The San Francisco call., 1896-01-23

their friends here telling of their arrest,
but the true inwardness of their circum-
stances and hardships have rot yet been
told.
The truth of the whole affair is that the
censorship OF the press and telegraph ser
vice is as strict in the Transvaal as it is in
the domain of the Gar and the imprisoned
men, like their sympathizers still without
the dungeons, have been unable to let the
world know of their troubles.
Two cablegrams reached here yesterday
evening, however, sent to Harry T. Cres-
well and Harry I. Thornton from New
castle, Natal, which by their contents and
their intimation would lead to the belief
that the situation of the imprisoned Amer
leans and their immediate prospects are
entitled to speedy consideration by the
Government of the United States.
Both cablegrams are from Joseph Storey
Curtis, who has been in South Africa as a
mining man for nearly five years. That
his absence from this country has caused
him to be "out of the world" is evinced
by the fact that one of his cablegrams is
addressed TO Colonel H. I. Thornton, who
has been dead nearly year. 1t reads:
NEWCASTLE, Natal.
Colonel Thornton, San Francisco: 1 earnestly
beg you to use your influence to protect Ham
mond from the consequences of the mistake
which has been made by others in this unfor-
tunate business. He is not guilty and has been
wrongfully confined in Jail for the last ten
Gays, and the Transvaal Government refuses to
admit him TO bail. CURTIS.
The other cablegram reads:
NEWCASTLE, Natal.
Judge CreslDeEE, San Francisco: Exert your in.
fuence to help Hammond. He is confined
with sixty of us in the Pretoria jail He has
been taken as one of the ringleaders, and un-
less some radical measures are taken by our
Government he will be made to suffer for the
sins of others, for which he is in no way re-
sponsible. CURTIS.
Upon the receipt of these two messages
Mr.. CreswelI sent the following message
SAN Francisco, Jan. %, 1896.
Senator William A. Stetoart Fashiagton, D. c. +:
A cable to me from Curtis. Jo johannesburg, At
rics, says Hammond will suffer unless radical
measures are taken by our Government.
Please do all you can in the matter.
HARRY T. CREswELL.
In speaking on the subject of the mes
sages he had received, Mr.. Creswell stated
that he believed the Americans who were
imprisoned were in very serious predica-
ment
you see," he said, 1.-THE cablegrams
have had to be sent from beyond the
boundary line of the Transvaal. Natal is
not within Kruger's dominion, and we
may accredit to that the fact that we now
get Curtis messages"
Two other oablegrams are now at the tel
egraph office awaiting Attorney John
CARRIER and Michael Tarpey, showing that
in his endeavor to free himself and his
friends, Mr.. Curtis is freely touching the
wire where he believes his most influential
friends may be reached.
Mr.. Curtis, who has been heard from. is
Joseph Storey Curtis, son of George
Ticknor Curtis, who was mentioned by
Daniel Webster as one of the men to write
up his life. His father was at one time a
Justice of the United States Supreme
Court and great law writer.
Joseph Storey Curtis is granddaughter
of Benjamin r. Curtis, and is also a
nephew of w. w. Storey, the law writer,
poet and sculptor, who designed the Key
monument now adorning Golden Gate
Park