Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-29
CONDEMNED TO DIE.
John Rays Hammond and Other UT
landers Thus Dealt With.
rBE MATTER IN PARLIAMENT.
1t Il Also brought Up I'm Our
House of Representatives
Sentences Expected to BE Conn
mutcd.

terday, including John Hays Hammond,
the American mining engineer, were con-
demned to death at this forenoon's sit
ting Of the court.
Colonel Francis Rhodes. brother Of Cecil
Rhodes. ex-Premler OF Cape Colony;
Lionel Phillips, George Farrar and
Charles Leonard are the four leaders,
who. with Hammond, were sentenced to
death.
Phillips. Rhodes, and Farrar pleaded
guilty Of high treason Friday last and
Hammond. who was i'll and not in court
on that day, made similar plea. This
course. IL was thought. would have the
| effect of mitigating the severity OF their
sentence, but IL turns out that II did not
STATEMENT OF PRISONERS.
Counsel for the defence yesterday read
| statement to the court, signed by
Hammond, Phillips, Farrar. and Colonel
Rhodes admitting that they had asked
| Dr. Jameson TO so 10 Johannesburg, but
deploring his mistake in entering the
| Transyaal and marching on Johannes
| burg, when there was no urgent need
| for his presence. They maintained that
their action throughout was not hostile
| to the government.
The statement also enumerated the
grievances of the Uitlanders, and elabo-
rated reasons to prove that the actions OF
the committee were not hostile 10 the
republic.
Regarding Or. Jameson's raid the
statement declared that when the com
mittee learned certain facts 1t sent on
December 9th two messengers Major
Heany, by rail. and Captain Holden
to move.
BRITAIN ASKS COMPUTATION.
LONDON, April 2s.-In the House OF
Commons to-day. Joseph Chamberlain
Secretary Of State for the Colonies. said:
II have received a private telegram OF
the accuracy OF which | have no doubt,
saying that five OF the leaders OF the so
called National Reform Committee at
| johannesburg have been condemned to
| death. 1 thereupon cabled Sir Hercules
Robinson, at Cape Town, instructions
TO communicate the following 10 Pres-
| dent Kruger: The government has just
| learned that sentence Of death has been
| imposed upon the chief leaders OF the
Reform Committee. The government has
no doubt that your Honor will commute
| the sentences. Indeed, the government
| has assured Parliament that this is your
| HonOr's Intention"
LAW IN THE CASE.
Mr.. w. ]. Galloway asked whether the
| law governing such cases did not pro-
vide simply for the confiscation of the
property Of persons found guilty. ana
not for the imposition OF death sentences
/ upon them
/ Mr.. Chamberlain replied that he could
not answer that question, as he was in
/ doubt whether the condemned men had
| been tried under the statute law OF the
| Transyaal or the Rasnza ndDuteh law.
| Right-Hon James Bryce asked the
| names Of the prisoners under death sem
tence. and Mr.. chamberlain said they
/ were Colonel Francis Rhodes. brother TO
! Cecil Rhodes: George Farrar Lonel
| Phillips and John HAYS Hammond. The
name OF the fifth condemned man he had
| forgotten for the moment. Four of them
| are British subjects. and one diam
| mond) Is an American.
| WHAT DID CHAMBERLAIN ADVISE?
| LONDON, April "a report is circu-
| lated. and generally credited. in the lobby
OF the House OF Commons. that Colonial
| Secretary Chamberlain advised the sur
| render OF Colonel Rhodes and his com
rades TO the legal authorities at Pre-
/ toria, and also advised them to enter a
| plea OF guilty, upon the assurance that
| the Pretoria authorities would treat
| them with leniency.
The Opposition are framing a series Of
| questions 10 be propOunded 10 the gov
| ernment. with the object Of forcing them
70 make revelations showing precisely
what part the English Government has
| played i'm the affair.
The Globe. in an article on the con-
| demnation OF Rhodes Hammond and the
ra oh 10 ba
tire interest Of the House OF Commons.
| The consensus Of opinion is that the con-
demned men are In no real danger, but
| the feeling Is unanimous that I'm case
| of the contrary, there must be instant
war. II would be impossible for the
present government 10 hold office for a
| day II any other course were taken"
FEELING IN LONDON.
LONDON, April 2S-Though the news
| OF the death sentence passed on the five
| leaders OF Me johannesburg movement
was a surprise and shock to those here
who have watched the case. politicians
! inside and outside OF Parliament admit
that the sentence is the natural compile
! ment OF the plea Of guilty. Nobody here
| believes that the sentences will be exc
cuted II IL thought that under the law
under which the accused were tried, there
was no course open to the Court but 10
| iupose the death penalty. IL il believed
now that the arrangement between the
| prisoners and the Trsnsvaal authorities
| provided for the passage Of the death
| sentence. while at the same time the
/ five men knew that the President would
| exercise the power with which ne Is in
/ vested and later commute the sentences.
| What the feeling among the Beers Is
| towards the prisoners is a matter Of
doubt. Before the trouble at Johannes
/ burg they were al very popular, but
there was a significant incident in con-
nection with their arrest that is not gene
rally known
WAS 1T A THREAT?
shortly after they were lodged in the
| iau AZ Pretoria, a number OF Beers took
10 the city a beam. on which some years
previous the British had hanged several
| Boers for treason. When the attention
OF the government was called TO this
fact a prompt disclaimer Of any implied
| threat to hang the prisoners was made,
and II was asserted that the beam had
been taken 10 Pretoria TO be used for
building purposes.
Sir Charles Dixie. member OF Parlia-
r,sn, and Sir Donald Currie member OF
to,rl,sment. the weil-known owner OF
! s,e,rshius plying to South Africa, both
| - -,born are personally acquainted with
| president Kruger: Mr.. Henry IAbouchere
,,,or,ber Of Parliament and Mr.. Henry
Nc S,anley. member OF Parliament. the
A,,5can explorer, expressed the opinion
.hat president Kruger would exercise
c,erency. and abrogate the sentence of
death.
speech at Rosedaie tonight. made an