[-237-]
CHAPTER XXI
THE JAMESON TRIAL - CONTINUED
THE trial was resumed the following week,
the first week in April, and the eviden.ce heard at that time simply
corroborated what had been already stated relative to the cutting of telegraph
wires, the recruiting, arming and mounting of the Chartered Company's forces.
There was then an interval of one month, pending the arrival
of other witnesses from Cape Colony. Interest had not flagged, and, as before, a
fashionable and attentive audience was present. The personelle of the
spectators, however, was much changed. The enthusiastic sympathizer, who had
been so outspoken in his championship of the reluctant witnesses on the first
day, was again present, but was much more subdued and far less officious. Bouwer,
Joubert's clerk, relieved of further responsibility was an attentive listener;
but many of the swarthy, sunburned South Africans were missing, having returned
to the Cape. A tall, muscular young man with waving dark hair and with a tinge
of African blood in his veins gave a certain picturesqueness to a group at one
of the doors; there were more English officers than before and, these were
accompanied by their friends. The Hebrew spectators, ardent and voluble
sympathizers with Dr. Jameson, who were supposed to be stock-holders in the
Chartered Company, were extremely intrusive. A lady who had been conducted to a
seat reserved for her happened to leave it for a moment, when one of them, a
fussy and noisy man with a scarlet necktie and a superabundance of [-238-]
diamonds, pounced upon it instantly, while the police were occupied
elsewhere; he picked up the chair and brandishing the legs in dangerous
proximity to the eyes of a row of people seated in a bench along the wall,
squeezed it into a corner already crowded and there remained, complacent
and well-satisfied.
Dr. Jameson had been visiting a number of hospitable country
houses during the intervening Easter holidays, and his companions had enjoyed
similar relaxation, so that they appeared to be much rested and refreshed. Dr.
Jameson's improvement, apparently, was .only physical, for he was as depressed
and as melancholy as ever, taking little interest in the progress of the trial
and the incidents of the court-room. It was said that he had suffered keenly in
his detention in England during the uprising of the natives in Matabeleland,
which had followed, as a direct and immediate result of the raid.
Major General Sir Frederick Carrington had left London early
in April, and a number of Dr. Jameson's officers were at the station to see him
off, envying him the privilege of going out to the Cape, and expressing a strong
desire to accompany his command.
The curiosity in regard to Dr. Jameson had increased rather
than abated, and as he again entered the courtroom a red-faced matron asked
excitedly:
"Which is he? Which is he?" and one of the
officials obligingly pointed him out. A fashionably dressed woman pushed her son
forward, a lad in an Eton jacket and collar, and approached so near his chair
that her frank comments must have been plainly audible. The proceedings were
opened by the Attorney-General who stated that but little new evidence had been
secured, and after hearing the testimony of the witnesses that had recently
arrived he asked another adjournment until June 11th - the earliest [-239-]
date that could be arranged, since the men subpoenaed could not leave
Cape Town until May 20th.
Sir Edward Clarke objected very strongly to this delay,
expressing a hope that the trial might be concluded before the long vacation.
Moreover, he thought it time that the prosecution should give the defense some
idea of the nature of the evidence which they had obtained. In addition to this,
there was a number of the defendants against whom no charges could be sustained
and these, he thought, should be discharged. This opinion was delivered with
considerable emphasis and was heard by the Attorney- General with unruffled
composure. He replied courteously that the prosecution had required but little
time to subpoena witnesses, but time must be given after leaving the Cape for
their arrival in England. If it was thought proper to discharge certain of the
defendants, special application should be made in each case. He had heard
nothing in the evidence that would justify him in differentiating the
responsibility of the various defendants. Further development might justify such
a course, but it could not be urged at that time. He said that he would consider
carefully whether he could let the defense know what he would next attempt to
prove, as he did not wish to take them by surprise. The Magistrate thereupon
agreed to arrange his engagements in the court, so that he might resume hearing
the case, when it was most convenient for the counsel.
