4th Charge:—­

Murder.

At Biscuitfontein, Bethulie, I had killed and murdered two natives on the 14th of August, 1901.

This was the last and principal charge brought against me.  Four blacks were the chief witnesses in this case, by which, if possible, I was to be convicted and silenced for ever.

Let us see how they fared.  The first one succeeded in identifying me.  The next one was less successful.  He pointed to an English officer, saying, “That is the man.”  He was to have another chance.  I looked at him and smiled; this puzzled him even more.  Greatly perplexed, he pressed his finger against a man with a long bushy beard, and said, “You are Kritzinger.”  What a blunder!  The prosecutor seemed slightly put out; the court indulged in lusty laughter.

The other witnesses were then brought forward.  Surely these will not make a mistake, they know the murderer only too well.  Had the prosecutor not sounded them beforehand by asking them to point out the prisoner’s photo among a number of other photos?  Did they not hit upon the right photo?  Is this not conclusive evidence that they must have seen and known the prisoner?  In spite of all this precaution, the first witness in this case declared, on being cross-questioned re the photo in question, that a certain officer had shown him the photo at Norval’s Pont, and asked him to note it carefully, so that, if called upon, he would be able to identify the person concerned!

I watched the prosecutor, who exhibited signs of uneasiness or disgust.  This stupid native was spoiling his good case; the other witness was going to commit as great a blunder.  He declared that on the 10th of January he saw the corpses of two natives, and, on seeing them, immediately recognized the one as being the body of his brother-in-law.  Questioned as to how he could still recognize his brother-in-law in a decomposed body, he promptly replied, “Oh! my brother had still a smile on his face!” Although the native in question was shot on the 14th of August, 1901, on the 10th of January he still had a smile on his face!  Death must have conferred a great boon upon him.  And if he could have appeared in court, he certainly would have objected to my being tried.  Have not sentences of death, confiscation of property, and imprisonment been passed on the evidences of such witnesses?

When all the evidences had been taken the prosecutor delivered his address.  After him the counsel for the defence addressed the court.  In a very able speech Advocate Gardiner pointed out the shallowness of the accusations against me.  He urged that the court should not be long in coming to a decision, as a prolonged trial meant increased expenses for the accused.

After his address I was removed for half an hour.  Summoned back, a verdict of “not guilty” was brought in.  I was at last acquitted, and could return to my lonely chamber not as a criminal, but as a prisoner-of-war!