The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 16, 1900, Page 1

VOLUME LXC . S ie BOER LAAGER, NEAR LADYSMITH, Tuesday, Feb. I13.—Yesterday General Botha, with a small force, crossed the Tugela to a deserted |try, with Rosebery and afew & British camp, where he encountered fifty lancers, of whom thirteen were |other imperialistic Liberals in it, | & Killed, five wounded and nine taken prisoners. One of the prisoners was| sent to tell the British to miles east of Pretoria comes a report Jritish force to indicate that Cen- respect to the operations to the exact 1, the cavdry crsfontein. ese were captured French and Gordon. | th and Seventh divis-| ¢ jons should now be on the line of ' between Jacobsdal + 16.—The following JACOBSDAL, Feb. 16, 2 a. m.—French with artillery, cavalry and mounted infantry reached Kimberley Thursday evening. - is protecting the rear, keeping communications open. g back the British flying In the House of Commons| “General Lyttelton has succeeded to | - : c o g = the command of the second dlviston dur- 1. Should the former take ‘last night Mr. Chamberlain and |ing the illness of General Clery, who is | "<} 1 £, = = in fro blood- S0 4 Colone! showe they would have a small| Mr. Balfour, answering ques- e a i &E a2 \VEr, W m‘r(\/.. 1 \e divisions livisions ¢ Wed- | § o * on'? - and Bloemfontein, while Colonel | ¢ columt GENERAL FRENCH HAS REACHED KIMBERLEY LONDON, Feb. the War Office: D e e e e e et e e e e e e e e e e e e s dne e ] CEN.LORD METHUEN WITH cou. douGLas, | C'T‘IEF OF HIS STAF'F‘ DIRECTING THE BATTLE oF, MAGERSFONTEIN - - - s rs FRESRIC VILLIERS (N LoNDor NEWS e e b b e e e fetch their wounded. Honey Nest Kloof, I'he Boers in Zululand are foe. ort quite close at hand. This GREAT BRITAIN FACES A LIFE AND DEATH CRISIS the House of IL.ords Rosebery Warns the Empire of the Grave Danger That Now Confronts 1t. " ° . 15.—1In the Hcuse of Lords the 1 of + ed a question on the Government mil- B and expressed a doubt as to whether @ . ficient. The Earl of Rosebel A B fully recogaized the gravity of the situation + agreed with ‘the previous speaker in thinking § the measures adopted were Inadequate under t = Y stances. He also doubted whefher the “paper force of 409,- % 0 men in Great Britain,” to which the Secretary of State & for War had referred, would stand analysis. For the volun- teers Lord Rosebery said he had the hest respect, but Ly no stretch of the imagination could they be called soldiers as it w ad «d that they needed months of traininz a: nually t r them efficient. “The aus, is news of the morning from South Af- rica,” sald Lord Rosebery, “led to the hope that there might be better news to come, but when fIghting on our own terri- tory we have been unable before to advance an inch, and it another 50,000 men should be wanted for South Af I do ot know where they would be got. It may be sald that it unwise to lay bare the weaknesses of the country. but, end upon it, other nations know our position as well, if better, than ourselves I would like to ask whether the fleet is to be strength- or mobilizec, - It is not a time when' we can leisurely are going to do in a fortnight or a month The crisis is urgent. The danger s upon you, and at time you eome to this house with proposals that in pth of May, when the weather permits, you will put rs under eanvas and that then this island and em- be safe.” (Cheers.) “but we must not keep our eyes upon South Africa algje Last December the Government made earnest overtures § the great powers, Germany and the United States, foryn allia: ce, but those overtures were not received with such §rdiality as to encourage the Government to is Lord Roberts’ message to move has again revived the talk of encouraging the Zulus to de- fend their territory against the tions on this subject, hinted in| ominous tones at the possibility of the introduction into the struggle of the horrors of sav- age warfare. The Ministers stated that it had been decided that if the native territory of Cape Colony should be invaded the natives would be encouraged and assisted in every way to de- fend themselves. In all the clubs last night there | was an unusual number of visit- ors talking over the war news. It cannot be said that the members were elated, but there was a senti- | ment of suppressed satisfaction,: which has been a stranger in the| clubs for many a week, Some| seemed to think that more news would be forthcoming soon, but; that was not the view of the miliAi tary members, who gave it as| their opinion that nothing more | | would be heard for another twen- | | ty-four hours, owing to the se-| | verity of the marches already | made. | On the Stock Exchange mat-| |ters were not taken quietly.