Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-08-12
INTENDED EVIL
TURNED TO GOOD.
Bumptious South African Official
Temporarily Annoys Four
Mormon Elders.
MEETS WITH PROMPT REBUKE
Torbids Their Landing, Threatens De-
portation, bubbles Over Bank
Drafts but Collapscs Mt Last.

Drafts but Collapses ut Last.
President Joseph F. Smith is in re-
ceipt Of an interesting letter telling of
the attempt ofan officious immigrae
ton inspector at Cape Town, South
Africa, to prevent the landing and to
effect the deportation of four Latter
day Saint elders last month. The In
formation comes in the form of II copy
of letter to President Charles w.
Penrose of the European mission, and
f is written by Elder H. L. Steed, presi-
dent of the South African mission, un-S
der date of July6. The elders against
whom the attempt was made are Os-
car w. Steele, William S. Mack, Rufus
Beach and Louie A. Nelson, and they
We're passengers on the S.. S. iMoravian
of the Aberdeen line, which arrived at
the Cape Town docks It noon of We'd
5nesday, June so. Extracts from Elder
Steed's letter follow:
Having received no information
from the Liverpool office of these ell
5ders' enbarkment we did not meet
them on the ship when it arrived, and
knew nothing of their arrival until we
received the following telegram from
William Anderson & Co., agents of the
steamship company at Cape Town,
Elders Peach, steele. Mack and Nelson
arrived by Morayian. prohibited
We received the telegram a few nlo-
ments before 5 O'Clock D. m, and went
Immediately to the immigration Office
to see what could be done relative to
their release, We found the office
CLOSED as 1t was five minutes after Of
+ flee hours. We then went to the steam
ship company's office to obtain par
9ticulars and were informed that the.
alleged cause was insufficient funds to
permit them to land under the laws and
regulations of decentralization act. We
then visited the elders at the ship and
found that the immigration officers
would not accept their drafts as cash,
and We're holding them on this techni-.
cality. After greeting the elders and
assuring them that we would do all we.
could for their release We left them;
They We're in. charge of an officer and
We're not allowed to leave the ship.
BANK DRAFTS NOT 2cAsIIED.
The S. S. Moravian was booked to
leave for Australia at 10 O'clock a. nj.
the following day: and as the immi-l
grafton office would not open until 9
we We're left only one hour in which to.
arrange. If possible, ror their landing
Thursday morning Elder Wilks visited
the elders on the ship ard Elder Phil
lips and myself appeared before the.
immigration officer with the cash COW
ering the drafts held by the elders, al
SO the advices and drafts them
selves He abruptly informed us that
he had decided the case and it was
then too late to consider a tender Of.
cash In payment of the drafts. He ruled.
that the cash or its equivalent must
he shown the immigration officer be-
fore leaving the ship. We tried to show
the Inconsistency of ruling SO hastily
upon the%case without waiting to hear
the whole evidence. He refused to
discuss the matter further. but we in
sisted He finally said that If the elders
could produce evidence by aftidavits or
bank references, thar they. would not
become public charge on the govern
ment he would consider them.
ABRUPT AND suRLY TREATMENT.
With this assurance we made an pos
fsihle haste to the ship nearly two
miles away On arriving there the
passengers We're gathering, for the ship
was to sail in few moments. We
went to the cabin TO formulate the re-
4quired affidavits when the officer in
charge ordered us to leave the ship
+ and accompany him to the detention
station. This circumstance was the first
ray of hope as we then knew the
elders would not sail on the Meravian
which was to leave In a few minutes.
We were then taken to the detention
station, and on the suit cases of the
elders. used as a writing desk, / wrote
the affidavits asked for. again visited
the immigration Office and presented the
atfidavits but ! was informed by the
chief immigration officer himself, that
MA,
us: ne would not consider the affidavits
after had procured them. i renou-
strated against his snap Judgment
proceeding, but he would not reconsider
his decision nor consider the affidayits.
THIS HINT TOUCHED HIM.
r asked him for a written decision, as.
i desired to appeal the case to the CO.
sloniaf5 secretary and secure the services
of the American consul-general. He re-
fused to submit his decision in writing
and was quite perturbed to think
should insist on 1t. He resented my
persistence, but ! insisted that Il was
very important question not only to
those detained. but as an international
issue. He thought, however, he was
justified. and informed me he would not
further discuss the matter. Iasked him
to direct me to the colonial secretal'yis
office; he answered 1t was not his duty
to do So then said: II suppose you
consider yourself a Christian and a
gentleman and if so, out of courtesy
you could do no less than grant my re-
quest This retort seemed to bring
him to his senses, and I was directed
\ to the office, but the colonial secretary
had gone to Robben Island in company
with the governor of Cape Colony and
the American consul, and would not re-
turn until evening. / now learned that
the elders must leave on the S. s. Mar
trung for England at II o'clock the next
morning. This gave us only two hours.
to get the case before the colonial sec
rotary.
AMERICAN CONSUL GETS BUSY.
The American consul-generaI worked
fast and faithful and wrote a letter to
the officers in charge of the case set
ting forth the facts and asking a speedy
consideration of the same. Then I se-
cured an appointment with the colonial
secretary for 3 o'clock p. M, as the Mar
srunG would not sail until later, having
been delayed--anottler incident in our
| favor i learned that the elders would
be brought before the colonial secretary
at the time appointed for the hearing.
While waiting for their arrival I OBJ