The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-01-17
WHY JAMESON FAILED
STORY OF HIS PLOTS AND
DOWNFALL. sf,,s ss,.,

in League With the. Discontinued Uitial-
ders, Plotted {, Deliberate Acquisition of
Territory.
LONDON, jan s.-Missing dispatches
delayed in transmission from Jo-
hannesburg and Capetown, are reach
ing this city. Some of the latest mos
sages filed arrived before the earliest
dispatches placed in the hands of the
telegraph and cable operators at the
dlfferent places mentioned The mes
sages are dated from January / on
ward, and being collected the follow
ing synopsis Of the invasion OF the
Transvaal by the forces of the British
chartered Company has been compiled:
For a long time the Uitlanders or
foreign residents of the Transvaal
have been complaining of the treat
ment they have been subjected to by
the Beers. The Uitlanders, though
far outnum bering the Beers, have been
compelled to contribute practically
all the revenue of the republic, and
YET nave no representation or voice in
its government. That is their side of
the question.
On the other hand the Beers claim
that the very fact that the Uitlanders
mainly Englishmen, so far outnumber
them is the main argument against
giving representation for then
they would soon outvote the Boens and
make the country British colony.
This feeling grew until intimations.
were made to DR.. Jameson, admins
traitor OF the territory of the British
Chartered company, that the British
IN the Transvaal were ripe for revolt
and that if he would take the initia-
tive the Uitlanders would rise and
support him. DR.. Jameson then be-
gan preparations for raid upon Jo-
hannesburg, mastering about Zoe. .Shen
and plenty OF ammunition but ia tile
food, the Transvaal When
-. ,~e~sa e>r>nDeelsr,"Jhe close otter was
the year. The ledge of the Holy Terrcoance of
"r.'r' h<s~s 1vs ~ @o We're 10 danger at
the hands OF the aroused Beers then
riding about the streets and country
IN most threatening manner.
DR. JAMEsoN's INVASION.
On Monday, December so, DR.. Jane
sons force crossed the Transvaal bor-
der without the knowledge, however
1T would seem, of the Uitlanders of
Johannesburg lie cut the telegraph
wires behind him, to prevent being
ordered back by the British govern
ment, il is claimed, and pushed on for
Krugersdorph, where he expected to
meet reinforcements Of 1000 Uitland-
ers.
The following day, December 81,
there was intense excitement at Jo-
hannesburg, people hurryng into the
town from the mines and the suburbs.
The central committee of Uitlander
citizens constituted themselves a pro-
visional government for the town and
announced that ample provision would
be made to defend it against any BODY
of Beers. The provisional govern
ment established itself in the Consol-
idated Gold Fields building and three
Maxim guns were placed by the citi-
ZenS IN advantageous DOSitiOns
about it.
The so-caled ''new government"
then sent an ultlmatum to the govern
ment of President Kruger at Pretoria
The LAT tier proposed conference at
Pretoria on the following day, Wednes-
day, but the committee appointed by
the new government hesitated to go
to Pretoria without a safe conduct
BY this time the news that Dr.
Jameson had crossed the border was in
Johannesburg and his arrival at that
place was expected hourly. Crowds Of
people surrounded the Consolidated
Gold Fields building and the muster
ing of recruits for the Uitlander forces
was carried on with vigor, but, too
late, subsequent events showed
THE BoERs WERE PREPARED.
In the meantime the Beers had not
been idle. They seemed to have been
fully aware of DR.. Jameson S proposed
raid, and met the movement by gath
ering together a force of about $ 600
we'll armed, we'll mounted, excellently
trained farmer huntsmen, whose rifles
always speak IN deadly earnest This
caused feeling of alarm among the
Uitlanders, numbers of whom left the
town during the night in bands of
fifty each, and the hope of raising a
force to assist DR.. Jameson began to
melt away like snow beneath a warm
sun.
Later, the committee of the provis-
ional government sent the following
communication to Sir Hercules Robin-
son, the governor of Cape Colony:
'sWe have information that large
body of Beers has been commanded to
Immediately attack johannesburg and
shoot on sight all who have been con-
cerned in the agitation. Affairs are
so critical that we ask you to inter
vene to protect the lives of citizens
who have long agitated legally their
rights