MACDONALD TRAGEDY.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 861, 8 April 1903, Page 4

MACDONALD TRAGEDY.

By Telegraph—Press Association —Copytighl

London, April 6,

On the voyage home Sir Hector Macdonald wrote to Sir J. West Ridgway, stating that his uniform kindness would never be effaced from his mind. It is probable that the Macdonald memorial will be erected in Rosshire and over the grave of the deceased general.

AN INTERVIEW AT CEYLON. We have received information from our Nuwara Eliya correspondent (says the Ceylon Observer of Thursday, Feb. 19) that Major-General Sir Hector Macdonald, commanding the forces in Ceylon, had received urgont summons from the War Office by cable to proceed home at once. Sir Hector Macdonald, who went up to Nuwara Eliya only on Monday with his staff for the annual season there, received the intelligence with surprise himself, and, as ho told an Observer representative this morning in Colombo, thought he might as well take advantage of the presence now in harbor of the homoward-bound mail steamer Ophir, and proceed Home at once by her, in view of tho urgency of tho summons. Sir Hector therefore bado a hasty good-bye to His Excellency the Governor at Nuwara Eliya, and travelled into Colombo yesterday by train, as the steamer Ophir might have left at any time to-day. Asked by our representative as to the suddenness of his departure, Sir Hector preferred to offer no opinion, remarking, “ Well, having got the telegram to return Home at once, I took advantage of the Ophir’s departure to leave immediately, you seo.” Sir Hector was reticent as to whether he was summoned for any special duty, and when our representative hazarded a. question as to Aden or Somaliland he laughed it off with “ You want to know that, do you ?” Sir Hector, replying to a question, said that the command forthwith devolves on Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Campbell, and when reminded of the latter’s approaching departure, he remarked: “ Well, that would not be till April.” “ Will anyone come out to take your place ?” asked our reporter after several ineffectual attempts to know what were the definite arrangements; but Sir Hector laughingly responded, “ Well, I should not care to speculate, about that.” The interview was terminated with : “ Well, lam very sorry to go, you know ; but I may come back again soon, eh ?” The news of Sir Hector Macdonald having left Ceylon reached London on February 20th. An evening paper of that date has the following:—“ Major-General Sir Hector Macdonald, commanding the forces in Ceylon, left Colombo in the s.s. Ophir last night for England in response to a sudden summons from the military authorities. Tho unexpected order has excited much speculation in service quarters as to the real intent of 1 Fighting Mac’s ’ return. What is his mission ? is the question that has already beon asked by many people.” A correspondent in the Morning Advertisor supplies a possible answor. He suggests that “ affairs in Somaliland have not been proceeding to the satisfaction of the Home authorities, and that a strong man is wantod at Obbia for the expedition against the Mullah. Sir Hector Macdonald will, of course, have to" pass close to the scene of operations, and it may be that he will land at Aden and proceed to the base. His great experience on the Upper Nile would be of distinct advantage at this time, and it may be that the authorities are despatching him thither.”