The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 17, 1900, Page 1

SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1900 PRICE FIVE CENTS GENERAL CRONJE SEEMINGLY IN FULL RETREAT FROM LORD ROBERTS a large force retreati Bloemfontein. Kelly-Ke e : oy D DDA DT DD S FIELD MARSHAL LORD RUBcRIS, the Man Who Planned the Campaign for the Relief of Kimberley. )’ General French Reports Hav1ng 0 Dispersed the Boers From the|¢ Southern Side of Kimberley. Feb. r Office "has made public a Lord Roberts saying: following from 16.—The W 1 16.—The General this morning: he enemy from the southern ersfontein to Oliphantsfontein, 1py th Have captured the e supplies and supplies of ammunition. dispersed t ROBERTS occ und. Casualties at twenty of all ranks wounded. Kimberley Feb. 17.—~The Chronfele's ers i well ”» edition this morning has the ( N, Feb. 17. 4:45 a.| after the Boers immediately, be- | ene Cronie, with a e of transport prob Iu:h and cav S 7 need of rest for the troops. "’”'m‘,; and State. 1'hc Riet River at along the s to feed seventy thousand his and the rom horth- n crossed the i marched army Gene the s population. He e « S € railway from | will need to prepare for another| K t wn to Kimber-| strike on to ge tc th and revictual the latter. [ All over England to-night st a few men but the forced ches and heat have probably | i ny ill. Numbers of re-| ts must be provided. | there has been evidepce of pub- lic In every theater and public meeting, around the rail- way stations and in the streets General Frer n actic mour | there have been expressions of |under Commandants Delarey | . Lord Roberts has wrought a gladness and jubilation over the and Gobler are making a persist-’ Bombqrdmg Boers. enuine preliminary success and | news. The newspapers are edi- | ent effort to penetrate to the —r“”“ \\?i::,]t_r) LA?::Rpj;:\r ;::1(::!::‘ he impression is that he has/|torially rejoicing. way. They have pushed General| chieveley have been bombarding the Lord Roberts will r far | done enough for the present and| Those who read the mnews| Clements back to Arundel and :{v.:rns:me‘;:m"332&;“’1:) Ifnl}?::r;o::s{n‘:; KIMBEKLEY THE PLACE R cLIEVED BY GENERAL FRENCH TS TSSO T T T A A A A @@0%%@%«‘3@. BIG BATTLE IS NOW IN PROGRESS MODDER RIVER, Saturday, February 17, 2:30 P. M. Cronje with ng from Hooder Laager Modder River, toward nny now attacking. A big battle on. Rob- erts hurries reinforcements. T T TIE A ATAAAT A DA DT T AT T A A DS @ 5 SRR DSOS DR QDD DDA D DD 0 From a Recent Photograph. FIGH TS "EHE. BOERS. right bank. TH: Boer. showed fight and we had several casualties. The division “General Kelly-Kenny, with the Sixth Division, has entered Jacobsdal. The ’ i) " Boers miade a feeble attempt to hold the then marched on to Jacobsdal. The cav. o,gicrn Tidges, but were outflanked by alry captured Browns Drift, on the left the mounted infantry and retired. There fiank of the Boers' main position. were few BEritish casualtles re now marching north h other. p'un d man) *“The division then evacuated Jacobsdal, marching h in the track of French's (4\411\ wh crcssed the Modder River risoners, Chronicle has the following venth Division crossed the Riet ch_from Wegedelies, undated, via River east of Koffvfontein and drove the Modder River, Fe ry 16, morning: enemy before them. S TSSOSO TTTT TS T TSO>S P closely see only one disturbing|have outflanked him. All are factor in the Cape situation and | within sixty miles, or two days’ that is the pressure of the Boers| hard march, of the Central Rail- toward Lord Roberts’ line of|way. Doubtless Lord Roberts supply through the De Aar dis- | has left considerable forces along trict, which was never more im- | the line and can send back more portant than now. The Boers|if necessary. | | | | MAJOR GENERAL FRENCH, Plan for the Reli the Man Who Executed the ef of Kimberley. Great Britain Prepared to Show the Powers of the World a Big Naval D emonstration. ONDON, Feb. 16.—A telegram from Portsmouth says the Admiralty inquiries at the assurance that forty- the naval ports have resulted in seven additional battle-ships. cruisers and torpedo boat destroyers could forthwith hoist the pennant. The Admiralty to-da reserve at Portsmouth to be fully crewed and ready for sea. ~ is regarded in some quarters as y ordered the ships in the fleet ™1 his preliminary to putting the whole reserve in readiness for commissioning. bombardment eontinuing throughout the night. The Boers responded with rifle fire. Particulars are lacking. All is quiet ar PRESSURE ON KIMBERLEY HAS BEEN REDUCED| LONDON, Feb. 16-9:30 p. m.