p were captured by Wessels, who was in
charge of Kritzinger's scouts. He took them to Grootplaats. McCabe
proves that Wessels then went towards Voetpad, three miles off, and
returned some time afterwards, gave an order to his men, and the
two natives were led off to execution. Boltman's statements that
Kritzinger gave a message for British column commanders, informing
them that armed natives would be shot, are fully corroborated by
what McCabe was told by members of Kritzinger's commando, and
clearly shows Kritzinger's intentions and instructions. Kritzinger
states that he cannot remember whether he gave the message or not.

"The witnesses for the defence all state that there were no
prisoners with the commando at Grootplaats, yet the accuracy with
which they describe different horses, and the date of seeing Van
Aswegen, _i.e._, 13th February, 1901, is little short of
marvellous. Kritzinger states that he mounted a horse and rode to
the kopje, which was about 1,000 to 1,200 yards from the laager,
and that he was riding a chestnut horse, while the witnesses for
the defence state that he was riding a dark bay horse with a star
when he rode to the kopje.

"As regards the natives mentioned in the first charge, McCabe
states that he did not lose sight of them all the time they were
together, and as they were not searched in his presence the passes
could therefore not have been found. They were captured on a farm
in British territory.

"As regards the second charge, Van Aswegen was evidently a member
of Kritzinger's commando, and the witness, Van der Merwe, remembers
seeing him with the commando for three weeks, during which time he
and his men were frequently away. Here again, as concerns spies,
Van Aswegen had the passes in his hand and knew what the boy really
was.

"As regards the fourth charge, the natives were captured in the
Cape Colony, where Kritzinger was Chief Commandant. The statement
that his authority as such ceased the moment he crossed the Orange
River is hardly credible. The natives were shot at Biscuitfontein,
where Kritzinger was laagered at the time, and their dead bodies
were seen by de Klerk there. Jan Louw is very clear as to who the
commandant was. He recognized his photo on two occasions, and
identified him at once