Empire: Scapegoat of the

George Witton and the Breaker Morant Affair MARK CRYLE, FRYER LIBRARY MANAGER, EXAMINES THE ROLE OF IN SHAPING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE BREAKER MORANT AFFAIR.

Above: Bruce Beresford’s 1980 feature film The Witton character in the film George Witton, possibly Breaker Morant retells an incident that epitomises naïve imperial idealism. He taken at his brother’s took place during the Anglo-Boer War, in is a young man who “believed in the property at Lancefield, which a number of Australian officers in a British Empire”2 and yet becomes a in 1907. This photo unit under British command, the Bushveldt repudiated victim of it. It is a powerful appears in one of Fryer’s copies of Scapegoats of the Carbineers, were court martialled for trope in the mythology of Australia’s Empire and appears not shooting Boer prisoners of war. In the “war of independence” from Britain to have been published closing sequence of the film, the character which surfaces again 13 years later when previously. George Witton is standing at a train station the sacrifice of thousands of Australian on his way to prison. He hears the volley soldiers on the beaches of Gallipoli is so of rifle fire as his Australian mates, Harry readily attributed to the incompetence Morant and Peter Handcock, are executed of their British commanders. Like that by a British firing squad. He too had been of the Anzacs, Witton’s “innocence” is sentenced to death but learns subsequently transformed into cynicism, not just by the that “Lord Kitchener has been pleased to general war experience, but specifically commute your sentence to penal servitude by the callous machinery of the British for life.” A caption then appears on the military, in this case, under the command screen: “George Witton was released of the arch villain, Lord Horatio Kitchener. from Lewes Prison () after serving Beresford’s film suggested that it was the 3 years of his sentence. He returned to British and not the Boers who were the Australia and wrote a book – Scapegoats of “real” enemy, and brought the Morant the Empire. He died in 1943.”1 legend of betrayed colonial enthusiast back into public consciousness. But the story was not always Morant’s; at the time it was 1 Breaker Morant (Hendon, S Australia: South Australian George Witton who focused the Australian Film Corporation, 1980), video. Witton was actually released from Portland prison and died in 1942. 2 Ibid

8 Fryer Folios public’s attention on this brittle moment did not generate great public in Anglo-Australian relations. Who was the indignation. Quick to capitalise “real” George Witton, and what role did on the topicality of the issue, he play in shaping our understanding of the Sydney Bulletin journalist, Frank “Breaker Morant” affair? The Fryer Library Fox, under the pen name, collection provides important insights into “Frank Renar”, published “the Witton’s life and the events surrounding true facts” of the Bushveldt the publication of his book. Carbineers affair. Bushman and Buccaneer4 was published just George Ramsdale Witton was born on six weeks after the news had 28 June 1874 at in Victoria. broken. It was based in part on He volunteered for military service in the manuscripts and letters received Boer War and in May 1900 sailed with the from Major Robert Lenehan, the Victorian Imperial Bushmen for . BVC’s Australian commanding Witton’s initial tour of duty was hampered officer who had also been by a severe knee injury that limited him to court-martialled, but it also barracks duties. He recovered sufficiently invented dialogue to colour the to transfer to the newly formed Bushveldt executions with fearless heroism: Carbineers, which he joined at the rank of lieutenant on 13 July 1901 at Pietersburg in Morant scornfully refused a Above: the Northern Transvaal. bandage for his eyes and looked down Breaker Morant dies game in the muzzles of the guns without fear. front of the firing squad. On 24 October 1901 Witton, along “Shoot straight” he said “don’t make a This with a number of other BVC officers mess of it.” 5 cartoon appeared in Bushman and Buccaneer / including Harry “Breaker” Morant and Renar (Frank Fox), 1902. Peter Handcock, was arrested. Witton was Fox had no access to accounts from charged with shooting Boer prisoners of eyewitnesses of Morant’s and Handcock’s war on two separate occasions. Morant executions. Lenehan, Fox’s principal source, and Handcock were charged with the certainly had not been there, and so the same crimes and also with the murder mythologising of the incident had begun. of a missionary, the Reverend C A D Heese. Separate hearings were held for From South Africa Witton was taken each charge. Morant and Handcock were to Britain to serve his prison term. acquitted on the Heese charge but were He immediately began petitioning the notified of the guilty verdict on the other authorities for his release. Meanwhile, charges on 26 February 1902. They were a Witton Defence Committee had shot the following day. been organised back in Australia. It was coordinated by his brother, Ernest, Witton never knew how close he who had obtained legal opinion in himself came to the firing squad. Kitchener Witton’s favour from , the had judged Witton’s role in the killings prominent lawyer later to subordinate and so commuted his death become Australia’s Attorney-General. sentence, but others saw no need for Isaacs’ opinion accompanied a petition leniency. The British Under Secretary for for Witton’s release signed by 100,0006 War, St John Broderick, wrote privately to Australians and forwarded to King Edward Kitchener: VII in October 1902. It was a significant demonstration of support from a It is a most deplorable performance population of only four million but did not and, if it gets out, as I fear it will, even sway the War Office. the strong measures we are taking will not undo the disgrace it inflicts on our Witton also had sympathisers in South Colonial Forces. I should myself have Africa with its large resident population of been inclined to shoot all these officers.3 ex-Australians and New Zealanders who

