The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 1, 1906, Page 10

: THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CAL! 7/ =4 | g é =B : pe I rt this story Harper its p clously dragged tory of ship for in touch of ales, now Kmg of enlisting the latter's assist- the American- engineer, m the death and several e Oom Paul the famous of a Hays enalty Americ: y ger for their comy t that the previous itnessed 'the ar] na probably bro evening had on ‘some of Hammond » greatest of Amerit: the who n 1 me 7 of Jo} s as t . engineers, makes periodical trips 2 on business connected with the Guggenheim miining and smelting and other large corporations with S TOITT ch he is identified. He has long ago refused te further discuss the troubles in the land that was formerly rigidly ruled by- Oom Paul, believing that the past should be forgotten and old sores X to those not aled. 1 doubt i he has trled to forget the act of those Americans who so loyally raised a clamor for his liberation from the dungeon into which he and a number of his associatés in South Africa were cast when the plot of the Jameson party discovered. Hammond will never forget the manner in -which these friends worked to secure his freedom, certainly mnever the timely message sent by John ‘Harper, which brought into piay the strongest influence upon Paul Kruger to commute the dedth sen- tence imposed on Hammond and friends in the Pretoria prison. The Jameson raid is an old story that »ok mie lose to the pil- has been told and retold, but in all the lars that s ud the Palace Hotel court article€ and books that have been writ- d pointed out John H ten concerning the affairs of the .men “Why, that's Jot one of the Who were accused of fomenting the dar- knowa m! authorities in the Ing project, not one attempt has becn nuy. He's he made to tell how President Krugey aban- doned, against the protest of his Cabinet his - > ~ BY"W-L-BROWN: and countrymen, his plan to put to death the ringleaders of the plot with the hope of forever discouraging another simflar uprising. It is not hard to recall the news that flashed across 'the Atlantic on: the night of January 11, 189, of thé arrest of Haummond in Johannesburg and his hasty removal to Pretoria’s stone-walled prison. It was -a brief dispatch, but stirred the American spirit of resentment to its full helght and roused throughout the West, where the American mining gngineer was then best known, a sympathy for him that had no bounds, In San Francisco old friends of the Pretoria prisoner hur- ried to the assistance of General R, P. Hemmond, brother of the arrested man, s who was frantic over the fate ened the latter. The following day found a coterle of John ,Hays Hammond's friends closeted with General Hammond and General Har- ris, father-in-law of the former, in the Palace Hotel, where hasty arrangements were made for invoking national ald for the mining engineer. Governor Budd was appealed to and he hurriedly penned a dis- patca to the California delegation in ‘Washington reading as follows: ““One of the most prominent mining en- gineers of the Pacific Coast, John Hays Hammond, has been arrested in Johan- nesburg on account of friendship to Cecil Rhodes. See that his rights as an Amerl- can citizen are protected.” This message was followed by numerous that threat- “personal ones ta men ligh in the national «councils in Washington. sut it soon be- came apparent, notwithstanding woat President Cleveland had sent to Presi- dent Kruger an appeal in hehalf of Ham- mond, that a stronger, influence than America could bring +< bear would Le necessary to save the lalter from some awful fate. : *“Who can’ swing flxlu influence?” was / the cry raised by Hammond's disheart- ened but still persevering friends in San Francisco. . 3 They tried every conceivable source. The hotel registers were watched night and day for. the arrival of prominent ‘foreigners, whom it was hoped might be persuaded to open some new ave- nue through wiuch another wedge could be driven 'in the effort to strengthen the cause of their impris- oned friend. 2 Tha local banks that had foreign con- nections, the commission houses whose controlling factors were foreigners, espe- ‘ clally those in Hclland and Germany, were induced to exert their influence with their home offices toward insuring the safety of Hammond. Every man in high Federal, State and municipal office who had . any influential friend in New York or any other large Eastern city was called upon to win that friend's sympa- thy for Hammond, Personal appeals were also made direct to President Kruger and the more prominent of his advisers. Religious bodles interceded. Military men used their personal influence with mem- bers of Paul Kruger's military staff. But it was a rewardless task. President Paul Kruger remained as silent as a sphinx. It was heralded abroad that the had fully made up. his mind to make an example of John Hays Hammend and other leaders of the Jameson raid and “his stubborn. refusal. to answer any of the hundreds of messages that had been sent him seemed to confirm this ‘Teport and to greatly add to the discouragement “of those in this city who were working night and day to save their friend, It may easlly be imagined the shock that was given Hammeond's friends In San Francisco when a cablegram bore them the news one Hight that John Hays Ham- mond, Lionel Phillips and George Farrar, Wwith several other activé members of the Reforni Committee, had been sentenced to be shot. ‘“Where is the man that can give us tie ald we want?’ moaned General Ham- mond, whose unceasing work and its un- successful results in.behalf of his im- prisoned brother had wrought a serious effect upon his restless mind and driven him almost to distraction. General Hammond and his friends that night were as usual gathered in a little circle in the lobby of the Pal- ace Hotel vainly striving to devise some niew mean. of bringing about a change of conditions in Pretorla. They presented a scene that will be long remembered by those who chanced to visit the Palace late that night. Grouped together, with thelr faces plainly showing their discour- agement gnd the great strain they were under, they certainly looked .as if they had abandoned every hope.. For half an hour they had silently sat there, each