The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-25
Plenty of Ammunition Left When
Compelled to Lay Down
Their Arms.
ENTICED INTO THE OPEN vELDT.
Members of the Mounted Force Appear
to Be Disguised With the
Transvaal Raid.

DAVENPORT, ENG, Feb a. The
steamship Victoria with DR.. Jameson ON
board sailed for Southampton or London.
The strictest secrecy is observed in regard
to the prisoners. Nobody is allowed to
board the ship.
LONDON, Eng, Feb. pa representa-
tive OF The United Press obtained today
an interview with one of DR.. Jameson's
troopers, who arrived at Plymouth from
Port Natal yesterday morning. The man,
whose name was O'Dea, said he
had spent eight months in Ma
tabeleland as member of the
mounted police. About the end of
December he was i'll a state of conval-
escence from violent attack of fever, his
temperature having at one time been
as high as 105. He had been almost
without food or water for a week, and
was lying in his tent in greatly de-
bilitated condition when sergeant came
to him and asked him if he wanted
to lose his place in the mounted
troop. O'Dea replied in the negative,
whereupon the sergeant ordered him to
appear on parade with his comrades
Immediately, which he did. Prior to
the start of Jameson and his followers
for the Transvaal, which took place at
night, O'Dea did not hear DR.. Jameson
read letter, as he is alleged to have read
one, but says he gathered that the purpose
of the expedition was to protect the
women and children of Johannesburg.
| O'Dea belonged to the advance troop.
He did not see DR.. Jameson after the night
of their leaving Mafeking, nor has he seen
him to this day. He supposed that jane
son rode in the middle of the troop. The
men hurried forward, riding at the rate of
ten miles an hour with not more than FIVE
hours rest in two days. They were some
times able to get snatches of sleep on horse
back. They had sufficient rations to last
them until the evening of the second day.
A party of fifty Beers met them and began
desultory fire upon them, to which
Jameson's followers replied. They had
several skirmishes with Beers before reach
ing Krugersdorp, where the Beers sue
ceeded in entieing Jameson's forces from
the sheltered hillocks into the open veldt.
while they themselves remained under
cover.
O'Dea expressed his belief that DR..
Jameson himself hoisted the white flag.
Anyway, if he did not personally hoist it,
the flag was raised by his order When
the Jameson party surrendered, O'Dea
still had ten rounds of ammunition and
many of the others had not exhausted
their supply. After the surrender
he said the men were fairly we'll treated.
They were taken to Pretoria, where
they wele corralled on the Pretoria race
course. They were allowed loaf of bread
and quarter of a pound of meat a day
for each man. At first he believed that all
of the officers of the expedition and the
non-commissioned officers, with the rank
and file, were to be shot. He heard af-
terward that the Volksraad had re-
iected the proposal to shoot them
by a majority OF two. Eventually
the men were taken to Port Natal, where
they were free from the moment they went
on board the Harloch Castle. O'Dea said
it was his intention to visit Boston, Mass.
and later to return to the service of the
British South Africa Company. In the
course of his conversation he alluded to
several of his companions, mentioning
Cawston OF New York and Morgan of Mon
tana.
O'Dea gave his address as 1913 Congress
street, Bos ton. Like all of the other
troopers who arrived in England on the
Harloch Castle he received f22 before
landing and expects to receive f100 in ad-
dition to this from the British South At
rica Company.
J. Collins of the Lancaster regiment.
which was brought to England by the
transport Victoria, which also brought
DR.. Jameson and his officers from
South Africa. says that Captain Heany,
an American who took part in the raid,
was informed that upon his arrival at
Plymouth that he would be free to disem-
bark. He declined, however to leave the
Victoria, saying that he preferred to re-
main with DR.. Jameson.
Nobody on board the Victoria knew The
destination of the steamer when she left
Davenport and Plymouth to-day; but
was expected that she would be met at
sea tonight, when Dr. Jameson would be
taken off.
In its issue tomorrow the Standard will
confirm Major Collins statement that
Captain Heany has resolved to stick by
his leaders. Captain Heany formerly held
a commission In the Rhodesian Horse.
He accompanied DR.. Jamesons expedition
as scout.