The Washington herald., 1908-02-11
BOER PLOT REVEALED
Yeltheim Hired, He SWears,
to Engineer Revolution.
WAS AIMED AGAINST KRUGER
Suicide Of ''Diamond King and the
Failure Of Associates to Abide by
VeItheim Responsible for the Col
lapse Of the Conspiracy.

London, Feb. 10.-According TO state
ment made by Carl /. Won Veltheim, Ia
the Old Bailey to-day, during his trial for
attempting to blackmail Solly b. Joel. the
wen-known capitalist out of sS0,0oo. his
letter demanding the money was merely a
reminder that the Barna5o firm, of which
s. b. Joel was a member, had covenanted
10 pay Veltheim for engineering a revo-
luton In the Transvaal, and he wanted
the SS0000
Joel testified at length regarding other
threatening letters he had received signed
"Kismet" Veltheim admitted he wrote
them, the one silly thing have done in
my life" as he said.
He pleaded they We're merely written TO
gratify a Miss Caldecott. VINO had ami
mostly for Joel and wished to frighten
him VeItheIm added he had subsequently,
explained this 10 Woolf Joel, Solly Joels
brother. and had received the formers
forgiveness.
VeItheim's story of Conspiracy.
Yetheim made some dramatic state
ments on the stand He told how he was
introduced 20 Barney Barnato in 1896 by
the minister OF a South American state
whom ne refused to name. Veltheim had
been concerned in two South American
revolutions. and the minister, whom he
had helped recommended him TO Barnato
for his ability in handling revolutionary
movements.
The prisoner described his interview
with Barnato. who said he wanted Paul
Kruger. President of the Transvaal, re-
moved. He asked Veltheim what in his
opinion. a revolution would cost
Valtheim suggested S2,50oo10 Barnsto
said it would be cheap at $5.J0oo)0. Vel
theim asked between $4,000 and $2-0Ooo as
his own fee.
Partial Payments Made.
Barnato enjotned secrecy and paid Vel
thelm az various interviews retaining fees
of $500 Il was arranged at their final
interview to continue the prelimnaries
but no report was to be made until the
arrival of WooIf Joel in South Africa
/ Banato's suicide shortly followed. Vel
tlie!m decided TO stay in South Africa un-
/ til Woolf arrived. lie served meanwhile
in the Bechuanaland mounted police.
/ After Woolf JoeTs arrival, Vel;helm had
several interviews with him concerning
/ the plot Wo0lf Joel undertook to pay
/ $50 4o0 lie raised difficulties. however,
about transferring this sum, as the dis
Icovery Of such transaction would en-
danger all Barnatos property in the
T TransvaaL Then came the final inter
view, al which Voltheim shot Woolf Joel
Recital of Tragedy.
The court listened in deep silence while
the prisoner volubly and dramatically de-
scribed how WooIf Joel had insisted that
Veltheim must go 10 London to receive
the promised 5000; how Joers compdn-
ion. Strange, at a sign from joel, tried TO
shoot Veltheim; how joel then drew HIS
own revolver, how Noltheim then fired in
seIf-defense, killing Joel. and how he
was tried and acquitted of the charge Of
murder.
But for this shooting affair in Joel g
office. said Neltheim there would have
| been no BOer war. Kruger would have
been forced out Of the country and an
other Boer president put in his place
The court then adjourned