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South African War—Execution Of British Subjects By Boers

Volume 91: debated on Monday 25 March 1901

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I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether His Majesty's Government have received official information to the effect that four British subjects who had been made prisoners by the Boers, two of them named Theunissen, one M'Lachlan, and one Boyd, after being brutally treated, were taken out of goal at Wolmaranstad and publicly shot to death one by one by order of Generals Delarey and Smuts; and whether it is known on what grounds this execution took place.

I have received the following telegram from Lord Kitchener—

"M'Lachlan and Boyd, believed to be British subjects, and three burghers, Mathisen, Theunissen and Ahrens, were tried at Wolmaranstad on charge of high treason by the Boers, and shot on 23rd February."
I have no further information.