Tuesday January 10, 1865

MARRIED, on the 4th Jan. At Roydon, the residenceof the father of the Bride, by the Rev. H.H. DUGMORE, assisted by the Rev. W.P.PHILIP, the Rev, Z. ROBINSON, to Susannah, the fourth daughter of Geo. FINCHAM Esq., Queenstown.

Tuesday January 17, 1865

DIED, at the residence of Mr. E. CROUCH Queen’s Town, after an illness of only a few days at the age of 33 years and ... [paper cut off] months, Mr. Joseph GOLDING, second son of Geo. GOLDING Esqr. Of Graham’s Town. Deeply lamented by an afflicted Widow and a large circle of relatives and friends.

Tuesday February 14, 1865

ANOTHER SHOCKING MURDER. Fort Beaufort seems in a fair wayof acquiring an unenviable notoriety. It is not many months since the country was shocked by the brutal murder of BLACKBEARD in this vicinity, and we have now to chronicle the sad fate of an unfortunate soldier who perished by violence within the municipal bounds of the Town. On Monday morning at a spot on a line with AINSLIE’s mill, and on the opposite side of the river, and within an alcove formed by the bushes, the body of William TYALOR, private of the 96th Regt. was found in a very advanced state of decomposition, and under circumstances which leave very little doubt that he was the victim of a foul murder, although it would seem to have been the intention of his murderers to lead to the impression that he had died by his own hand. The affair underwent a full investigation in the Magistrate’s Court on Monday, and we here give an abstract of the facts elicited in a connected form. On the 18th January, William TAYLOR, deceased, acting as orderly obtained a pass from the officer commanding the detachment to absent himself until 12 p.m. In consequence of his services being required as orderly, however, he was unable to avail himself of his pass until half past 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon, at which hour he was perfectly sober. On the 19th, TAYLOR not making his appearance was reported absent, and a search instituted for him without success. A mule driver in the Commissariat department having learned on the evening of the 19th from an old Hottentot on his way from the Winterberg to Graham’s Town, that a soldier had that afternoon given him brandy to drink near the river opposite AINSLIE’s mill, and enquired whether he saw any soldiers fishing up the river, he informed the military, and a further search along the river was commenced but without finding any traces of the absent man. On the following Sunday, the 22nd, two Hottentots, one of them in the service of Mr. HOWE in this town, were proceeding to Blinkwater, and on their way stopped to fish at the river near AINSLIE’s mill, which is a noted fishing spot much frequented for that purpose by soldiers and others. On arriving at the Blinkwater, one of them discovered that he had forgot his pipe where he had been fishing. On their return to Fort Beaufort in the afternoon the one who had lost his pipe, turned off the road when near the fishing place, to look for it. On rejoining his companion after recovering his pipe, he told him he had been frightened by seeing the dead body of a white man in the bush. Instead of at once informing the authorities of what they had seen, these Hottentots kept the secret for several days. On the 28th, the following Sunday, one of them told a colored servant girl in the employ of Mr. AINSLIE, of the dead body lying in the bush and from this girl a native detective under Sub. Inspector CATHERINE learned the secret and at once reported it. Sup-inspector CATHERINE immediately proceeded to the spot indicated, and searched, but without finding anything. The next morning he rode into town, and from the information he had gathered found the Hottentot who said he had seen the body, and took him with him to point out the place. On reaching the bush, about two miles from the town, Sup-Inspector CATHRINE discovered the body still in the position described by the Hottentot. It was in a kneeling posture, the hands tied behind the back, the trowsers hanging loose on the feet, the shirt drawn up, and tied over the breast in a knot, and the belt, or strap, usually worn in undress by soldiers, drawn round the neck, and tied to a small branch about three feet from the ground. Mr. CATHERINE, of course, left the body untouched, until the arrival of the District Surgeon and Field-cornet, who were presently on the spot. The District Surgeon examined the body as well as the extremely advanced state of decomposition permitted, and found between the seventh and eighth ribs on the right side what appeared like awound inflicted by a knife or assegai. From the position of the body, and the manner in which the strap was tied to the tree and the hands tied behind the back, it appeared to have been unlikely that deceased committed suicide. Sub Inspector CATHERINE took particular notice of the way in which the hands were fastened behind the back, and says it would have been impossible forthe deceased to have tied them himself. Strangulation would also have been difficult if not impossible in the position of the body, which rested on the knees, the strap around the neck fastened to a bough said to be altogether too weak to allow of self strangulation. Beside the body lay the tunic of deceased folded up, and his cap. In the pockets of the tunic were his pipe and a shilling. Sup-Inspector CATHERINE looked closely for spoors, but owing to the heavy rains which had fallen no ... [ink blot]whatever were visible. The body was gathered together in sacking and conveyed into town on a cart, and interred next day. The murdered man, for no one doubts of his having been murdered, bore an excellent character in the regiment. He was about 25 years of age, and was not an habitual drunkard, although it appears probable that on this occasion he got on the “spree,” and met with his sudden end in consequence. On the evening of the 18th about sundown, Mr. AINSLIE says, a soldier came to his place in quest of brandy; and being of course refused he was observed to cross the drift, which is a thoroughfare for natives passing from one location to another and go in the direction in which the body was afterwards found. According to the testimony of the Hottentot, the deceased was probably alive on the 19th, for on that day, a soldier had given him brandy, and made enquiries whether there were other soldiers along the river fishing. Although only one shilling was found in the pocket of deceased, it was known that he had some 35s in his possession on the day he obtained his pass. There is no doubt that the natives daily traversing the banks of the river, and whose scent is keen, must have been aware for many days the body was where it was found; but in these matters natives are very reticent. When the sergeant and partywere looking for deceased a few days after his disappearance, a native from an adjoining height asked what they were seeking, and on being told, warned them against proceeding too far in a certain direction, where the body was subsequently discovered, as he said there were wild beasts there. No clue has yet been discovered to the perpetrators of the deed. – (F.B. Advocate.)

