Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-07-22
PAUL KRUGER DEAD
IN SWITZERLAND
Former President of the Trans
yaal Republic Ends His
Stormy Life.
ITS CLOSE WAS PATHETIC
Broken and Weak, His Eyesight Almoss
Gone. He Was the Picture of Calm
Endurance-Failed After
His Wife Died.

Clarens. Switzerland, July i6.-Paul
Kruger. former president of the Trans
vaal republic, died here this morning
Of pneumonia and s~upervening heart
weakness. He lost Consciousness Mon
day. An application will be made to
the British government for authority
to transport the remains to the Trans
| vaaL.
When Kruger recently left Mentone
his heart was gradually failing through
cid & and constitutional disorders,
and a throat trouble which threatened
to extend to the lungs. Near friends
recognized that his once rugged constt-
tuition was gradually going TO pieces.
Visitors described him as being a "a
thetic figure OF calm endurance. His
eyesight was dimmed, but he sat much
with his bible open before him, mutter-
ing well known passages. He always
expressed the belief that providence
would eventually render justice to the
Boer cause.
Pathetic and Stormy Career.
Stephanus Johannes Paul Kruger
was not OF the old Afrikander stock
that founded Cape Colony, but or a
German family that emigrated to
South Africa In the eighteenth century.
He was born In 1925 in Rastenburg,
Cape Colony, and when IL years old,
with his people, went on the great
trek" Always a physical giant, he was
at that time so powerful that he res
cued his little sister from a leopard
often enormously said to have been a
lion-and killed the brute with a knife,
after a fearful struggle.
Again driven out by the British after
they had won their country from the
natives, the beers trekked once more,
and this time to the Transvaal, whence
they seemed sure of immunity from
British attack, and where, after n of
the most wonderful struggles a small
but determined people ever made
against a great power-a struggle in
which they almost broke, and fearfully
ieopardized, the military power or
England-they were at last conquered.
Paul Kruger was hunter and farmer
till he became a member Of the ex-
ecutive council in 1872. Then again the
English soldiers came and announced
the annexation of the Transyaal.
Kruger headed a delegation to London,
which secured no redress. Ii returned,
and the Beers grimly began accumu
lating arms and ammunition for a
struggle. When the English garrisons
were reduced the attack was made, and
1916 Boer farmers almost destroyed a
force of 500 British regulars.
Gladstone Would Not Fight.
England's prestige needed vindica-
ton, but Gladstone did not believe Eng
land could afford to s~ubjugate the
Beers, and instead a treaty was made
giving them independence under Brit
ish suzerainty.
National development came fast to
the South African republic after this,
and Kruger soon became head or the
government, retaining the post till the
country had been o~verthrown. English
men poured in; the gold n diamond
interests attracted an overwhelming
number Of outsiders; the Beers tried to
keep them from a part in the govern
ment; Cecil Rhodes, the empire builder
Of Africa, came, n for years he and
| Kruger engaged in their controversy.
| Rhodes plotted the Jameson raid, which
| pitifully failed. Another walt of a few
| years; then Chamberlain at the cad
of the British colonial office forced
war; a war that Kruger declared would
| .stagger humanity" And well he made
rood his word. II staggered the great
| empire of Britain and inflicted a blow
on it's credit and prosperity from which
IL has not yet recovered.
The end OF course was inevitable.
The republic fell. Kruger fed. He has
lived In Belgium, France and Switzer-
and since. There have been stories OF
b great treasure which he carried away
The last of the REPUBLICS war chest,
| and concerning his seizure of which
there have been efforts to make a
| scandal that would reflect on his in
tegr!ty. Tyre year's age E-:se-: --.ss
died, and since then his health has
failed.