—The fol- patch from General Roberts in the earlier dispatches: R RIV Feb. ‘The Sixth Division left Water! Drift early yester- day morning and marched here, going on the same evening to Reondeval Drift to hold the crossing of the Modder River and leave General French free to act. Shortly after arriving here the mounted infantry visited Jacobsdal and found it full of women and children, with four of our wounded men doing well. “On the way back the mounted infantry were attacked and nine men were wound- ed. Colonel Henry and Major Hadhell and ten men were missing. Both officers were subsequently found at Jacobsdal, slightly wounded. *““The cavalry division is moving In a northerly direction and has apparently already reduced the pressure on Kimber ley, as Kekewich signals that the enemy has abandoned Alexandersfontein and that he has occupled it “French has advanced as far as Abons- dam with a slight loss and s pushing on the posts, his rear being held by | g been pressed by the | Boers has retired to Arundel to cover N auwpoort.” ar Office points out that the word in the foregoing dispatch means me point the Modder River, other n Modder River station In an earlier dispatch General Roberts reported “JACOBSDAL. Feb. reason believe 16.—I have good to \Iaz(‘rq'nnlfl n zh.- Kimberley. One of Kenny's brigades of in is in pur- arge Boer y ¥y moving to- r (‘w War Office issued the foliowing from Roberts “JACOBSDA 5 p. m.—Much gratified find sdmtrnhl. hmp\ml arrangements made by the ps under Drs. K °l!- ), with their staffs, st kindness to our » the Boer wound- led have been here Some were brought in mbulan and Hildebrand w n ce December. terday FAR B. F. Lamborn Surprised the Senator in the Woman's Apartments and Was Let Into| the Secret of the Marriage Contract. S NSATION fz Hows sensation in the Craven-Fair litigation. On the very heels of Justice of the Peace Simptow’s somersault and flat denial of his original story that he had performed a mar- cerem bet Senator Fair and Mrs. Ncttie Craven the announcement that the woman is prepared to produce a witness who will testify that the dead millionaire ntro- s. Craven as her husband, upon which occasion the Senator admitted the existence The factor in the case is Ben F. Lamborn, City Clerk of Alameda, a and standing in the community. The attorneys for the Fair estate do not attack they will shozw that he is mistaken in his assertions. Charles Pence, one of Mrs. Craven’s attorne Vs, asserted yesterday that Simpton was bribed to make the affidavit which causcd such a surprise in the celebrated case. He claims to be able to prove that Charles Fair induced Attorney Sylva to influence the Justice to commit perjury, and says that he will prosecute criminally every one who has attempted to interfere with the honest, free and fair rial of the Fair case. He attempted to get Judge Hunt to issue an order for the attorneys for the estate to appear in court last evening and explain their connection with Simpton’s iatest affidavit, but the Judge refused to e in the matter i riage ny ween the late conmes was him duced of the marriage contract. man of prominen his integrity, but im that LAMBORN, City Clerk of | shortly after Fair and Mrs. Craven ecn- | the apartment. One of the volces he rec- is to be introduced into tered into the r contract he met | ognized as Mrs. Craven’s. The other was s a witness Lhem both at the home of the latter, 823 | strange to him, but it was not the voice | Fai Sutter street. on which of a woman. Fearing that he had unwit- il Craven introduced Fair ], | tingly stumbled upon a situation that and hearing acknowledge that the Senator acknowledged thaf might be embarrassing to his hostess, he aven as his wife and ls of the contract man a witness in the attorneys for the “hool teacher was his better half, & to the story told by Lam- born it was purely accidental that he dis- | covered the secret that the millionuire was trying to guard with such zeal. Mrs. hastened to excvese himself as soon 2. reappeared, - Apparently she. divined hig thoughts, for she detained him, stating that rather than have him leave with a false impression of her she would let him orn is to be wn to the es admitted by the counsel for | Craven had been his school teacher In this | into a secret that she would have guarded Mrs. Craven The information he laims | city, and had been his habit to visit | with her life. 1o possess concerning the relations said to | her Whenever he came across the bay. He | She said that as he had been her pupll have existed between Mrs. Craven and Called one morning at an unusually ecrly | when he was a small boy and that as » - s s o &’ hour and was told that Mrs. Craven was | they had always been the best of friends F to all of which he is prepared 10 g i bed. He was ushered into a room | she felt that she could trust him. When is given as one of the reasons Simpton’s actions In the case are | looked upon seriously affecting separated from her sleeping apartment by folding doors. He had waited but a f moments when Mrs. Craven opened tha doors and appeared In a dressing gowr. | She told him to make himself at houme until she completed her tollet. Lambern promised not to-divulge what had occurred or what was about to trans- pire she stepped to the folding-doors and throwing them open led Senator Fair into the room. Lamborn says that a conver- sation something like the following took place: Acknowledged the Marriage. “This {8 my husband, Senator Fair, Mr, as Mre. Craven's interests, and is being used as an argument to show that there was no necessity to offer the Sausalito Jus E 2 bribe to swear falsely to the alleged Fair Was in Her Bedroom. marriage ceremony. After she had retired to her bedroom | Lamborn has made the statement that | Lamborn claims that he