| There was both excitement and | activity, especially in the Kaffir| market, where a small boom set| |in, causing the Rand mines to ;n'se over a point. | Lord Rosebery in the House of Lords last night made a sec-! ond attack upon Lord Salis- | bury with vigor and often vehe-! | mence of language. He made| | a strong indictment against the| | Government. There was no | mincing of words and no pre- |tense at reserve in the picture !which Rosebery drew of the per-| |ils of the hour. | | “This is a great emergency,” !said he. “The Government has | fifty thousand more troops to |send to South Africa. If these ¢ |are not sufficient, what then? € 'What then?” he repeated in ac- { cents that visibly thrilled the, {house. *This is for us a matter of life and dedth. Nothing cafi, | hide the fact that behind Rob-| erts’ force, with the exception of the Eighth division, we have no‘; more trained soldiers. If you | lose South Africa you lose the principal column of your empire. | You will be shut up in these isl- ands, one of which does not love 4 | you.” S e i S e R e e S v o 3 R R h e R T Y R S L ] R e S SR S i speech made a| great sensation at the clubs and in political circles. ¢! Rosebery’s | day. \LYTTELTON SUCCEEDS " TO CLERY'S COMMAND LONDON, Feb. 12—A special dlnp'\u‘h! to the Times from Chleveley, Natal, dated Tuesday, February 13, sayvs Continued on Second Page. that the friendship of and as to Russia pursue them. It does not appear France would bear any great strain, cents have been recently witnessed in Persia of which Eng- land would have had something to say, but which she now passes unnoticed. “It becomes the Government to take a large grasp of the situation and to make adequate proposals. If Great Britain were to lose South Africa she would lose the most impor- tant base outside of the United Kingdom, and she would lose that colonial support which has beer given because the colonies have belleved that they were assoclating themselves with a powerful empire, and thus the empire [J ould break away from us. If this be not a life and death § % crisis 1 don't know what fs.” The Earl of Kimberiey, the Liberal ‘leader, sald he feit the danger of the situation equally Wwith Lord Rosebery. Although he would not ascribe a direct hostile intention to Russla at the present moment, he said, he could not over- look the fact that there was a movement of troops in prog- ress, which, if not menacing, showed that possibilities of the future were not absent from the Russian mind. - The Marquis of Salisbury, the Premier, in the course of his reply for the Government sald: “I cannot enter upon the springs that guide the Russian Government or the course it is likely to take, nor can I dis- cuss the health of the Ameer of Afghanistan. As to whether cur forces are adbquate for the work In South Africa or whether it iS true that the Government has always been too late and has neglected opportunities I would gladly accept a challenge, provided the words would not go beyond this i chamber. The present troubles are not due to the expansion of the empire, but to miscalculatiors made in 1851 and in 1584, Cur forefathers were not discouraged by bad beginnings, and we should follow their example and not be cast down. The Government {s convinced now, as it always has been, that the issue will be brought to a successful conclusion. I don't think any advantage is to be obtained from taking a gloomy view.™ LWEIVE | @+ 040+ 00 0ho o0+ 000 40+ 996 26+ 690400990 +0+ 9+ 000+ 0090+ +P+PSS+D D000 +000 2000 lito. James G. Fair in 1892. Advocates | g {of a reorganization of the Minis-| & are increasing in numbers every & 023 455 e e | @R SR SN SN RNe RN eR R 2N [P S S S R S S S Sy | in Judge Troutt's court yesterday, app: ently sparring for time In which to sider the various kaleidoseopic changes in the famous case within the last few days, the representatives of Mrs. Craven were engaged In an effort to locate the respon- sible partles to what they evidently re- garded as a gold brick game of the rawest description. statement was given newspaper men at Sausalito by Dan Blinkey, a poundmasfer, that in a garret he musty register of the El Monte Hotel for the year 1892, and that in this register, under date of July 23, was “James G. Fair and wl!e.:' common opinion of plaintiff’s counsel that this purported discovery was a trap lald for them, the idea being to get Mrs. Cra- ven to admit under oath that she bad paszed the night at the hotel with Senator Fair and then to prove that no such res- ister existed. 1t a trap it was plaintiff's lawvers were too shrewd for the game and spiked the guns of the enemy before the skirmush. When the case was resumed in Judge Troutt's 11 o’clock Mrs, Craven was put upon the stand and her examination concluded by Attorney Lafe Pence. “Mrs. Fair,” he said, “‘did you ever pass SAN FRANCISCO, FR1DAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1900. PRICE FIVE CENTS. PERJURY’S TRAIL IN THE FAIR WILL CASE Simpton Swears That He Agreed to Lie for Mrs. Craven on the Witness Stand and Was to Be Rewarded. Another Chapter of Sensations Is Added to the Notorious Litigation in Which Many Reputations Have Been Lost in Pursuit of Rich Game. HE expected has happened. Another sensation has en sprung in the celebrated litigation over the will and estate of James G. Fair, and several more reputations are dangling in the midair of accusation and sus 0. a widow's rights and privileges and a share of th ducing another apparently important witness, a George W. Simpton, e He twas thrust forward with the ast The Simpton swore in an OR R ERIRERE[ORIRS R[N OGS RO 52N N0 o A few days ago Mrs. Nettie R Sporis cstate, start r of a career more or less pleasant to himself affidazit that he married Mrs. Craven and t] Mrs. Craven has sworn wupon the witness-stand that an affidavit