New-York tribune., 1908-06-16

nasbrp It is not necessary to go into the reasons
why DR. Jim made this to record the story
of how the Whites. Robinsons and other young
euardsmen on leave who with him looking for
fight and lark and who found the term OF their
leave drawing to a close, forced his hand and per-
suaded him to move notwithstanding his pledge 10
Hammond and Hammond's associates not TO do 90
unless imperatively called upon for the protection
of the women snd children in johannesburg. Ham
mond promptly sent four five messengers. order
ing begging impIoring Jameson to stop his ad-
vance instantly. representing that the Beers We're
armed and surrounding the city, while out of 10000
rifles required the band of revolutlon1sts
onlv 5000 or 1000 had in: that If he continued
his advance the exasperated Beers would in all
n, hfItv attack the unarmed foreigners whom
they would naturally suspect Of being the instiga-
tors of this most outrageous and fnsolent raid AT
least two of these messengers got through ana
reached Jameson and in the tube of bicycle seat
of one of them afterward captured with jameson,
was found Hanmonds imperative demand for the
baIting and retiring of the invading column.
In the mean time things looked very black indeed
at Johannesburg. The city buzzing like
hive Then came in Hammond's diplomacy. AS
above stated, there only between 5000 and 100
rifles in the hands of the foreigners as against
40 600 that were needed A few absolutely devoted
and trustworthy members of the committee were
instantly informed of the facts as they stood and
were given the tip to quietly inform everybody
whom they suspected of not being loyal to the
revolutionary cause of being weak brothers or of
being spies in the pay OF the Boer government
that the full complement Of 1000 rifles and amrnu
milton had already arrived. Things were boiling
about that time as news of the advance began COM
ing into the city, and for a certain time nobody
knew what would be the outcome, or what action
would be taken by the angry and menacing Beers
Almost instantly Hammond was summoned to
President Krugers presence: You have 40,00o
rifles with ammunition. I am told he said To
which Hammond responded most automatically by
I-aGf don't Ia
of his secret service To quote those who knew the
facts at the time Dom Paul spent some years after
ward looking for those 10000 rifles. AfterWard
when Hammond and his associates We're condemned
TO death, the details of the scene in which he
obliged his associates to swear allegiance 10 the
Transyaal flag were laid before the Boer powers,
with the result finally that the sentence was COM
muted first to Imprisonment, then to a Sl5oOo hne
When the quartet were called before President
Kruger upon their release he pointed to Hammond
and said: 'Step out you American Gentlemen
you can thank this for saving your necks
You are spared on his account"
Prior to this Hammond had been released on
parole though the death sentence was hanging
over his head. Hammond seriously i'll The
unceasng stream of protests that came in from the
American government against the punishment OF
Hammond, and the constantly growing apprecta-
ton of the fact that he very important per-
son at home doubtless induced the authorities to
grant him this parole, unquestionably In the hope
that the problem, so Tar as ne was concerned
would be solved by his breaking his parole They
did not know the Promptly to the hour he
appeared and gave himself up. No one ever eX-
pected to him back again least of all his cap
tors; but Hammond not, and is not. the kind
of to desert his associates in the hour Of
need and to leave them In prison with the death
sentence over their heads while he went free for
OF which he guilty equally with them
When Hammond finally left Johannesburg for the
coast he was cheered by bands of Beers at the va
rious stations which his train stopped Such i'm
preston had his honesty, and high sense Of
honor produced upon these very men who only
short time before had looked upon him as an
eneny-a would-be despoiler of their country
New York, June a. 1905 c. W.