The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-05-01
HAMMOND'S CAREER.
History of the Offense for Which He Is
To BE Executed.

To BE Executed.
Washington, April 99.-John Hays
Hammond, the American who has been
condemned to death by the Boer high
court at Pretoria, was arrested together
with other officers of the johannesburg
Reform club on January IL, on the
charge of ''inciting to rebellion and to
high treason" Their specific offense
was alleged to be the signing of an in
vitation to DIR. Jameson to come to the
relief of the UitlanderS of Johannes
burg in the event of their extreme
peril, ;" which the Boer authorities con-
strued to mean in the event of an
armed rising against the established
government. The Reform club, or
union, of which John Hays Hammond
was one of the leading spirits, had for
a long time been agitating legislative
redress of the grievances of the Uit-
landers or foreign born citizens of the
Transvaal Republic, which included
taxation without representation, OPP
pressive mining property laws and a
denial of educational facilities for their
children. For nearly a month the
Boer government refused to admit
them to bail, confning them in an un-
wholesome prison at Pretoria. Jossph
Story Curtis, well-known New Yorker
and grandson of Justice Story of the
United States supreme court, who had
been arrested on another charge, at
once interested himself in Mr.. Ham
mond's behalf, telegraphing to Secre-
tary of State Olney that Mr.. Ham
mond's situation was critical and urg-
ing Mr.. Olney to use the good offices of
our government without delay to pro-
tect Mr.. Hammond in his rights as an
American citizen.
Secretary OIney Intercedes.
The United States having no diplo.
matte representative in the Transvaal,
Secretary Olney requested colonial
secretary Joseph Chamberlain to see
that Hammond's rights were safe
guarded, and Mr.. Chamberlain replied
in a very friendly spirit, Injecting the
British high commissioner to secure the
same treatment for the American as
was accorded to the English prisoners
The American vice-consul at Cape
Town, Mr.. Knight, afterward went to
Pretoria to look after Hammond's in
terests and reported that President
Kruger had promised to befriend Ham
mond so far as lay in his power, but
said that Hammond must be tried by
the Boer court with the other prisoners,
and that if he were found guilty of the
offense with which he stood charged
he would have to suffer the penalty,
whatever it might be. Mr.. Hammond's
health gave way in the unhealthy Pre-
toria jail, and on Feb. he was re-
leased on bail, which was fixed at 910,-
O00 At the preliminary hearing the
trial was set down for April 21.
A salary of 100000 Year.
John Hays Hammond is SO years old
and native of California. He was
graduated from Yale college in 1876,
and afterward took a course of study
in mining engineering at Freiburg. Re-
turning to this country he soon became
known as mining expert in California
and Mexico. In 1898 he went to South
Africa to enter the service of the Gold
Fields of South Africa company, and
the following year ne was put IN
charge of an exploring expedition to
Matabeleland, an enterprise of the
British South Africa company. His
mission was to report upon the mineral
wealth of the country. He accom-
plished his task with such skill and
Judgment that Cecil Rhodes, then
premier of Cape Colony, engaged him
at salary of e1,ooO a month as the
mining expert of the British South
Africa company. Mr.. Hammond's
headquarters were at Johannesburg,
and he had charge of no less than
$4,000 mine workmen. Mr.. Ham
mond is married and has two sons,
who live at johannesburg with their
mother. Mrs. Hammond worked lilE>
heroine to obtain her husbands re-
lease