Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-13
TRICKED BY DAVIS
Gustave Thielkuhl's Sad Experience
in the Boer Cause.
he Was USED as A CATS-PAW
Assistant Secretary Got All the
Chestnuts Forthcoming.
REFUSES TO DIVIDE UP
REFUSES TO DIVIDE UP

Gustave Thfelkuhl who was a photog-
rapher In the patent office in this city
and who became Identified with the Boer
| cause through his efforts to raise a COM
| pany in the United States to take to the
| Transvaal, and who subsequently, lost his
| position because of this connection, has
| made a statement Involving Webster Davis.
| ex-assistant secretary Of the interior. in the
| plan
| This is Thielkuhrs statement: Last Oc-
! tober, while in the patent office at WASH
ington, D. c., 1 formed the acquaintance
Of Webster Davis. who was then assistant
secretary of the interior. Mr.. Davis, hav-
ing ascertained that l was a sympathizer
of the Boer cause, sent for me on two d.f-
| ferent occasions within day or two of
each other. and on the second occasion pro-
posed that l should insert the following
advertisement in the Washington papers:
Observation-Disclosures with military
experience to go to the TransvaaI, South
Africa. For information address Gus;sve
Thielkuhl 1O5 Sth street northwest This
advertisement was inserted In The Star
and other Washington papers. Mr.. Davis
further instructed me to retain all letters
l received in answer to the above adver-
tisement and to turn them over to MIN.
| which / did. l received in all about 5000
| letters, Of which Mr.. Davis took charge.
Davis Took the Lead.
"Mr. Davis prepared the advertisement for
the papers, saying that he could fix ii so
that the law could not reach me, and he
also told me that I must not let his name
be known in connection with the affair UNI
der any circumstances, for if 1t became
known that he was aiding the Beers in this
manner it would injure him with tie adj
minstration. He also said if President Nc
Kinley and his administration did not pass
a resolution sympathizing with tne Beers
the next President surely would
After the advertisement had appeared In
the papers there was a perfect flood of let
tiers and applications, and SO many people
called upon me in the department that it
attracted the attention Of the chief clerks
in different departments in the building,
whereupon an investigation was ordered,
and in the absence of Secretary Hitchcock
and Assistant Secretary Ryan. the investi-
cation was taken up by Mr.. Davis, and 1t
was, OF course, decided in my favor. But
the throng still continued to come and the
letters poured in. A second investigation
was ordered. and, Secretary Hitchcock
being at home at this time, was instructed
by Mr. Davis to resign and procure my
passport, he was going to send me to
South Africa to represent the men consu-
tuting the expedition as practical miners.
Wanted Only Military Men.
Mr.. Davis had also instructed me that
when men applied to me in answer to the
advertisement 1 should get them to state
and should receive none that had not. He
also instructed to have the applicants
write letters stating their experience and
address, etc, and to turn them over to him.
so that he could have same investigated,
which l did. He also told me that in case
l was questioned by any one in authority
as to what meant by asking for men hav-
ing had military experience l should say to
them that / only wanted men TO go
miners. but that 1 thought that men who
had had military experience would be bet
ter able to stand the privations Of miners
than those who had not.
After 1 resigned my position. in
structed by Mr.. Davis, l remained at my
home In Washington. D. c.. at No. 10 I'd
street southeast, and continued to receive
applications daily About 500 men belong
ing in the District of Columbia applied to
me In person.
ION or about December z $780, I met Mr.
Davis. and he Informed me for the first
time that he had concluded to go to South
Africa himself. as 1t was necessary for him
to President Kruger go as to arrange
for the payment and shipment Of men who
had applied to US, also to secure payment
for his time and expenses, all of which l
have no doubt he succeeded In doing He
also told at that time that he would
send for me, with full Instructions think
he sailed from New York on December g.
1899, English steamer, for South
Africa.
The Understanding With Davis.