seemingly absorbed in his own reverie, when suddenly one of .the band started up and almest shouted: “I have it. John Harper is the man we need.” . “And what about Harper?' some one asked. “No man in San Francisco has a larger foreign acquaintance than he. He'll start us on a new tack. Come, we'll find him at once,” was the answer, and with hopes suddenly aroused again they rose to hunt for John Harper. But fate had apparently suddenly turn- ed a helping hand to this crowd of loyal Californians, for they had barely left their seats before the man they sougnt entered the hotel office. Harper's face brightened as he/ saw his friends ap- proaching, for the truth is that while he had not been taking part in their coun- cils, and had not been approached. by them regarding John Hays Hammond's predicament, he had for days been try- ing to think out some sel e whereby he might render some substantial assist- ance, and had but half an hour before struck a happy thought that made the balance of that niglit a most cheerfu] one to those who had just greeted him. - “Harper,” remarked General Hammond, “we are looking for you to give us some suggestion that may relieve my brother of the awful fate that hangs over his head In Pretoria. I know that you are a friend of Jack’ and I know that you will help us.” “Well, general’™ replied Harper in :l: usual quiet manper, tossing the ashe rom his cigar and drawing closer into lh? fsma gathering, “it is for that very 7 :’n pase that I have come here to speak o you. John W, Mackay s a very 4 friend of mine and I know that‘he wou render me any possible assistance for any friends—'; o‘";x{ they say that American influence will carry no welght with President Kru- ger.” suggested ome of the party. which had met with so many discouraging set- backs. “Ah, but you must Thear me lhmufih b.‘; draw conclusions,” continue ;‘I’;:‘pcy:u “John W. Mackay wields In- fluence through mighty sources In Lon- don. He is an intimate friend of the Prince of Wales, and if you h?_\'a kept yourself well informed on affairs abroad you have no doubt long ago learned that While Paul Kruger has no love for Eng- jand or Englishmen in general, he does entertain a very high perspnal regard for the Prinee of Wales, which he has dem- onstrated on many occasfons. “Let me wire East for the address of Mr. Mackay and then I will send him & cable. -1t may be productive of the most A results.” bel:leq‘?e.r; tp the New York office of th Postal Telegraph Company brought = juick response: i q"xlcka;oa! Marjenbad, Germany. “By Jave! we've taken a most op- Jozrtryy HRYS LT G7PrT OV 2 < portune time,” exclalmed Harper, as t little band drew closer (o himy, to lis i to the reading of the disdateh. “Wherein is. our hope?’ was asked rather timidly by General Hammond. “Why, it was but this morning that I read In the papers that the Prince of Wales is at Marienbad. He has been there for a week.” Calling for blanks and a pen John Har- per stepped to the hotel counter and be- peath the desk lights that illuminate that portion of the hostelry after the busy part of the evening, he wrote this message to John Mackay: “Tt will be a great favor fo me if you will interest yourself in Jobn Hays Ham- mond, who is untder sentence of death in Johannesbur; “Gentlemen,” sald John Harper, as the message was started on f{ts way to the telegraph office, “that is the best I can do for you fdr a time. But let us Ba hope. I bid you good-night"—and in the same quiet manner thathehad greeted his friends John Harper made his bow and walked to the hotel elevator pre- pared to retire for the mght, Next day there were anxious watchers for messages for John Harper, but mone cande; the second day came and passed without response from Join W. Mackay, and the third bore the same resuits, until the friends of John Hays Hammend be- gan to lose courage and fear that another disappointment awaited them. Finally John Harper sent a second ca- ble and the afterncon witnessed ‘the ar- rival of is answer: “I have complied with your request.” It said little, hut it was less than twen- ty-four hours after the receipt of this message that the press dispatches con- tained this bulletin “Hammeond, Phillips and Farrar, the American leaders in the Jameson rald, who were sentenced to death, have had their sentences commuted to five years by Kruger.” i There was joy in San Franciseo, but greater joy a few hours later when an- other message recelved here anno that President Kruger favored the lease of the Americans. -Then followed the press dispatthes telling of Oomt Paul's sudden change of front and his openly declared determination to exteld full clemency to the American leader of the raid, John Hays Hammond. Londom and Parls were speculating on the cause of this change and as to what strange in- fluence had wrought it It was ackmowledged| that it aid not come from any American, source. Sec- retary Hay had practically admitted that American influence had had little to do with® Kruger's acts and the world was kept at its guessing. Strangely no one In San Franelsco, out- side of the few who were present when .John Harper sent his cable to Johm W. Mackay, ever learned of the conmection of the latter two with the Prince of Wales' famous messags to President Kruger. That the bond of friendship that ex isted between the present King of land and President Kruger had me do with the release of John Hays Ham mond and his American cumpanions is no longer disputed and will some day bec a fact in the history of the James rald and its leaders. Twelve months after Hammond was re- |leased from the Pretoria prison John. V Mackay visited San Franeisco and one of the first to greet him In the Palace Hotel court was John Harper. “Well, John,” remarkeq the milllonaire to his old time mining friend, “I sce that your friend Hammond got out of his trou- ble. The Prince of Wales had to do soms begging. but he agreed that it was in a good cause and for 2 good-man. Royal fa- vors at the proper time are worth. geek- ing.” Mackay added that at'the time Har- per's cablegram arrived he and Mrs. Mackay were ®ntertaining Ergland’s fu- ture King at their house in Marlenbad, and the transmission of Harper’'s request to the man of higher influence mean simply turning over to: the Prince of Wales the cablegram to read. &