The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-02-12 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

on to the proker drift. We turned •hack, and after
going a few miles the escort disappeared.
"Not knowing where we were I proposed to Captain
Elliot we should go to the banks of the Vaal, and fol-
low the river till we came to the proper point. After
tsavelling all Monday, Tuesday, and up till Wednes;
day about one p.m., when we found ourselves about
four hours or 25 miles from Spencer's pont, we were
suddenly stopped by two armed Boers, who handed
us an official letter, which was oneued and found to
be from the secretary to the Republican Government,
stating that the members were surprised, as officers
and gentlemen, we had broken our parole d'honneur
and refused to leave the Transvaal; that if we
did not do so immediately by the nearest drift,
which the bearers would show us, wee must
return as prisoners of war ; that as through
our ignorance of the language of the country there
might be some misunderstanding, they were loth to
think we had willingly braren our promise. We ex-
plained that we should reply to the letter, and request
them to take it to their Government, and were pre-
pared to go with them at once. They took us back to
a farmhouse, where we were told to wait till they
fetched their commandant, who arrived about six p.m.,
and repeated to us the same that wis contained in our
official letter that day. We told him we were ready
to explain matters, and requested him to take our
answer back to the camp. He then ordered us to
Start at once for the drift. I asked him, as it was then
getting dark, if we could start early next morning, but
he refused.
"So we started, he having said we should cross at
Spencer's Drift, as being closest. As we left the
farmhouse I pointed out to him that we were going in
the wrong direction, but be said, 'Never mind; come
on across a drift close at hand.' When we got oppo-
site it he kept straight on. I called to him, and said
that this was where we were to cross. His reply was,
Come on.' I then said to Captain Elliot, 'They
intend taking us back to Pretoria,' distant some 40
miles. Suddenly the escort, which had all at once in-
creased from two to eight men (which • Captain Elliot
pointed out to me, and I replied, I suppose they are
determined we shall not escape, which they need not
be afraid of, as we are to keen to get over the border')
wheeled sharp down to the river, stopped, and, .point-
ing to the bank, said, 'There is the drift. Cross.'
Being pitch dark, with vivid lightning, the river
roaring past and, as I knew, impassable, I asked,
Had we not better wait till morning, as I do not
know the drift?' They replied, 'No; cross at once.'
"I drove my horses into the river, when they im-
mediately fell. I lifted them and drove on about five
or six yards when we fell. into a hole. I got them
out with difficulty, and advanced another yard, when
we got stuck against a rock. The c-arrent was now
so strong and the drift so deep that my cart was
turned over on to its side and water rushed over the
seat. I called out to the Commandant on the bank
I that we were stuck and to send assistance, or might
I we return? to which he replied, 'lf you do we will
shoot you.' I then tried, but failed, to get the horses
to move. Turning to Captain Elliott, who was sit-
ting beside me, I said, We must swim for it,'
and asked could he swim? to which he replied,
'Yes.' I said, 'lf you can't, I will stick to you,
for I can.' While we were holding this conversa-
tion a volley from the bank ten or fifteen yards
off was fired into us, the bullets passing through
the tent of my cart, one of which must have
mortally wounded poor Elliot, who only uttered a
single word, 'Oh!' and fell headlong into the river
from the carriage. I immediately sprang in after him,
but was swept down the river under the current some
yards. On gaining the surface of the water I could
see nothing of Elliot, and I called out his name twice,
but received no reply. Immediately another volley
was fired at me, making the water hiss around where
the bullets struck. I now struck out for the opposite
bank, which I reached with difficulty in dabout ten
minutes; as It was deep black mud, on landing I
stuck fast, but eventually reached the top of the bank
and ran for about 200 yards, under a heavy fire the
whole while. The night was pitch dark, but lit up
every minute by vivid flashes of lightning, which
showed the enemy my whereabouts.
.