4 Frank Renar, Bushman and Buccaneer: Harry Morant, his The news did, of course, “get out” Ventures and Verses (Sydney: Dunn, 1902). reaching Australia in March 1902. Both 5 Ibid, 38. The Age and the Argus gave accounts of 6 Witton claimed 100,000 signatories (George R. Witton, the affair. At this stage, however, the story Scapegoats of the Empire: the story of the (Melbourne: D W Paterson, 1907), 207). A contemporary 3 St John Broderick to Lord Kitchener, 17 February 1902 newspaper account says 80,000 (Taranaki Herald, 6 cited in Kit Denton, Closed File (: Rigby, 1983), 114. December 1902, 5).

September 2008 9 had migrated there earlier or stayed at affair including Kit Denton’s 1973 novel, the conclusion of the Boer War.7 Witton’s The Breaker,13 Kenneth Ross’s 1979 play, cause was promoted by the Cape Town Breaker Morant, 14 and Bruce Beresford’s satirical weekly, The Owl, which compared film) is Harry Morant’s implicit declaration the hapless Victorian’s treatment to that that whatever the rule book says, war of Alfred Dreyfus, the French cavalry (especially guerrilla war) does not allow for officer wrongfully imprisoned for spying in punctilios and niceties. Witton writes: 1894.8 The campaign for Witton’s release continued to gain momentum accruing “Was your court of the trial of Visser wide support across the Empire.9 constituted like this?,” asked the president, “and did you observe In July 1904, James Logan, an paragraph [blank space] of section influential member of the Cape [blank space] of the King’s Regulations?” Legislative Council, travelled to “Was it the same as this?” fiercely London and began privately lobbying answered Morant. “No it was not half members of the British House of so handsome. As to rules and sections, Commons at The Carlton Club.10 we had no Red Book; and knew nothing During July and August 1904, the about them. But remember this. Conservative member for Oldham, We were out fighting the Boers, not Winston Churchill, himself a former sitting comfortably behind barb-wire Above: prisoner of the Boers during the war, put entanglements; we got them and shot Title page of Scapegoats of 15 the Empire. a number of parliamentary questions to them under rule 303.” the Colonial Secretary about Witton’s ongoing incarceration. This two-pronged Witton, of course, had been in the campaign was successful11 and Witton was courtroom as had his lawyer, James F freed on 10 August. In a bizarre gesture Thomas, so either could have accurately of repudiation of the original conviction, remembered this striking assertion. Logan personally attended Witton’s release However, the whole passage is so close to from Portland Prison and took him to his Frank Fox’s account which went to press Scottish estate for some grouse shooting. in June 1902 well before either Witton or Thomas returned to Australia as to suggest On his return to Australia in late that Fox’s book, rather than Witton’s 1904, Witton campaigned to redeem his memory or Thomas’ trial transcripts, was reputation. He told The Age he demanded the real source of this defiant assertion. It “justice” and wanted his “character is very possible that the famous “Rule 303” cleared”.12 He retired to his brother’s line was never spoken by Harry Morant property at Lancefield in Victoria to write at all, but was a product of Frank Fox’s the defence that became Scapegoats of the rhetorical imagination. Empire. Witton had the benefit of the trial notes made by James F Thomas who had By 15 June 1905 Witton had completed acted as counsel for the accused and who a first draft of the manuscript and was had since returned to his law practice in seeking a publisher. T J Symons of the Tenterfield, N S W, but his account could Melbourne publisher, George Robertson not escape the mythologising tendencies & Co, had suggested to Witton that he already shown by Fox. In fact, Fox seems approach A G Stephens,16 the noted critic to have been one of his sources, as the and former literary editor of The Bulletin. close likeness of several passages suggests. Witton’s correspondence, held in the A G Perhaps the most famous line in the trial Stephens collections in Fryer Library and (one that is quoted in most accounts of the the Mitchell Library, give us new insights into the writing and publication of the 7 Arthur Davey (ed), Breaker Morant and the Bushveldt Carbineers (Cape Town: Van Riebeck Society, 1987), 162. self-justificatory book. Stephens declined 8 The Owl, 11 December 1903, cited in Davey, Breaker Morant, 162. 9 Witton claims that there were petitioners from 14 countries, Scapegoats, 211. 13 Kit Denton, The Breaker (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 10 Davey, Breaker Morant, 165. 1973), 237. 11 Davey, Breaker Morant, 165. It is also claimed that 14 Kenneth Ross, Breaker Morant: a Play in Two Acts Mrs Alice Keppel, a mistress of Edward VII interceded on (Melbourne: Edward Arnold, 1979), 61. Witton’s behalf. Margaret Carnegie and Frank Shields, In 15 Scapegoats, 83-84. “Rule 303” is a reference to the Search of Breaker Morant: Balladist and Bushveldt Carbineer calibre of rifle that was issued to the Bushveldt Carbineers. (Armadale, Vic: [Carnegie & Shields], 1979), 168. 16 Witton to A G Stephens, 15 June 1905, Fryer Library, 12 The Age, 12 November 1904, 11. UQFL 2, 2/2695c.

