Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-09-27
HIRED SOLDIERS FOR THE BOER WAR.
Ex.Patent Office Employees Charge
Against Davis.

Washington, Sept. 20.--Gustave Thiel'
kuhl, who appears to have gotten the butt
end of deal entered into with former AS
sistant Secretary of the Interior Webster
Davis, in the interest of the soldiers, has
retaliated by making public some matters
which he thinks prove MIR. Davis "disloy'
al to bis government"
Thielknhl was formerly an employe Of
the Patent Office, and while there became
acquainted with Mr.. Davis. He was then
a Boer sympathizer, but the Assistant Sec
rotary up to that time had kept his sym
pathies under bushel. Nevertheless, III
last October, according to Thielkuhl, MIR,
Davis approached him privately and asked
him to insert in the local papers an adj
vertisement he had prepared calling fol
able. bodied men with military experience
to 60 to the Transyaal. More than 80, OOO
answers were received, and the matter
caused SO much talk that Secretary of the
Interior Hitchcock ordered an investiga-
ton. Mr.. Davis himself was ordered to
inquire into the affair, and advised Thiel'
kuhl to resign quietly, advising him in adj
dition to procure passports, as he intend
ed to send him to South Africa to repre-
sent the men constituting the expedition
to be practical miners.
WHAT MIR. DAVIS TOLD HIM.
"On or about December 2, 1899, 1 met
Mr.. Davis" said Mr.. Thielkuhl yesterday,
"and he informed me for the first time
that he had concluded to 90 to South At
RIGA himself, as it was necessary for him
to see President Kruger so as to arrange
for the payment and shipment of men
who had applied to us, also to secure pay
ment for bis time and expenses, all of
which have no doubt he succeeded in
doing. He also told me at that time that
he would send for me with full instruc-
tons. / think he sailed from New York
on December 6, 1899, on an English
steamer for South Africa.
"My understanding with Mr.. Davis was
that he was to see that and all the men
who went to South Africa were to be well
paid, and that we were to have shares set
aside for us in the Kimberley diamond
fields, as well as receiving other compen-
sation and expenses, but have never re-
celved any compensation from MIR. Davis
or any other person for my services and
experience in connection with this matter,
which was considerable, Mr.. Davis having
kept none of the promises be made to me.
Mr.. Davis expected to receive large sum
of money from President Kruger for our
services in the Boer cause, and presume
his expectations were realized. l have
written him more than twenty letters
since December 2, 1899, when | last saw
him in Washington, and since his return
to this country, but l have not seen him
nor heard from him in any way since.
BELIEVES HE PROLONGED WAR.
81 believe that the Beers are prolonging
The war at the present time on the strength
Of representations and promises made to
President Kruger by Mr.. Davis of the
and assistance of the United
States if Bryan should be elected. Davis
actions since his return to this country JUS
.ify me in this latter assertion.
"From the facts set forth herein 1t will
,e seen that while Webster Davis was AS
istant Secretary of the Interior Depart
nent of United States he was disloyal to
lis government, and want the people of
a