" I found myself now in the Free State, where I
could not tell, but knew my direction was south; and,
though it was raining, hailing, and blowing hard, and
bitterly cold, an occasional glimpse of the stars showed
me I was going right. I walked all that Right and
next day till one o'clock, when eventually I crawled
into a store kept by an Englishman, called Mr.
Groom, who did all in his power to help me. I had
tasted no food since the previous morning at sunrise,
and all the Dutch farmers refused me water. So,
without hat or coat (which I had left on the banks of
the Vaal) and with shoes worn through, I arrived
exhausted at the above gentleman's place, who kindly
drove me to Heilbron, where I took the post-cart to
Maritzlsurg.
"I fear that Captain Elliot must have been killed
instantly, as he never spoke, neither did I see him
again. I have to mention that both Captain Elliot
and myself, on being told by the South African
Republican Government that the soldiers who had
been taken prisoners were to be released on the same
conditions as ourselves, expressed a wish to be allowed
to keep charge of them, which was refused; but we
were told that wagons, food, and money should be
supplied to take them down country. But when they
reached Spencer's Pont, over the Vaal, they were
turned loose, without any of the above necessaries to
find their way down country.—l have the honour, &c.,
"B. H. LAMBART, Capt., Royal Scots Fusiliers."

THE ARREST OF MICHAEL DAVITT.

The Government took most stringent precautions to
prevent a rescue of Michael Davitt on the way from
Dublin to Lomdon. It had been thought that a rescue
f Davitt might be attempted at Chester by Fenians
from Manchester, Liverpool, and other towits, and all
passengers arriving by the train at Chester from an
early hour in the evening were closely scrutinized,
Although a strong force of police were about the
station, the arrangements were so excellent that
hardly any one with the exception of the Chief Con-
stable and the Mayor and ex-Mayor were visible.
The Irish mail was due at about three o'clock, but
arrived late. Davitt, with the detectives in charge of
him—six Dublin detectives, Chief Inspector William-
son, and another metroplitan officer—occupied a first-
class carriage. He was very pale and haggard. The
train which had made its first stoppage since leaving
Holyhead, was then despatched for Stafford, being
preceded a few miles in advance by a pilot engine.
Unusual precautions were taken at Crewe. Orders
were issued for a large body of police to be at the
station, and passengers by every train previous to the
arrival of the mail were stopped and questioned as to
their names and business in the town before they were
allowed to leave the station. It was rumoured that
there would be an insurrection in the town, and that
the Irish intended to blow up the gasometer. A num-
ber of police were stationed around the gas works all
night, but no disturbance occurred.
Arrangements were made by a number of Irishmen
to be present at Euston Station when the train ar-
rived, but the police, apprised of or foreseeing this,
alighted with their prisoner, at Willesden, and went
on to Bow-street in a private omnibus. They arrived
at their destination about eight o'clock. Sir James ,
Inaham was there to deal with the case, it being I
thought that if the prisoner were brought up later in
the day there would be a disturbance. The warrant
, had been granted in pursuance of an order from the
Secretary of State for the Home Department, under
the 11th section of 16 and 17 Vict., cap. 99, which
provides with regard to convicts' licenses that
"If it shall please lifer Majesty to revoke any such
licence as aforesaid, it shall be lawful for one of Her
Majesty's Principal Secretaries of state, by warrant under
his hand and seal, to signify to any one of the police
magistrates of the metropolis that such licence has been
revoked and to require such magistrate to issue his warrant
under his hand and seal for the apprehension of the convict
to Whom such licence was granted.
The section further provides that the magistrate's
warrant shall be operative in any part of the United
Kingdom, or in the Isles of Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, or Sark, but that the convict must be
brought before the same magistrate who issued the
warrant or another of the same court. The proceed-
ings, which were private, were purely formal, the only
question before the magistrate being the identity of
the prisoner with the convict whose licence had been
revoked. This was shortly proved by Superintendent
Williamson, and Sir James Ingham then signed a
warrant for the committal of the prisoner to Mill.
bank to serve the remainder of his sentence, which
was originally one of 14 years. During the afternoon
a large number of persons interested in the fate of the
prisoner made anxious inquiries of the officers of the
court, and all appeared greatly surprised at the
almost unprecedeptedly early sitting of the Court.
The prisoner was removed to Millbank in an ordi-
nary police-van, escorted by several mounted police-
men. He had not been many minutes in the Peni-
tentiary when he appeared in the garb of a convict.
The whole affair passed off very quietly. Superin-
tendent Foinett and fifty constables were on duty it
the prison at the time of Davitt's arrival and aftcr
the prisoner had been delivered a strong body
police were left to patrol the outside of the Peniten-
tiary.
Michael Davitt was born at Stra,ide, near Castleba:,
in the county of Mayo, in 1846. His father, a tenant
farmer, removed to Lancashire in 1851. The son
worked in a cotton mill at Haslingden, where, at the
age of ten, his right arm was crushed by the machinery
and had to be amputated. He was aftewards em-
ployed as an assistant letter-carrier by the Post-office.
In 1863 he became a commercial traveller, and took
part in the Fenian movement. On the 14th of May,
1870, he was arrested and tried at Newgate on a charge
of treason felony. He was on that occasion-sentenced
to 15 years' penal servitude. In December, 1877, he
was released, on ticket-of-leave. Since then he has
devoted himself to organizing the Land League, his
action in connexion with which will be within the re-
collection of our readers. Michael Davitt was exa-
mined before a Royal Commission in 1878 as to the
working of the Penal Servitude Act.

