papers of any kind were
found iu Sir Hect0rs baggage
Two Notes Found.
Two notes written I'm English were
found lying oU table iu his room. and
these were taken possession of by the
authorities. but it is understood that
their contents have no bearing ON the
suicide
I'm the generals coat lying on the
bed. were found some photographs. The
British embassy and consulate were
notified later and Consul General Ing
lis visited the hotel and took charge
Of the body which was placed ON the
bed. The door was then locked. the
consul general taking the key The
French officials took possession Of the
revolver. which was of niue mHOme-
tres Gallber and apparently new.
Had Started For Ceylon.
Sir Hector Macdonald arrived i'm Pa
ris last Friday evening from London
ON his way back 20 Ceyl0u. where il
was understood that am immediate
court-martial Woul- be held 90 clear uD
the charges made against him. on
reaching the hotel at il o'clock at
night he was to.3 that only a small
and Indifferent room was available. He
replied that that was quite sufficient.
He was not accompanied BIZ any aide
Ide-camp or valet. He said he intend
ed 90 stay On.A "a day or two i'm Paris.
Little was seen OF him after his ar
rival He was however. iu the lobby
this morning about noon and 10 is be-
leved that newspaper printed In
English, containing "a resume of the
grave charges brought against him and
embeuished with the generals portrait
in fun uniform. came under his atteu-
ton. He left the lobby. going 90 his
room and the pistol shot followed soon
after.
Causes a Shock.
no arrangements have yet been made
as 90 the disposition of the body. which
is subject 10 The order OF the British
authorities
Both the British embassy and Cen
aral Inglis have advised London of the
tragedy and are awaiting definite i'm
structIOns. The generals suicide has
profoundly shocked the British officials
here. Those about the hotel who had
couyersed with Sir Hector Macdonald
recently say he showed no signs of ex-
citemeut or mental worry. They de-
scribe him as OF soldierly bearing
slightly under middle height. with
hronzed face and a slight gray mus
tache. He was dressed In "a dark gray
travelling suit
III ''AllaHr 10 lHr circumstances sur
rounding the death of General Macdou-
aid was the gaisty of the scene tOnighz
near his death chamber Owing To pre-
cautions taken To- conceal the death few
people in the hotel were aware of it,.
and the corridors and Hobbies iu the
hotel were filed with Joyous parties of
guests going 90 and returning from the
atre and opera. The body lay In an adj
Joining chamber. There are no watch
ers by the side Of the corpse.