A particularly tragic, though indirect, victim of the Foster Gang. Inspector Ernest Leech was in charge of the road blocks put up in Johannesburg to try to stop the Foster Gang from escaping the Police dragnet After Dr Gerald Grace had been fatally shot at a roadblock near Germiston (being mistaken for the Foster Gang), an instruction went out that there was to be no more shooting at vehicles unless it was absolutely clear that it was the Foster Gang Inspector Leech telephoned these instructions to every station except Langlaagte, where the telephone was constantly engaged. After trying to get through for 30 minutes, he jumped on a motor bike and got the message through, but it was too late - General Koos de la Rey had already been shot dead at a police roadblock at Langlaagte Leech’s conscience was further troubled by having persuaded his senior officers to allow Peggy Foster to enter the cave at Kensington where the rest of the Gang were hiding. (Shortly afterwards the Gang committed suicide) The remorse was too much for him - he committed suicide a few days later
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 19:38:17 +0000
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