DEATH BY DROWNING – We regret to hear of the sudden and melancholy decease by drowning, of Mr. EDWARDS, son ofthe Rev. Mr. EDWARDS, in some spruit or river near Cradock. He was about to be married, and if we are correctly informed, was on his way to Cradock for that purpose when he met withhis death.

SUICIDE – Barnie KEOWN, a Kaffir Trader in the Tambookie Location, committed suicide last week at his residence there by cutting his throat. No cause is known for the rash act. Death must have ensued from the loss of blood, as the windpipe had not been severed. The razor with which the deed was committed had previously been made firm by tying the joint connecting the handle and theblade together with twine.

Tuesday February 21, 1865

BIRTH – on the 30th December, at Forest Hill, Kent, England, Mrs. R. JEFFERSON, of a Son.

Tuesday March 7, 1865

THE LATE MR. VON MALTITZ it appears was poisoned by the bad water on his farm. The “Great Easter” thus refers to the deceased gentleman:- “ For many years before, and up to the time of, his death, he lent ungrudging assistance to many an industrious farmer. In politics he had been for a long period somewhat undecided; but at the close of last session he appeared to have seen sufficient to comprehend how much has been lost by the conflict between Eastern districts, and had he been spared this year, he would have been prepared to act in concert with the Eastern in the coming session. His sudden death, at the comparatively early age of forty two years, has caused much unfeigned sorrow.”

Tuesday March 14, 1865

DISCOVERY OF THE MURDERES OF TAYLOR. – Through the active exertions of Sergeant WILSON, of the Mounted Police, Grahamstown, the murderers of Private TAYLOR have been apprehended and lodged in goal. They are a Fingo man and his wife, named Tongani and Nosantje, and it appears that the deceased gave great provocation for the assault. Deceased was going through the bush, and coming across Nosantje, clasped her to his breast. She then screamed for help. Her man (Tongani) not being far, heard her and flew to the rescue, seizing the soldier before he was aware that any help was at hand. Tongani succeeded in throwing the man down, and got on him, the woman holding his legs while the man throttled him, and in a few moments he was dead. They then dragged him further into the bush, and placed him in such a position as to lead to the supposition that he had committed suicide. They have both been committed for trial, on the charge of culpable homicide, but no English jury is at all likely to convict them. Rape maybe committed on the commonest prostitute, and although the morality of natives is, it must be confessed, generally speaking at the lowest ebb, they have the same right to punish the violator or the intended violator or ravisher of their intimate connexion, as any European, and what European would, under similar circumstances, hesitate a moment in taking the life of the assaulter.

ANOTHER MURDER.- Mr. BANNERMAN has been murdered on Mr. D. HONEY’s farm, near Peddie, by a Kafir. From the report in The Journal it appears that BANNERMAN was on his road from Kaffraria, and had to call at BELL’s, which place he left on Monday evening about 8 o’clock, and was perfectly sober. The Kaffir came across the deceased at L’Nutzi’s Drift, and from there accompanied him to the beacon just above the hutside, and then he laid hold of the horse of the deceased, and killed him bystriking a severe blow across the head. He left him lying there, and his horse grazing alongside of him A great many crimes have, of late, been committed near Peddie. 

Tuesday March 21, 1865

THE LATE MR JACOBS.- The remains of the late Sub-Inspector JACOBS was moved from the Police Camp at 4 o’clock and conveyed to their last resting place on Sunday afternoon last, followed by a number of relatives and personal friends, as well as the entire police force of the district, and a large gathering of the Volunteer Corps. The late lamented officer was much respected by all who knew him, for his kindness of disposition and uprightness of character. He was present at the taking of Natal from the Dutch in 1843, and remained there during its siege by the emigrant farmers. He afterwards settled in the Tyumie and resided there until the formation of the Frontier Armed Mounted Police, which he shortly joined, remaining in that force until the day of his death, respected by his fellows officers and beloved by the men under his command.

BIRTH, at Dordrecht on the 17th Instant, Mrs.P.J. MARAIS of a Daughter.

DIED, on Sunday, 12th March 1865, at Hondeneck, Division of Cradock, Reuben George VERITY, Esq, aged 24 years and two days, leaving a widow and infant child to mourn their irreparable loss.

Tuesday March 28, 1865

CONFESSION OF MURDER.- From the Paarl it is reported that COWLEY, one of the three men some years back arrested for the murder of GREY, at Lady Grey’s bridge, has confessed to having committed that crime. He made the confession, while dangerously ill, on board a vessel bound to Australia, and he is said to have died before arriving in port; he implicated the other to KENNEDY and WHITFIELD.

BIRTH, at Kamastone, on the 6th of March, Mrs.E.C. JEFFREY of a Son.

DIED, at Queen’s Town, Cape of Good Hope on the 30 March,1865, of Consumption, after a long and painful illness, Mary Ann, beloved wifeof Matthew HALE, leaving a disconsolate husband and two young children to mourn their irreparable loss.