The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-01
HAMMONO'S HEALTH VERY BAD
HIS FRIENDS VERY ANXIOUS ABOUT
HIS CONDITION.

Favor of Lcuicncy-The Judge
Who Imposed the Death Sentences
PoIe-OIney's Firm stand In BE-
half OF Hammond.
London. April sl.-A dispatch to the
Times from Pretoria. dated April o. says
that the health of John Hays Hammond
is in such a state as to cause great an
Xiety to his friends
J. S. Curtis. the mining engineer Of New
York, is confined to his room with en-
affection of the brain.
Mrs. Kruger. wife of the president OF the
Transvaai republic, has expressed her
sympathy with the wives and children OF
all the condemned men.
The Times correspondent at Pretoria
visited the prisoners yesterday afternoon
and reports them all wen, except Ham
mond, who, however, is as well as can
be expected, seeing that ne is obliged to
eat the ordinary prison fare. which. in
the state of his health. is anything but
beneficial to him. New rules so into
operation on April so Oo-day). the corre-
spondent says, which permit the prison
ers to have better food and to enjoy many
comforts which are now denied them.
The four leaders who were condemned
TO death are confined in one small room,
where they are visited by crowds OF their
relatives and friends. In view of the cir
cumstances, the correspondent adds, the
prisoners are well treated.
In the House Of Commons to-day Joseph
Chamberlain, secretary OF state for the
colonies, stated that he had received a
cablegram from Sir Hercules Robinson,
governor of the Cape Colony, saying that
the executive council Of the TransVaai
republic met az Pretoria yesterday for
the purpose of considering what punish
nent should be inflicted upon the leaders
Of the reform committee. whose death
sentences had been revoked. and We're
still considering the matter. The Trans
Naal Beers themselves, Sir Hercules
wired, We're strong In their condemna-
tion of the severity of the sentences which
had been imposed upon the leaders of the
reform movement, and upon the minor
prisoners as well, ana that prominent
Beers We're actively at work obtaining
signatures to petitions asking the govern
ment To mitigate the punishment of the
prisoners or TO grant them a free pardon.
Mr.. Chamberlain said that he was i'm
formed that the presiding judge, who im
! posed the sentences, had been borrowed
from the Orange Free state. His name,
he said, was Gregorowski, and he was
Of the Polish nationality.
Reginald Mckenzie, liberal, asked what
truth there was in the report that one
of the prisoners, John Hays Hammond,
an American, had been released.
Mr.. Chamberlain said he had no infor-
nation on the subject.
]. H. Dalziel, liberal. asked whether the
| selection of Judge Gregorowsk was an
indication of impartality or Of corrup-
/ ton.
! Mr.. Chamberlain made no reply, and
| Mr.. Dalziel gave notice that he would
| ask the question again in formal way.
Johannesburg, April 30.-The Diggers
! News says that influential burghers from
| all parts of the Transvaal are hoching
| into Pretoria to petition the government
/ for total abolition of the sentences of inn
! prlsonment imposed upon the members OF
! the reform committee by the high court
| at Pretoria.
The Daily News, commenting upon the
| latest developments In the Pretoria case,
/ will tomorrow say. IF the issues in
VOlved were not so serious Il would be
/ tempting to linger on the tarcial side of
| the revolution which went off at half
cock"
| 1t adds that IT does not assume that the
| London section of the chartered company
/ was privy to the transactions disclosed,
/ but inasmuch as the South African sec
| ton evidently was the government viii
! Immediately have to face a demand for
| the revocation OF the company's charter.
| The paper concludes by asking why Dr.
| Jameson has been made a scapegoat.
! The Standard viii say: 1T will be very
/ hard to maintain hencefOrth that the in
! tervention of the company's force was
| simple, unprecedented outburst Of chiv-
| alrous humanity, as many are anxious to
| picture it,"
The Standard pays a tribut to the su-
| perior sagacity of the BOer officials in
| outwitting the plotters and to their mar
I
| patches until the most suitable moment
| arrived for them to be divuged.
| The Times will say The gravely dam
| aging telegrams must be taken to prove
/ beyond the possibility of doubt that the
| revolutionary movement was not only ap-
! proved. but was assisted with the cogni-
| zance of Cecil Rhodes. Success might
| possibly have excused but could not have
| been held 10 justify the part he played"
| The paper contends that the company it.
| self is not necessarily involved Rhodes,
| Belt and Harris, 1t adds, may be called
! upon as individuals TO answer for their
| conduct. Their position must be consid-
The Chronicle win say: "a more as
| founding set Of documents never saw the
| light Are they fOrgeres or gross and un-
| fair misconceptions If they are not the
! principal defendant in the case concluded
! in Pretoria and in the case pending in
! London is at liberty
Pretoria, April 9O-A great sensation has
been caused here by the publication OF
a series Of kilograms that were entered
as evidence at the trial Of the members
| of the reform committee. These tele-
| grams, it is claimed here show beyond
| any doubt whatever, that the raid of DR..
! jameson was not the result of a desire
/ to protect the women and children of Jo-
! hannesburg, in the event Of a rising there
| as has been so sedulously argued by GER
| tain English newspapers, but was the out
| the part of certain individuals Of the South
/ Africa Company 10 seize portion Of the
/ Transvaal a portion well known TO be
! the rich gold reef Of WitWatersrand on
which johannesburg is located. Some Of
| the kilograms were in cipher, and on
/ there face were apparently harmless busi-
| ness messages that had passed between
! different men connected with johannes
| burg and the South Africa Company. At
| the time DR.. Jameson and mis- compan-
/ ions were captured by the Beers the
/ latter found in the doctors bag a key
/ for the code messages. This was taken
| possession of by the authorities who later
| obtained the message containing words
| corresponding with those in the key. In
/ certain cases the words in the original
/ messages could not be deciphered by use
/ Of the key, and in these cases the code
words were read as Of the dispatches. The
/ dates Of the dispatches ranged from Dec.
/ z to Dec Z9
Washington April 9O.-secretary Olney
! on April 28. telegraphed the Secretary Of
| state of the South African republic that
| IT was assumed that the death sentence Of
/ John Hammond and other American cit
/ izens was imposed with the understand
/ ing that the sentence would be cOmmuted
/ and he would like assurance of that point
/ An answer came this morning from the
/ Transvaal secretary as follows:
HsH1r 20