10 Fryer Folios warehouse mysteriously caught fire. It Top left: was rumoured those that survived were This cartoon, originally to publish it17 in its current form but (for a bought up and destroyed by the British published in The Owl (Cape fee of 10 guineas) was prepared to edit it Government to avoid the truth coming Town), 19 August 1904, depicts Witton’s release and endeavour to find a publisher.18 Witton out.21 from prison and his meeting apparently accepted this offer, for Stephens with James Logan. forwarded the manuscript to London. Another writer also focuses on the rarity Almost a full year later Stephens received of surviving copies: Top right: his agent’s advice that: This cartoon was originally It is thought that Witton’s seven published in The Owl (Cape there is not Buckley’s chance for such a advances [i.e. advance copies sent to Town), 11 December book. S[outh] Africa is as dead as a door the author] held today in major public 1903. It satirises Witton’s nail – the only thing that people know libraries or in the hands of the author’s incarceration drawing parallels with the case of about it here is that the war was not relatives, are the only ones that survive.22 Alfred Dreyfus, the French worth the fighting and a book about an military officer wrongly individual’s troubles in it not worth the Such stories are the stuff of conspiracy imprisoned for treason writing at this stage. Certainly Witton theorists. Aside from the fact that in 1894. The mailed fist could get it published – if he pays for it.19 Witton’s version of the story was hardly represents the German “controversial”, it is clear that support Eagle suggesting that The attempt through Stephens having for his campaign for release had been pressure from Germany failed, Witton requested the return of his widespread even among influential over the murder of Heese manuscript “to have it brought out here Australians. He counted amongst his the German missionary had influenced the conviction. in Melbourne by private enterprise”.20 In supporters Alfred Deakin, who was at June 1907 the book was published by the the time Prime Minister of Australia and Melbourne printing firm of D. W. Paterson, Sir Isaac Isaacs who had, the year before, almost certainly at Witton’s expense. been Deakin’s Attorney-General and was now appointed to the High Court. They A strand of the mythology of Witton, would hardly give vocal public support Morant, and Handcock as imperial victims to Witton on one hand and yet condone is the persistent story that Witton’s the suppression of his book. Moreover, book was suppressed and burned by the Witton’s own correspondence gives no authorities. As recently as 2003, Nick indication of a fire or any malevolent Bleszynski claimed that the book’s release: suppression. On the contrary, he writes to Stephens, “My book is going off very well. proved as controversial as its contents … D W Paterson informs me that the first only a handful of first edition copies ever 1,000 is now all gone and he has orders for saw the light of day, as the publisher’s more which is very satisfactory”.23

17 The Bulletin’s own publishing programme focussed on verse and fiction. Jennifer Alison, “Case Study: The Bulletin As to the book’s “rarity”, there are as Publisher” in Martyn Lyons & John Arnold, A History of the at least 20 copies of the 1907 edition Book in Australia 1891-1945: A National Culture in a Colonised 21 Nick Bleszynski, Shoot Straight You Bastards: the truth Market (St Lucia: University of Qld Press, 2001), 57. behind the Killing of ‘Breaker’ Morant (Milsons Point, NSW: 18 Witton to Stephens, 30 July 1905, Mitchell Library, Random House, 2003), 435. Sydney, Papers of A G Stephens, A2303, ML MSS 4937/3 22 G A Embleton “Afterword” in George Witton, CY3461. Scapegoats of the Empire: the True Story of the Bushveldt 19 W H Chater to A G Stephens, 26 July 1906, Fryer Carbineers (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1982), 243. Library, UQFL 2, 2/585. 23 Witton to Stephens, 27 August 1907, Mitchell Library, 20 Witton to Stephens, 1 September 1906, Fryer Library, Sydney, Papers of A G Stephens, A2303, ML MSS 4937/3 UQFL 2, 2/2695k. CY3461.

