The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-29


John Hays Hammond, the American
who has been condemned to death by
the Boer high court at Pretoria, was
arrested together with other officers of
the Johannesburg Reform club on Jan
uary II, en- The charge of "inciting to
rebellion and to high treason" Their
specific offence was alleged to be the
signing of an invitation to Dr. Jane
son to come to the relief Of the Uit-
Ianders Of Johannesburg in the event
of their extreme peril" which the
Boer authorities construed to mean in
the event Of an armed rising against
the established government. The Re
form club. or union, OF which John
Hays Hammond was one of the lead
ing spirits, had for a long time been
agitating legislative redress OF the
grievances OF the Uitlanders or foreign
born citizens of the Transvaal Repub-
lie, which included taxation without
representation, oppressive mining and
property laws and a denial of educa-
tional facilities for their children.
When the news reached Johannes
burg that DR.. Jameson's troopers had
been defeated and captured at Krug-
ersdorp on their way to Johannesburg
the Reform club, which had been work.
ing at cross purposes and made a fiasco
Of the uprising, at once entered into ne
gotiations with the Boer authorities,
raised the Transvaal flag and swore al
| legiance to the government, at the same
time giving up the arms in it's posses
sion, which consisted of Maxim guns,
rifles and ammunition. 1t also helped
| to restore order, and undoubtedly exer-
| cised powerful influence in prevent
| ing bloodshed.
| Subsequent to the transfer of DR.,
Jameson, his officers and troopers to
| the British authorities, to be dealt
| with under English law for violating
| the integrity of a friendly state, the
| officers OF the johannesburg Reform
| club, including Colonel Francis w.
| Rhodes, brother of Cecil Rhodes; Lilo
| mel Phillips, president of the Chamber
| of Mines Percy Farrar, proprietor of
| the South African Country Life, and
] John Hays Hammond, mining engineer
| of the British South African company,
| were on January 12 arrested on the
| charge of high treason. For nearly a
| month the Boer government refused to
| admit them to bail, combining them in
an unwholesome prison at Pretoria Mr..
| Joseph Story Curtis, a well known New
| Yorker and a grandson of Mr.. Justice
| Story of the United States supreme
| court. who had been arrested on anoth-
| err charge, at once interested himself in
| Mr. Hammond's behalf, telegraphing
| to Secretary of State Olney that Mr..
| Hammond's situation was critical and
\ unging Mr.. Olney to use the good Of
| fees OF our government without delay
1 to protect Mr.. Hammond in his rights
| as an American citizen.
| The United States having no diplo-
| matte representative in the Transvaal
| Secretary Olney requested Colonial Sec
1 rotary Joseph Chamberlain to see that
l Hammond's rights were safely guarded,
4 and Mr. Chamberlain replied in a very
| friendly spirit, promptly directing the
| British high commissioner to secure
| the same treatment for the American
as was accorded to the English prison
| ers The American vice counsel at Cape
| Town, Mr. Knight, afterward went to
| Pretoria to look after Hammond'S in
| terests and reported that President
| Kruger had promised to befriend HAM
/ mond as far as lay in his power, but
said that he must be tried by the Boer
| court with the other prisoners, and that
| If he were found guilty Of the offense
| with which he stood charged he would
| have to suffer the penalty, whatever 1t
| might be. Mr. Hammond's health gave
| way in the unhealthy Pretoria jail, and
on February 5 he was released on bail,
| which was fixed at 10000. At the
Il