The most interesting witness that day was Arthur Maynard
Rowland, whose adventure surpassed in boldness, even the daring of Dr. Jameson
himself, and whose courage and steadiness of nerve had made him something of a
hero upon his return to London. His father was a Congregational clergyman living
near London. Rowland was a stalwart, handsome young man, with very little in his
manner or appearance to indicate the fearless adventurer [-240-]
that he was. He kissed the Bible with a sort of airy nonchalance, and
once or twice laughed heartily at some episode which his testimony recalled; he
seemed rather proud of the part he bad taken in the raid, and was not in the
least reluctant to give an account of it. Like Sergeant White his behavior upon
the witness stand was, to say the least, unconventional. At first he stood
erect, and then, as the hours wore away, he became more careless and leaned
forward, resting his elbows upon the ledge in front of him and supporting his
chin with his hands. His escapade was one of the most fool-hardy episodes of the
entire Transvaal campaign, undertaken almost single-handed and with the
knowledge that failure meant death.
Rowland testified that he was a mechanical engineer in
Johannesburg, and was a member of a cycling club. He carried out the last
dispatch sent to Dr. Jameson by the reform committee, hiding it in the
saddle-pin of his machine. He was accompanied by a Boer named Cellier. They were
overhauled by the Boers, after they had gone some distance, who, supposing them
to be two cyclist~ out for a harmless run, not only let them pass through their
lines but commissioned them to carry dispatches to their commandant at the
front, which they readily consented to do. They obtained permits to continue on
their journey after proceeding to the front, reaching Dr. Jameson in safety,
delivered the Johannesburg message, and also informed him as to the purport of
the message which they had left with the Boer commandant, and which they had not
hesitated to read. In the course of the questioning, Mr. Rowland explained that
he had helped to organize the bicycle corps of which he was a member, and had
been commissioned to proceed to the Black Reef series of mines and ascertain if
there were any armed Boers in that region. When they reached Krugersdorp they
came across a number of well-armed Boers, the commandant retreating on [-241-]
the road before Dr. Jameson's troops. He was given a pass to deliver to
Potgieter, the Boer commandant at the front and furnished a pass. At one of the
mines they found a number of natives removing the timbers where an ambuscade was
suspected. Near at hand was a company of Boers who had a party of prisoners.
Their passes were produced and they were allowed to continue their journey
without hindrance. Seven miles from Krugersdorp they came up with Commandant
Potgieter and delivered the despatches which they had brought him and then,
under the pretext of having had no breakfast, asked permission to go on in
search of a hotel.
"You did not tell them you were carrying dispatches for
Dr. Jameson, did you ?" asked Mr. Horace Avory, who was conducting the
examination.
Rowland smiled suggestively but did not reply to this query.
There was a burst of laughter, several of the defendants being highly amused;
even Sir John Bridge seemed, to appreciate the ingenuousness of the question.
Rowland stated that the Boers warned them to look out for the
British column which was advancing, and he laughed heartily at the recollection
of the incident and the court and the spectators again laughed with him. He and
his companion reached a hotel fifteen miles from Krugersdorp, rode on from
there, telling the Boers whom they met from time to time that they were
Potgieter's scouts, a ruse they were able to carry out successfully by means of
the passes which had been furnished them. Shortly afterwards they saw Jameson's
forces coming over a hill and when they reached the column they asked to be
taken to the leader. The dispatches were delivered and read immediately.
"Who read them ?" Rowland was asked.
"I think that they were read by an officer who was
standing beside Dr. Jameson," was the reply.
[-242-] "Do you think you
could recognize him among the defendants ?" was the next question.
Rowland who, at this juncture was bending forward in his
favorite attitude, with his chin upon his hands, straightened himself, smiled,
then replied very guardedly, still smiling:
"They were very differently dressed when I saw them,
which would change their appearance."