September 2008 11 available in repositories across the country. Maryborough.30 Unlike James F Thomas The Hayes collection of the Fryer Library whose life fell into disarray in the wake alone holds three copies. Doubtless of the Morant affair, 31 Witton was not a there are further copies in private recluse but was, it seems, popular and collections. Any “rarity” the book may well integrated into this small community. have today seems more consistent with a He is remembered there with fondness comparatively small print run than it does as an engaging story-teller and a keen with any Machiavellian intervention by card player.32 Other residents remember government book burners. him as “of military bearing, very erect, softly spoken and a gentleman at all Witton’s book may have achieved times.”33 Witton Road in the district is “satisfactory” if modest sales, but it had named after him. few literary supporters. Dismissed by one contemporary as “mostly a garbled George and Mary had no children, and and untrue version of the facts,”24 in March 1931 Mary died from stomach Above: Stephens’ agent in London had been sadly cancer. In 1940 Witton sold up and According to cemetery records held by the pessimistic: “I honestly do not think the returned to Victoria. Two years later he City Council, outlay of your money is justified in so suffered a heart attack while cranking George Witton’s remains hopeless a book.”25 James F Thomas, who his car.34 He was taken to Guildford are interred in the grave of had loaned his trial notes to the author, Private Hospital but died on 14 August his wife, Mary, at Lutwyche described the book as only a “surface 1942 at the age of 68. Members of the Cemetery on Brisbane’s transcription” of them.26 Gayndah, Biggenden and Coalstoun Lakes northside. The cemetery communities organised the erection of is adjacent to Kitchener Witton focussed Scapegoats of the a memorial plaque to Witton and other Road, doubtless named after Empire on his own exoneration, relying Boer war veterans from the district. The the man who signed the death warrant for Morant on the Nuremberg defence – “I was just plaque is located at the Coalstoun Lakes and Handcock and who following orders”. It is equivocal at best and District Soldiers Memorial Hall. sentenced Witton to life in about Morant’s and Handcock’s roles Its unveiling in February 2002 marked prison. in the killings, and was so preoccupied the 100th anniversary of Morant’s and with the “injustice” of Witton’s own Handcock’s executions.35 Morant’s and case that it eclipsed early attempts to Handcock’s shared grave is in Pretoria rehabilitate the reputations of Morant cemetery and was tended there for many and Handcock27. However, if the book years by Witton’s sister. The cross over the did not itself champion their reputations, pair’s remains has been replaced recently it greatly assisted those that did. In 1962 by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs the seemingly dormant Morant story was who have taken responsibility for the revitalised by journalist Frank Cutlack. grave’s upkeep.36 The plaque at Coalstoun Breaker Morant: A Horseman Who Made Lakes remains the only monument to History, 28 drew so heavily on Scapegoats Witton whose ashes are interred in the that Cutlack is said to have suggested giving grave of his wife, Mary, at Lutwyche half of his royalties to Witton’s copyright- Cemetery in Brisbane although his name holders.29 Scapegoats also lent a good deal does not appear on the headstone. to the screenplay of Bruce Beresford’s Ironically, the street adjoining the film, the most culturally influential of all the cemetery is “Kitchener Road”, doubtless recent retellings of the story. named after the man who signed the death warrant for Witton’s mates and was With the book finally published, Witton “pleased to commute his sentence to penal moved from Victoria to the Burnett servitude for life”. district of in 1908 and settled 30 Jessie Wein, George R Witton: an Australian Gentleman into pineapple and dairy farming. In 1913 ([Biggenden: Wein, 199?]), 26. he married Mary Louisa Humphrey, 31 Anthony Hoy, “Tenterfield Battler”, The Bulletin, 4 April his neighbour’s sister, at a ceremony in 2000, 34-36. 32 Information provided by Don and Mary Randall, 24 De Bertodano cited in Davey, Breaker Morant, 53. Biggenden, October 2007. 25 Chater to Stephens, 26 July 1906. 33 Wein, George R Witton, 27. 26 Cited in Craig Wilcox, “Killer’s Tale Murdered the 34 Embleton, “Afterword”, 244. Truth”, Australian Literary Review, 5 September 2007, 24. 35 Maryborough Chronicle, 23 February 2002, 17. 27 Davey, Breaker Morant, 166. 36 Craig Wilcox, “Ned Kelly in Khaki”, Australian Magazine, 28 F M Cutlack, Breaker Morant: A Horseman Who Made 23 February 2002, 20. History, with a Selection of his Bush Ballads (Sydney: Ure Smith, 1962), ix. MARK CRYLE is the Manager of the Fryer 29 Wilcox, “Killer’s Tale Murdered the Truth”, 24. Library.

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