The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-24
sMITH RETURNS HOME.
Hc Has Been o. carry Message tn
Dom Paul az Pretoria.

Dom Paul al Pretoria.
From the New York sun
Back from Pretoria. 1900 miles away.
james Francis Smith. A - r messenger
No 1894. stepped OF the American Line
steamship New York az o'clock sestcr-
day morning 40 the foot 81 Fulton street.
BE started for Pretoria on April u last
bearing with him q message 0f sympathy
from zen school boys 81 philadelphia 70
President Kruger Of the Tranayaal repuh-
Nc. and a big book filled with clippings
about Dom Paul. whi.h were collected by
Frank p Burreile OF this city. Smith
reached KruRers capital on May =. The
day Ocm Paul aud his cabinet evacuated
Pretoria. with his travelling companion.
Hugh Sutherland Of Philadelphia. be was
detained IN Pretoria six weeks a British
prisoner Finally the two Americans were
allowed to 80 to CAPS Town and thence
they came. with little delay. back 10
this country.
when Smith booked over the tafrau Of
the New York yesterday morning he saw
many Smiths standing on the end 81 the
pier Hts father aud mother. three sis
tere ana two brothers, all Of whom live
IN Brooklyn were down there to meet him.
Back of them stood Supt Michael " Ray
ems Of the American District telegraph
Company In this city, and AR and Mrs.
Burrelle They an waved 20 james Fran
els and TO Sutherland and when the mess
enEer hoy came running down the plank
he was packed into a carriage aud the
entire party drove 20 the BuTrelle build
ing in West Nineteenth street
It's good TO be back said James
Francis. and now I'm an ready to carry
a message 60 the Empress nowager. I
ain't 80 anxious 20 try ana hunt up Agui-
naldo
He espled n policeman who graveiy
waved to the carriages o. they hurried
up broadway.
Say. the coppers are all wearing tho
white helmets now. aren't they" he com
nented. They were dark when ] went
away
A. the Burreile building james Francis
was seated on a bay window dais that
had been drnped with rod white ana blue
buniing and there he proceeded 20 ten
the story Of his travels.
Before ! start I want 60 tell YOU that
I'm Republican and an American ciu-
zen true enough" said he. but I'm stuck
on those Bocrs. They are all right and
they're bound 20 win out some day of
other. You know how they started me
from tho stage Of the Academy Of Music
IN Philadelphia. April 10. Bourke Cochran
and Webster Davis made speeches and
was sent chasing on 20 hunt up Dom
Paul A"
After visiting London and Paris James
Francis took German steamer a. Ma
piles for Delagoa bay.
we struck Delsgoa hoy on May o."
he said. and began 10 think that WIS
farther away from Broadway than Far
nonaoong out near Madagascar and I
feh tlcklish for a few hours but ! wasn't
sick. From Delagoa bay we took tho
railroad 20 Pretoria. / never enW such a
road. They didn't dare run OF all in the
night for fear OF British shells and al
day long they crawled along cause the
engineers were worn out II took ~
two days 20 get into Pretoria. which We
reached al O'Clock on the evening II
May -. The British were only foriy
miles away and every few minutes some
one would say that johannesburg had fail
en-. The town was fiied with the Beers
who were retreatiuK and every one seem
81 worried We took a furnished house.
because furnished houses were cheap.
Folks weren, anxious to stay IN Pro
toria Just then.
Early next morning We went over 10
SO Secretary Of State Reitz. Mr Reltz
was evidently pretty worried. but he told
me 20 come around az the Presidents
house that afternoon AZ O'Clock. Then I
went up the hih and called on our consul
general. Mr. Hay In the afternoon I put
on a clean collar aud polished shoes. ac-
cording 10 messenger rules. ana / went
20 the Presidents house at Just 3 O'Clock.
ON Paul lived IN a long ow cottage.
one story high. that only sets back few
feet from the street There are two stone
lions ~ the side Of the front steps that
Cecil Rhodes gave Dom Paul good long
time aeo. II Il hadn't been for the two
seutinela ~ the front gate you mighf have
thought some grocer lived there. When !
got there the President was holding
council Of war with Secretary Reilz and
Gems. Meyer and DE IA Hey. tie inter
rupted the council and received me In his
parior II was 4 long room, aud Dom Paul
stood way al the end OF II. He held in
his hand an unlighted pipe. aud he fire.
auently used a big spltt0on IN the middle
Of the floor He missed the splitoon often
er than he hit u. As he came up air.
Rei,z Introduced me. and / said
Your Exceiiency. ! bring TO YOU q
greeting from he Echoolboys OF phiiadei-
phia. and then ! explained my mission
just az snort az possible. for that's the
way We A. D. rs are supposed 20 do
They say he speaks English. and think
he understood me. but he made Secretary
Reitz interpret I'm a bit sore on Mr.
Rlchsrd Harding Davis about al this lie
wrote 10 New York that / suffered and
falfeTed but ] didn't. did I. Sutherland"
sutherland said that smith had made his
little speech without a suggestion Of slut
tefing.
AFTER Dom Paul heard me" smith went
on. no almost smiled. ana then he spoke
in Dutch. MY son said he. 4 thank you
for having taken 50 hong journey 20
bring these tokens 10 me, AMI wish
YOU a safe return 10 your home land.
I want you 20 thank the Philadelphia
schooi-ooys for me for sending me such
kind encouragement ri this time
Then he looked over the clipping ard
when no saw some Of tho pro- Boer car
ICONS where he was pictured csughs am
klnd Of half smiling again. Secretary
Reitz told US TO come around that even
Ing ana see the President again. ard We
-. ...hn~.a .4tt ~ sha rouncN of war