The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-27
Underlined Charges That Drove
British Major General to Sui
eide Forgotten in England.
CEYLON VICAR HIS ACCUSER.
Governor, Bidding Him Good-By,
Suggested That He Should "Dis-
appear" on the Voyage to
Meet Army Authorities.

A|ohdiu III I'dTlS mas CAUSED IuOSl luttilSS
sorrow all over Great Britain.
The underlined charges which drove him to
death are forgotten by the British public
In remembrance of his remarkable career
and his services to his country.
1 have learned from an authoritative
sourse that the statement published in
newspapers that the King received Mac
Donald in special audience early this month
is wholly untrue. Macdonald saw no one In
London-where he remained but twenty-four
hours-beyond the heads of military de-
partments. He was at army headquarters
last Thursday and was ordered by the war
authorities to return at once to Ceylon to
be tried by court-martial.
This. at first. he begged to be allowed tc
do. and somewhat painful interview. in
which Fighting Mac burst into tears, re-
suited in his promising that he would go
to France to think the matter over.
He left London last Friday. with a knowl-
edge that so far as the military authori-
to the charges brought against him. except
the verdict of court-martial, for holding
which he knew arrangements were even
then practically completed.
SEVENTY WITNESSES.
plated trial that arrangements had been
made to call no fewer than seventy wit
nesses.
There Is no doubt that Macdonald hesi-
tated to go to Ceylon. and. as he fingered
in Paris, It became evident he was hoping
the War Office would. out of regard for his
long and valiant service. afford him some
solution which would spare him in retire
mont bic rapk and pepSyop
This led to a letter being sent to Mac
Donald on Tuesday from the war authori-
ties instructing him to return to Ceylon
without another moments delay. He
should have received this letter yesterday
morning.
1t is assumed that this, coupled with the
publication of the Governor of Ceylon's
statements. decided him as to the course
which he took.
was informed tonight by a gentleman
who has a nephew in one Of the regiments
stationed in Ceylon that he received a let
ter from his relative recently, stating that
reports rejecting upon MacDonald's private
life had been current for some months:
that the principal accuser was the vicar of
an English church out there, and that when
the Governor Of Ceylon bads Macdonald
good-by he said to him:
1.-THE best thing you can do IS to disap-
pear during the voyage -s
POSSIBLY INSANE o.
At the War Office the theory generally
held is that Macdonald has been insane for
some time.
The ST. James Gazette voices popular SEN
timent when it says:
I'VE hope that the public will not insist
that the wretched business should be probed
to the bottom. but will be content to let
him rest, the gallant, glorious soldier, to
whom his country owed SO much.
There will be tendency, no doubt, to
believe that by his death Fighting Mac
has pleaded guilty to the charge, whatever
II may have been. against him.
I'VE beg the public not TO take that vfew
Thirty years of service In the tropjcs Is
bound to wear a mans nerve. Macdonald
was a man of small education 10 beein
with, and II is likely enough that he had
the mind of a child as To affairs NJ the
word. His lamentable end Is quite CON-
sonant with innocence in a rough soldier
Of rreat DISCRIMINATION but unhoI.nc.a
Judgment"
LETTERS MISSING.
Par,e March 9s-Tbe bo5v ~ ua,or Claw
ara, Sir Hector M.cDono1d uho ,o,,r,,.,ad
suicide here Yesterday was rernovod ,o-aau
IN the british rport,,ary cb.ne, uho,a =,
viii await sh;nrnent 20 t. sn,, r..,,ra
nl.ce IN scotI,r5
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'ne usuai ieeai ,equiremeh. was waived,
was saiu d. the oriusn embassy tna'
~ oiue,s nave ueeh IeceHeu from Lohdon
s =. mig .ne uispos''on Oh ehe poay' ana
10 eApeoeeo INA. ene taHiiiy OF ehe deao
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po'n lhe oliic,ais OF tne srtisn embassy
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AA-A'N 1SSA AoNAN'