REMOVAL OF DAVITT TO PORTLAND.
It was not intended by the authorities to allow
Michael Davitt to remain an hour longer in the prison
at Millbank than was necessary before sending him to
Portland.
On Saturday he was removed from Milbank to
Portland, and, together with a party of detectives acid
warders, left Millbank prison in time to catch the
quarter to six train from Waterloo, and arrived at
Weymouth just before twelve. Davitt, who was not
dressed in convict uniform, walked with a bold, defiant
air to a carriage waiting for him, and before two o'clock
was safely incarcerated in Portland Prison. The
greatest vigilance is to be exercised there; the sentries
and guards are being strengthened, and the police and
military have full instructions how to act should any
emergency arise. Strangers who arrive on the island
are carefully scrutinized, and no one is allowed to
loiter near the prisoner without being challenged.

The Times, remarks that it is a curious circumstance
that Davitt, who on Friday night was confined in
Milbank as a convict, on the Friday night previous
was in the House of Commons, and with other mem-
bers of the Land League occupied seats in the dis-
tinguished strangers' gallery. It was reported then
that he had left Ireland not to return, but whatever
may have been his idea in coming to London, and
whether his resolve underwent a chaege after inter-
views which he had at Westminster with several of the
Home Rule members of Parliament, he committed the
mistake of returning to Dublin and renewing the
agitation. An opportunity seemed to have been given
to him by the Executive to retire from the scene, either
to France or to America; but he scouted the idea, and,
returning to Ireland, practically challenged the Govern-
ment to arrest him.

"In reference to the memorial to the Home Secretary„
which was signed by a number of Members of Parliament
on Friday night, asking that Michael Devitt may be treated
as a first-class misdemeanant, we understand that the
request cannot be granted for two reasons, one being that
no such course has ever been pursue& towards any ticket-
of-leave man who has forfeited his liberty, and the second
that the Government cannot allow Devitt to be placed in
any such position as will permit of his continuing the
control and direction of the Land League."—Manday's Daily
Telegraph.

"Major Nolan last night forwarded to the Home Secretary
a memorial, praying that Michael Davitt should be treated
as a first-class misdemeanant. The document is signed by
nearly sixty members, most of them English and Scotch.
The party with which Major Nolan is officially connected has
stood aloof from the movement."—Wednesday's Daily News.

The Dublin Correspondat of the Standard remarks
"From a trustworthy source I have been informed that ibis
not the intention of the Government to make Devitt fulfil
the remaining seven years of his fifteen years' sentence, but
that as soon as the present eritical state of things shall have
passed away, and when under the Protection ,Act peace,
security, and confidence shall have been restored to the
country, he will be liberated on one condition—namely, that
he does not return to Ireland. It is very doubtful whether
Davitt would accept that condition, or, indeed, any condi-
tions of release at all. I hear, further, that in prison he will
not be treated with the strict discipline of oonvict establish-
ments, which, during his former imprisonment, he felt so
galling, but that there will be many relaxations in his
favour."

