Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-01
ACQUITTAL ENDS
CAPETOWN TRIAL
Retired British Army officer Is
Found Not Guilty of Staying
Daughters Lover
DECLARES HE FIRED IN AIR
Slain Man Shown to Have Been
Married, a Gambler and
Bookmaker
DECLARES. HE FIRED IN AIR

CAPETOWN, April 30.--An extraor-
binary drama had it's conclusion in
the supreme court here recently when
Major Ronald Maclean, a retired Of
ficer of the British army, with rec
ord of gallant service, was acquitted
of the charge of numbering the fiance
of his daughter Lillian, man named
Barone, on Christmas eve last.
The daughter, according to the evi-
dence, met Barone while staying with
friends in Burghersdorp, and became
engaged to him in spite of the violent
opposition of her host and hostess. She
returned home to her fathers farm at
Cove Rock East London. and intro
duced her lover.
Major Maclean took a dislike to
Barone and caused inquiries to be
made as to his career. He found that
his daughters suitor was married
man. a bookmaker who had been
warned off race courses, and card
sharper we'll known to the police. He
told his daughter of his discoveries.
She refused either to believe him or to
give up Barone.
SHE MEETS BARONE
On December % she left home for
East London, after promising her
father, who knew Barone was in the
town, to be back early in the even
ing He sat up all night waiting for
her. She did not appear until the
morning, having stayed with the pro-
prietress of a hotel after meeting
Barone.
She drove back to the farm in
cab with Barone. Not far from the
house she saw her father walking to-
wards them with rifle.
What happened in the next few min
utes is even now a matter of partial
conjecture. Major Maclean admits he
fired his gun, but declares that he
aimed into the air and that not one
of the bullets could possibly have
struck Barone. His daughter was so
excited by the meeting with her father
that she remembered nothing of what
Immediately followed. A quarter of an
hour after the meeting Barone was
found by the roadside with bullet
in his side Miss Maclean was driving
back to East London when she saw
him.
The wounded man was carried to a
hospital in East London, where he eX-
pired in the presence of Miss Maclean
at II O'Clock on Christmas morning.
After an operation had been performed
it was seen that death was inevitable,
and the doctor asked Barone if he
would like to see anyone or to make
a statement to the police. "The po-
lice?" said the dying man. what
for? 1t was an accident"
Thus there was doubt as to Major
Maclean's intent to kill. But his coun-
sci secured his acquittal without any
recourse to argument on that point
He traced Baroness career of card
sharping, suspected theft and scoun--
drelism toward women. He showed
that the dead man had betrayed two
women, and pointed out that Major
Maclean knew this and yet could not
shake his daughters belief in the hon
esty and uprightness of her suitor He
pictured the agony of mind Of Major
Maclean, and declared boldly that he
was most fully justified in shooting
Barone, "a man of the vilest possible
character
The judge declared that if the jury
found the prisoner killed Barone in
the heat of passion. their proper course
was to declare him innocent.
The verdict of not guilty was re-
. ceiyed with loud cheers and the aged
officer was warmly congratulated as
he left the dock.