The San Francisco call., 1903-12-05
WAR ROMANCE
HAS SAD ENDING
Court Martial Robs a
BOer Girl Of Her
Sweetheart.
First Execution of a Spy in
South Africa Recalled by
MajCr Barchard.

Major Ca-l Barchard Of Devon. Eng
land. an officer of the West York Reg
iment which took an active part in the
BOer war and who personally figured
conspicuCusly in one cf the rather ro-
mantle incidents of the South African
unpleasantness. is a guest at the Pal
ace, having arrived from the South yes
terday
1t was this Major Barchard. under
whose direction the execution OF Lieu
tenant Hans Cordua of the German ar
my, serving with the Boer forces. took
place, and 1t was the incident that
came near resulting in the majors as
sassinatiOn Il few nights later Regard
ing this episode of the war the major
said yesterday:
Lieutenant COrdua was captured
with number of Boer soldiers. but
later released on parole. Barely had he
gained his liberty before he was en-
gagged in a plot to assassinate me and
the spiriting away Of General Lord
Roberts. The British, however, were
warned of the plans of the German and
his co-conspirators and a trap set for
the latter led to the recapture OF Cor
dua, disguised in British uniform.
After trial by court-martial that
extended over a long period, the lieu
tenant was sentenced to be shot and
/ was ordered by General Maxwell to
execute the death sentence.
FIRST EXECUTION.
''The execution was the first TO take
place in South Africa under military
law and the case was complicated for
me by reason Of the fact that 1 had
had charge Of the German lieutenant
for eleven days, during which he had
come to regard me as a friend. The
day preceding the execution, shortly
after Cordua had been informed that
there was no longer any hope for elem
ency, he requested permission to write
a letter. which was granted.
THE following morning the prisoner
faced a firing squad Of ten men. or
the ten shots fired seven pierced Cor
dua's heart.
I'm the afternoon OF the day OF the
execution 1 received a visit from a
young Boer woman, who claimed to be
Cordua's intended wife, and appealed
for permission to see him. She had not
been advised that Cordua had paid the
penalty for violating his parole and the
news Of his death that morning COM
pletely Frustrated the unhappy woman.
THE same evening the officers OF the
barracks were told OF another plot to
assassinate me. I was quietly warned
to be on my guard. Several nights later
1 was aroused from my slumbers by a
strange noise and detected some one
slowly raising a window near my bed
and a few seconds later the head and
shoulders Of a man protruded into the
room.
KILLS A POTTER.
"Stealthily drawing one Of my
revolvers from beneath my pill
low I took deliberate aim at the
intruding figure and fired. Hur-
riedIy rising and summoning a guard 1
discovered lying across my window
ledge the dead form OF a stalwart man.
which 1 readily recognized as that OF
a paroled Boer. who had evidently been
delegated by the plotters to murder me
and avenge the death OF Cordau-
THE midnight shooting apparently
caused the oiotters to abandon any fur
ther plans-they may have had to assas-
sinate British officers, for no further
trouble was had"
The major has been travelling through
the Southern States, visiting former
South African friends, and he says his
trip to California is for a similar pur-
pose.