The question of identification was not pressed. Rowland said
that he was forced to read the dispatches committed to him in Johannesburg as a
matter of self-protection, and was asked to give their substance, but his memory
which, up to this point had been remarkable, suddenly failed him. At length,
after much assistance from the' prosecution, he recalled that one had .been
written by Col. Rhodes and another by George Farrar, two of the men whom the
Kruger government subsequently sentenced to death and then pardoned. The
dispatches described the situation in Johannesburg and the witness was also able
to remember that Dr. Jameson was warned of the ambuscade at the mine, informed
that no fight had occurred and that he was told that "they hoped to see him
in the evening." In a conversation Dr. Jameson told Rowland that he
"intended to go through the Boers."
He was asked to explain this statement.
"Well," replied the witness with some hesitation,
"he said that he would not fire unless he was fired upon first."
On their return Rowland and Cellier were again stopped by the
Boers who charged them with having communicated with Dr. Jameson and which
Rowland said he at once denied.
When asked to describe the manner in which they were stopped
he explained artlessly that the Boers had made them halt "by putting
cartridges in their rifles and getting in the way generally.
[-243-] This description again appealed to the humor
of the court and the spectators and there was another laugh, Major Coventry,
especially, enjoying it keenly.
Rowland and Cellier were arrested in spite of their denial
that they had not seen Jameson who had given Rowland a dispatch to carry back,
and which he had concealed as before, in the saddle-pin of his bicycle. At the
hotel where they were taken, the Boers, as he put it "had a long
palaver," as to what should be done with them. They were finally turned
over to the men at the mine where they were told that they would be placed under
Boer protection against the English. He and Cellier sat out upon the kopje all
the afternoon and at half past six in the evening an armed escort started with
them back to Krugersdorp. In an attempt to get rid of Dr. Jameson's dispatches
he pretended to let his machine run away with him down hill. He had already
walked up one hill pushing the machine before him, on the pretext that~ he was
tired of riding, when the Boers rode back to him, ordering him .to remount and
threatening to shoot him if he disobeyed. When the machine ran away he guided it
close tinder the kopje, dismounted and let the air out of the tire; Cellier did
the same, and the Boers again discussed the feasibility of shooting them, but at
length decided to keep them under guard. Rowland and his companion then
volunteered to do ambulance work should their services be required.
Jameson's column appeared in a little while after this, and
the Boers immediately opened fire, which was promptly returned, and it was kept
up on both sides all the afternoon. Rowland and Cellier, both being unarmed,
took refuge from the bullets in the shaft of the mine and in the evening, while
the fight was still going on, the march was continued. When they reached the
town they were released on patrol. Cellier went over to Johannesburg [-244.-]
on Jan. 3rd and Rowland followed on the 7th and finally escaped, making
his way to Pretoria. He was never formally released by the Boers and never
learned what became of the bicycle. He made his escape upon a wheel which he
managed in some way to secure.
"Were you paid for your services?" Mr. Avory asked.
"I was paid-that is, the man who holds my power of attorney was paid,
Rowland replied.
Sir Edward Clarke who endeavored to show that a predatory
raid had not been planned, the National Union hoping to establish justice by
peaceable methods, asked if it was not generally believed that the Boers would
attack Johannesburg.
"It was not shown certainly," was the reply,
"but there were a great many rumors."
"Was there great alarm for the safety of the women and
children ?" Sir Edward then asked.
"Yes, great alarm."
The witness stated, further, that he read the messages so
that in case it became necessary to destroy them he could deliver them verbally.
The Boer message was in Dutch and informed Potgieter that the Dutch column would
reach the hill in the afternoon. This Rowland communicated to Dr. Jameson. In
the re-examination by the Attorney-General, Rowland said that he received his
instruction from the committee in Johannesburg December 31st. He also recalled
the fact that one of the dispatches to Dr. Jameson "expressed the surprise
of the reform committee that Dr. Jameson was coming through."