In noticing Mr. Davitt's arrest, the Dublin Corre-
spondent of The Times writes :
• "He was the mainspring of the movement, the most active
and able of its leaders, whose trenchant oratory inspired
more hatred of the landlords, otore defiance of the law, and
more confidence in the formidable strength of popular com-
bination and passive resistance than that of any other
speaker. Without his guiding hand the machinery of agita-
tion, however complete it may be thought, cannot he kept
in effective action. The suddenness of the arrest, also the
secrecy with which the coup was struck, and the immediate
removal of the convict to an English prison made the
effect more impressive. It was not like his arrest by
the late Goventiment, when he was allowed to remain
in the midst of sympathizers, and to obtain on very easy
terms the credit of a second martyrdom, and to enjoy the
triumph of an abortive proseoution. Here the Goverarnent
seems to have come down with a swoop upon its prey,
and to have carried hire off in its relentless clutches to its
eyrie in some inaccessible spot where no human hand can
rescue him. This thought invests it with a mysterious
terror. Davitt was the most popular of all the Land League
agitators, and even his enemies, who regarded him as the
most dangepous of them all, could net help feeling a certain
degree of admiration for his fearless spirit as well as his
ability, and for the chivalrous generosity which he exhi-
bited at the time of the sentence, when he offered to bear
his comrade's punishment in addition to his own if by
doing so he could obtain his pardon."

In the House of Commons on Monday night, Mr. Bryce
asked the Secretary for the Home department whether he
would cause inquiries to be made whether Mr. Davitt,
who had lately been arrested in Dublin, was now in a
state of weak health, and whether, if so, he would give
directions that Mr. Davitt should not be sent to any place
or required to perform any work with might injuriously
affect his health.

Sir W. Harcourt said : In reply to the question of nrr
hon. friend, I have to state that when Mr. Davitt was taken
into custody I ordered that a medical report should be.made
as to the condition of his health, and that report was ac-
cordingly made last Friday. The report states that he was
suffering from bronchial catarrh, to which, it is said he has
been subject. Thereupon I issued general instructions to
the effect that he should be treated with all possible indul-
gence, and that the greatest possible attention should be paid
to the state of his health. lie certainly will not be sent to
any place which would be likely to be injurious to his
health. That subjeet.has been considered with reference to
the place to which he has been sent, and he will not be
ordered to do any work. There are, I may add, circumstances
'peculiar to him which make him an unfit subject for prison
work. I have also directed with reference to his health
that proper attention should be paid to his diet, rooms, and
bedding. He will be kept apart from the other prisoners,
under the rules by which persons placed on probation when
confined are treated. These general instructions have al-
ready been issued, and further instructions will be given
when I receive the report of the prison committee.
Mr. Macdonald asked whether it was true, as stated in
some of the morning papers, that Mr. Devitt was now in the
prison hospital.
Sir W. Harcourt: I have no reason to believe that that is
so. 1,10 such information has reached me.

Mr. Finigan : Will he be clothed like an ordinary convict
or not?

Sir W. Harcourt : Instructions were given at once when
he was taken into custody that the ordinary prison treat-
ment of cutting the hair should not be applied in his case.
But with regard to the prisoner's clothes, which provide a
security against escape, I have not thought it right to
interfere. He travelled by railway and will travel in his
own clothes, and not in the prison dress.

In the Hon's° pf Commons, on T4esday evening, Mr.
M'Coan asked the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-
ment whether be would lay upon the table of .the House
copies of the ticßet-of-leave on which Mr. Michael Davitt
was liberated in 1877, of the order to Sir 'Tames Ingham on
which the warrant for his arrest in Dublin on the '2nd inst.
was issued, and of the said warrant itself; whether he would
state to the House what, if any, violation of the conditions
of the said ticket-of•leave formetl the ground of fir. Davitt's
recommittal to prison; and whether it was not contrary to
all precedent to cancel such tickets-of-leave in the absence of
a violation of their conditions.
Sir W. Harcourt replied: I do not think it would be ad-
vantageous to lay the documents referred to in the questiou
on the table of the 'rouse, and it would not be according to
rule to do eo. But if the hon. member wishes to eee the