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- Saturday 28 February 1885
THE MURDER OF JAMES HONEY
Various statements have appeared in the press lately in regard to the death of Mr. James HONEY. Whilst some of the writers describe him as a sort of freebooter who met his death through defiance of the law as it then existed in Stellaland, others take a more serious view, and declare that he was no worse than his neighbours, and that the very serious charge of murder clearly stands against those who actually committed or authorised the deed. It appears certain that he was shot in a very cold-blooded manner, and the following account of his death, given by the Kimberley Advertiser, will just now be read with more than ordinary interest:-
As the murder of James HONEY is now a prominent subject, and those supposed to be implicated are likely to be tried, our readers may be interested in the sad particulars of the tragedy and the circumstances that led up to it; we therefore give the same as related to us shortly after the occurrence. It appears that on 7th Feb 1883 W. HORWITZ, J.W. HONEY, J. STREAK and F.J. WELLS were living on the Hartz River. HONEY informed his comrades that he understood the Stellaland Boers intended to arrest the whole party, but he did not know for what reason. As the Stellaland Survey Commission was occupied in the farm question close by, it was resolved by the above-named parties that they would ride over and ascertain what grounds there were for the report mentioned by Mr. HONEY. They were received by the Land Commission in a very friendly manner, and not until HONEY asked a question was anything said about an intention to arrest them. The Administrator, Gert VAN NIEKERK, replied that it was so, and when asked on what charge he answered, for horse stealing and high treason against the Republic of Stellaland. HONEY then asked “Where are your witnesses?” and said “have the case tried”. The answer was “Come on Friday the 9th February to Commando Drift” (about two hours from the place where they were then at) “and the witnesses shall be there and the case tried.” After this the individuals previously named had a friendly parting with the Commission and returned to their farm. On the next morning Mr. HONEY started for Mamuso, David MASSOUW’s territory, and on the road had to pass where the Commission were at that time. Some of the names of the Commissioners were as follows:- Gert VAN NIEKERK, Administrator; Adrian Le REY, the Boer who afterwards shot Capt. WELLS; COLLIERS, general; Piet VAN VRIEDE Jun; DIEDRICKS, Captain of Police; and about 20 others. HONEY saddled off and had dinner with them, but whilst he was busy saddling up again the Boers surrounded and seized him. The same night he was taken by force over the Kafirland border into the Transvaal, as his captors said, with the intention of handing him over to the authorities. Information of this movement having been brought to Messrs. HORWITZ, STREAK and WELLS, they at once saddled up and started for Christiana to see what the Boers were doing with HONEY. When within about 15 miles of Christiana, and on the main road, they passed a house, and saw that there were several armed men about the premises; amongst whom they recognised Adrian LE REY, DIEDRICKS, IRELAND, ENGELBRECHT and O. HOMAN. The three travellers had only their revolvers under their jackets, which they did not show, neither did they attempt to go towards the house. Without being challenged they suddenly heard a shot and captain WELLS fell from his horse wounded. This shot was fired by Adrian LE REY, who has since been tried for the offence at Potchefstroom, and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour. He only served part of his time, and when released boasted that the President dared not keep him in custody any longer for good reasons. HORWITZ and STREAK then wished to dismount and assist their wounded comrade, but Adrian LE REY shouted “pass on, or I will shoot all of you”. WELLS, then lying wounded on the ground, said “For God’s sake ride on, and let the Boers assist me”, and as they rode away they saw HONEY looking out of the window of the house. STREAK and HORWITZ then rode into Christiana to the Landdrost’s office, and made a sworn declaration that WELLS had been shot by LE REY. After shooting WELLS, tying his hands, dragging him wounded to the house and otherwise inhumanely treating him, the Boer party then proceeded with their two prisoners, HONEY and WELLS, to within an hour of Christiana, and left them in charge of about ten armed men at the house of Gert VAN NIEKERK, the Administrator of Stellaland. Adrian LE REY and DIEDRICKS then proceeded to Christiana and told the Landdrost that they wished to charge HONEY with the theft of eighty-six head of cattle stole some months previously from Transvaal territory, further stating that they had their witnesses present. The Landdrost, without waiting for HONEY, then investigated the charge, and after examining the witnesses, who were Kafirs, declared the charge to be ridiculous and entirely unsupported, stating that the case could not be proceeded with. He (the Landdrost) then warned HONEY’s accusers against taking him over the Transvaal border again, and ordered them to release him at once at the peril. Whilst LE REY and DIEDRICKS were in Christiana, COLLIERS, the general, came to the house where HONEY and WELLS were kept prisoners, and WELLS declares that on the same night (9th) the Boers took HONEY away into Stellaland, the names of some of the party being COLLIERS, IRELAND, DIEDRICKS and ENGELBRECHT. It appears that the party slept at Kopjie Enkle, just over the border of Stellaland, that night. On the next day (10th), COLLIERS (General), DIEDRICKS Sen. and Jun. took HONEY on the road to Vrijberg, since which time he has never been seen alive. On enquiries being put to these men as to what had become of HONEY they declared that he had escaped; but notwithstanding this assertion all HONEY’s friends, and the public generally, believed that he had been murdered. Everything possible was done after the 10th February, the date of his murder, to gain information on the subject and to discover his remains, and Stellaland was scoured both by white men and Kafirs employed for the purpose. It was not, however, until about the 11th May that the scene of the foul murder was discovered, when some natives of Matlabin’s tribe found his remains, with his clothes stuck away in an ant-heap, his saddle close by, and his horse lying shot dead a few yards away. In the pocket of his coat was found some letters addressed to him from his wife, and as to the dreadful atrocities committed upon him the appearance of the remains told a terrible tale. It was only on Sunday May 21st that it became known to three of the late HONEY’s friends, and they started at once for Stellaland, and in the dead of the night succeeded in bringing out his remains. They took them first to the Landdrost of Christiana, who said that the Transvaal Government could not have anything to do with the affair. The sad vestiges of this terrible episode were then brought into Kimberley, where on the 28th May 1883 they found at last a resting place, and all the circumstances as now stated were then fully reported to the local authorities. Such are the circumstances surrounding this awful episode of the death of HONEY, and the attempt on the life of Captain WELLS. Almost two years have elapsed since the foul deed was perpetrated, and no doubt the murderers and accomplices though that time would lend its mystifying influence and secure their escape from justice. transcribed from the Grahamstown Journal by Sue Mackay.
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