Rowland had been upon the stand for more than two hours,
replying to the questions which were put to him, with scarcely a pause, and he
seemed neither fatigued nor abashed when he was at last excused, and the usual
recess was given for luncheon. Tea was served those who desired it in adjacent
restaurants, and several ladies who had [-245-]
brought their lunch baskets with them remained seated, eating sandwiches and
sipping their claret with a relish. The evidence of the afternoon related to the
cutting of the telegraph wire, and contracts for horses made with Col. White and
Alfred Henry Harbor, a livery stable keeper in Mafeking.
The first witness was Inspector Fuller of the Cape Mounted
Police, who had notified the authorities that Dr. Jameson's forces had started.
He was a tall, swarthy man with a heavy black mustache, rather irascible, and
his irritability made a fine foil for the unruffled calmness of the
Attorney-General. He testified that he had arrived at Mafeking from Vryberg,
Sunday, December 29th, and found the column preparing to leave. He had a
conversation with Major Coventry and Col. Grey and thereupon ordered Inspector
Brown to watch the column. In the evening, learning that the column was falling
in, he asked Major White where they were going, but got no satisfactory answer.
"What did he say?" asked the Attorney-General.
"I cannot recall it," replied the witness very
testily.
"Can you give the substance of it ?"
"It is impossible for me to remember, after so long a
time," was the reply.
"But cannot you give some idea - not the exact
words," persisted the Attorney-General.
"I cannot remember it; I do not wish to attempt
it," the Inspector said again, adding something under his breath about
"such a place as this."
He admitted one fact, however, that produced a somewhat
startling effect. It had been ascertained before this that the telegraph wires
had been cut, shutting off communication with Dr. Jameson and the authorities
empowered to order his immediate return. An effort had been made to place the
blame upon the Boers. Inspector [-246-] Fuller's
evidence, reluctantly and haltingly given, conclusively disposed of this theory
and showed that, if Dr. Jameson's officers had not been directly responsible,
they were at least aware that the wires had been tampered with.
On Sunday evening prior to the departure of the column the
witness had seen Major, the Hon. Robert White, who told him that some of the
junior officers did not care to go with the troop, and the Inspector was asked
to urge them to consent. Fuller said that he was unwilling because he was still
wearing the uniform of the government service. When the column marched away Col.
White bade him good-bye and, returning his salute, the Inspector remarked that
he would be obliged to report the departure of the column. Col. White replied:
"You can do as you like; the wires are cut."
This speech created something of a sensation in the
court-room and Col. White, a fine type of the British officer, towering head and
shoulders above Dr. Jameson, was nonplussed for an instant and brushed his hand
nervously across his face; there was also a little embarrassment in Major
Coventry's ever-ready smile. Dr. Jameson alone appeared not to have heard the
astonishing statement; he retained his phlegmatic composure and did not raise
his down-cast eyes, although some of the officials of the court bent a look of
dignified and polite disapproval upon the stalwart Inspector. Fuller's testimony
concluded with an account of dispatching a message to Mafeking to send a
telegram to Kimberly, which, as had been already stated, involved a roundabout
journey of fifty miles upon horseback, and hours of delay.
When the court adjourned and the people poured out into
Wellington street they were horrified by dispatches which had just been received
from the Cape; newsboys were calling special editions of the evening papers with
[-247-] the latest telegrams announcing that four
leaders of the reform committee, Mr. Lionel Phillips, Mr. John Hays Hammond, Mr.
Percy Farrar and Col. Rhodes had been condemned to death by the Boers. It caused
the utmost consternation; the papers were rapidly bought up and there were
shocked and excited comments on the news. The day had been a very exciting one,
of itself, within the court; and this last stroke seemed to complete the chapter
of sensations that had followed, one upon another, through Rowland's long
narrative and the briefer, but not less stirring admissions made by Inspector
Fuller. The news undoubtedly fell upon Dr. Jameson, sad and troubled as he was,
with crushing effect.