heard talking in .0—’0/4 ] Z : : + } ! ! i : + 3 < (‘0‘9‘00‘0404—0—0—040—“0'0»&0%0—0—04—%% o e SRS QA B e o S OSSP S L e e e o e o e ] B. F. LAMBORN, A NEW WITNESS IN THE FAIR CASE. Mr. Lamborn is the City Clerk of Alameda and is a member of the executive committee of the League of California Municipalities. In the latter capacity he has visited nearly all of the important cities in the State. He is a man whose reputation has never been attacked and his standing in the community gives additional importance to the testimony which he will give in the celebrated case. Lamborn, We bave been married by con-| the death of Senator Fair and the contest tract.” To which the Senator added: | over his estate was begun. He was then ““Yes; that Is correct. For reasons best | asked by Mrs. Craven If he recalled the contract p the widow of the dead miliionaire. The Attorney Pence Char and Appeals to on the witness stand whenever she called upon him. Charles Pence, one of the attorneys for | Mrs. Craven, stated yesterday that it was | true that valuable testimony of the nature outlined above was expected from me- born. “We are sorry that this is to be made public,” said Mr. Pence. ‘‘So many of our | witnesses have been intimidated or tam- pered with that we are forced to proceed Wwith the greatest caution. Lamborn, however, is a man of courage and we have no idea that he can be influenced.” Claim Lamborn is Mistaken. The attorneys for the Fair estate are aware of the position Lamborn will take in the case. They have reports showing the nature of his testimony. In this con- nection Charles Fair said: i “We know all about this Lamborn | story and it is not giving us any worry. When the time arrives [ am sure we can show that he is at least mistaken in his statements.” Ben F. Lamborn is one of the best known voung men In the State, having | sprung into prominence by reason of his connection with the League of California | Municipalities. He is now fllling his sec- ond term as City Clerk of Alameda. His | testimony is the most Important yet men- tioned In connection with the sensational litigation over the Fair millions. He is the only one, so far as known. to whom | Fair acknowledged Mrs. Craven as his| . wife when she was presen( SAY SIMPTON WAS PAID TO “FALL DOWN” Agents of the Fair Estate Boldly Accused of Tampering With Wi nesses. The legal representatives of Mrs. Nettle ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MRS. CRAVEN ‘WAS HIS WIFE ges That Justice of the Peace Simpton Is Guilty of Perjury the Court to Punish Him for the Crime. ton was pald to commit perjury when he repudiated under oath the sworn state- ment he had made to them some months ago. They further assert that Attorney Sylva has been the traitor In their camp: that he bas been “playing both ends against the middle,” to use the sporting phrase, and was the agent through whom the honor of the Sausalito judge was pros- tituted. Criminal prosecution of the principals in the affair is promised and there are threats of proceedags to disbar the at- torneys who have in any way been con- nected with Simpton's alleged somersault. Charles Pence, speaking for the firm of Pence & Pence of counsel for Mrs. Craven, gave the version of the affair which follows: Bold Charges of Bribery. “I_will say without hesitation that Stmpton was bribed to make the afdavit which has produced such a sensation in the Fair will case. As to whose money bribed him I am not prepared to say now, but when the proper time arrives we will prove our assertions and name the guilty parties. All that I can say at this time n connection with this feature of the case that Attorney Sylva is the traitor who acted as the agent for those who pur- chased Stmpton. “I spent the better part of last night trying to save the virtue of this witness but fafled. We have been the victims of misplaced confidence, so far as Sylva is concerned. Up to Thursday evening he was as loyal fo us apparently as a man could be.” We placed faith in him and have pald the penalty. ““As soon as the name of the Justice who performed the ceremony was made public Charles Fair kept the wires hot between his office and Sausalito until he located Sylva and got him started to this city on a private launch. We heard that Sylva went direct te Falr's office, but to disa- buse our mind of any suspicion that he was engaged in double dealing he told us that he had not gone to Fair's office, but had met Fair and Joe Harvey at John Farley's saloon. Sylva told us that Fair and Harvey urged him to use his iaflu- I R. Craven are not in the least discon- certed over the sensational affidavit of Justice of the Peace Simpton of Sausa- lito. They claim that the story of the | kpown'to ourselves we concluded to keep | incident, as his testimony would be valu- the matter secret and so we adopted lhe. able to her in_establishing her clalm as an. L-mborn offered his congratulations and | matter had heen impressed upon his mind departed. He kcpt the secret until -ner[ very vividly and he readily agreed to go Sausalito ceremony is true and that Simp- ence with Simpton to get him to change | his statement concerning the marriage | Continued on Second Page.