The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-21
THOMAS O'CONNOR OF CALIFORNIA
persisted IN THE WILDS
OF AFRICA.
THE STORY OF A SHIPS COOK.
ESCAPED FROM THE ToRTURES OF
LoBENGULA TO Be DEvOURED
BY LIONS.

story of the horrible fate of Tom O'Connor,
a prospector from this State. The death of
O'Connor, according to Leyshon, occurred
in Mashonaland, in the heart of Africa, in
the latter part of 1892, and strangely
enough the news has travelled around the
world before reaching San Francisco.
O'Connor, in his search for gold in hos
tile country, had all sorts of wild adven-
ture, only to be deserted at the last by his
comrades, and according to whom he was
devoured by lions.
The Falls of Halladale arrived from
Swansea on the 10th inst. and has been
lying in the stream ever since. Leyshon
has been inquiring for the family of o Con-
nor since the vessel dropped anchor. He
spoke of the death of the prospector and
said that he had a son in the cattle bust
ness somewhere in the vicinity of San
Francisco. To CALL reporter he told the
story yesterday.
"0'Connor," said Leyshon, "was known
in johannesburg as California Tom. He
was ine-looking fellow, of medium
height, weighing about 140 pounds, and
bore himself with military air. He was
about 80 years of age, as well as could
Judge, and he told me that he had son in
California somewhere near San Fra ncisco,
who was taking care of a herd of cattle for
him. He was an old prospector, he said,
and had lost all his toes and the tips OF his
fingers by having them frost-bitten in the
Black Mountains. l met him first in Jo-
hannesbuIrg in the summer of 1891
Shortly afterward he set out for Mashona-
land and begged me to go with him. re-
fused, so he went alone on a donkey, a
pack-horse following behind. He reached
Crocodile River, 1000 miles in the interior,
and there he narrowly escaped with his
life. He crossed the stream all right but
his pack-horse was taken down by the
crocodiles.
"He was now on the outskirts of Ma
shcna and the richest prospects opened up
to him. He pulled up grass and found the
roots bristling with virgin gold. The soil
was streaked with the precious dust, but
unfortunately all his mining implements
and materials had gone down with his pack
horse. He pressed on, however, until he
satisfied himself that he was walking on
buried wealth. When he attempted to re-
trace his steps to organize party of pros
pectors he was captured by number of
Matabeles, who took him to the kraal of
Lobengula. He could not understand the
language of the bloodthirsty savages, nor
could he make himself understood. Lo-
bengula concluded that he was Boer spy
and condemned him to be skinned alive
and laid on an ant hill. Fortunately
white trader came along in the nick of
time and Strengthened matters out.
He explained that O'Connor was an
American and Lobengula wanted to
know what an American was. He was
told that America was country about
100 times larger than England, at which
the King expressed the opinion that they
must have great many soldiers over here.
He asked O'Connor why he did not pros
pect in his own country instead of coming
to Africa and wound up by telling him
that if he ever showed his face beyond the
Transvaal he would be put to death. Then
he explained to him the means which
were to have been employed in executing
him.
"a company of about fifty of Lobengula's
soldiers escorted the prospector out of the
country safely across Crocodile River
O'Connor was gone ten months in all, and
as soon as he returned he set about organ
lZing party to go in quest of the golden
treasures. 1t was five months before he
started again, and three months of that
time he was working for me as painter
l have been cook, painter, frescoer, tele-
graph-operator and everything else In my
time. The old man made about f2S in
my employ and with this he fitted himself
out. Eleven men went with him, each
armed with Winchester and provided
with mining implements, quicksilver and
stuff for trading.
1.-THE party went away in a spring buck
wagon, drawn by number of donkeys
They passed Crocodile River safely and
got into the hostile country of the Mata-
beles. There the crowd became chicken
hearted and upbraided O'Connor for taking
them into such a wild country. They were
out of water and they asked the hardy old
miner the probable result In the night
the lions roared about the camp and were
only kept away by the fires which burned
brightly all through the dark hours. De-
spite the fires five of the donkeys were
snatched out of their traces by the fero-
cious beasts. O'Connor told the men to
cease their whining and he would go out
and get water for them. He left camp one
afternoon at o'clock, and that was the
last seen of him. The men came back to
Johannesburg and said that they waited
for O'Connor for two days, and that he
must have been devoured by lions. He
was to have lighted bonfires if he lost the
party, but no fires were seen in the hills
and they gave him up for lost. OF the
eleven men who returned three of them
were alive when / left Johannesburg in
fha, 1,ox 1I111 ~