taken before Judge Hunt that the whol and perjury in which he was to rec scheme simply for the glorious purpose of trapping paign which is to make justice triumphant and right pr literature of the famous case is contained in his affidc T was mar incident is e $10,000 for his M ounding announcement that mpton was A. Sylva, who I by brication ane ne had married as ITrustee of wusalite has had e Senator James G. Fair. md now he Simpt 1 conspiracy He sa ont, d. 1woution to 2350 NN NN NN AN NN NN N N SENEREON:. W AS TO "THEIEIL, A PERJURED TAT.E IN COURT Swears That He Never Married James G. Fair and Mrs. Craven, but Was to Receive $10,000 to Say So. I, George W. Simpton, of the @464 6464 6 & town of Sausalito, county of Ma- rin, State of California, duly sworn before Judge John Hunt, a Judge of the Superior Court in and for the county of San Francisco, State of Califor- nia, do depose, make oath an under said oath do say as f Tows: In the month of August, 1899, Mr. A. Sylva, a Trustee of the town of Sausalito, informed me that ome Mrs. Nettle R. Craven had been to see him and told him that she had heard that he (Sylva) had influence and power over the Justice of the Peace of o Smusalito Township. and that she wanted a Justice of the Peace to testity nx a witness 16 her case at the Falr estate to the effect that he as such Justice of the Peace had married her to Senator James G. Fair in the year 1892; A large sum for such testimony, to wit, the sum of ten thousand dollars. Mr. Sylva informed me that he had told her that he thought he could get me to &ive such testimony. He farther told me that he was a friend to those of the Fair estate and that he was very anxious to break up and crush out the conspiracy and fraud that was being waged against the Fair estate, and he ked me to stay with him and let her and =nll connected with her belicve that I would falsely testify to sald marriage of Nettie R. Craven and Senator Fair, add- ing that if I refased she might get some other person authorized to solemnize a marringe to so testify falsely. I have acted upon sald advice. Two or three days after the above conversation with Mr. Sylva, Mrs. Nettie R. Craven came to see me in Sansa- lito and asked me if I had seen Mr. Sylva and had arranged with him about my testifying for her A. SYLVA. G. Fair were occupying,the hour Last Wednesday evening a had unearthed a the entry It was the court at a few minutes after Continued on Page Two. beinz 4 that she had offered ° 23 RN NN NN, P4+r0 40000040 'HILE the host of lawyers repre- l @ tors of the will of the late James | L e Rt e s - *o +® e b L D e s JUSTICE G. W. SIMPTON. s e e® in the said case. I told her yes, that everything was fixed and that I would testify as she de- sired. She told me that my money was sure if I would testify that I marrfed her to Senator James G. Fair in Sausalito in the year 18 She then asked me to write a letter to Mr. . W. Foote as to what I would testify to, telling me at the same time that Mr. Foote and Pence & Pence be- Heved her story that she w married by a Justice of the Peace in Sausalito te Senator Falr. She asked me never to let them know that the story was false and con- cocted. T wrote the letter to Mr. Foote, and a day or so afierward I recelived a letter from him ask- ing me to call and see him. | did erll in response to sald let- ter and made an afidavit that 1 had as Justice of the Peace mar- ried Nettie R. Craven and Seanator ReR SN N O e James G. Fair in Sausalito prior to the year 1594, but gave ne other date. I have always kept Mra. Nettie R. Craven in the be- lief that I would testify as a wit- ness in court for her and swear that I married her to Senator Fair as bove set forth. The truth is ¥ never knew Senator James G. Fair in my life. | never knew or saw Mrs. Nettie R. Cra= ven untii | saw her first in San- salito in the month of August, 1809, I mever performed any marriage ceremony nor selemn- ized any marriage between Net- tie H. Craven and Senator James G. Fair in Sausalito or anywhere else. | never saw them or either of them In Saunsalito or anywhere elne, nud | know that the story of her having been married to Semator Fair by me is a fabrica- tlon and a frand. VYesterday afternoon Mr. Pence brought the Examiner, Chronicle and Call reporters to me and asked me to teil them the story I have above stated. I did so that Mr. Pence would not suspect that I would not appear as his witness on behalf of his elient, Mrs. Cra- ven. The time has now come when I believe it to be in the in- terest of justice to unmask the conspiracy ~nd to tell the whole truth in connection with fit. I make this afidavit freely and voluntarily, without any com- pensation whatever for the same, and am willing to appear a witness before the Superior Court, wh the pending before hi Troutt, and testify to the above facts. as they are nbsolutely true in every warticalar. ORGE. W. SIMPTON. i and sworn to before me this 15th day of February, 1900. JOHN HUNT, Judge of the Superior Court, City and County of San Franeisco. Witness: GEORGE A. KNIGHT. Subse Te e NN 225 ey MRS. NETTIE R. CRAVEN. e R e e e L e R e T S S o e S R S T S S ST = i I A L A i e e o e e e e S D S e e et an i o e ot S ol et e wirns R A A A A A R D A A a a A LR L AR AR % Cotiotiotiofie