So ended one of the most remarkable episodes of the campaign, and the career of a young enthusiast, whose curious ambition renders more convincing the old aphorism that every blackguard is a hero spoilt.
Regarding the clever capture which averted a crime calculated to “stagger humanity,” the Bloemfontein Post reproduced some details. These were given to an interviewer by Gano himself:—
“When the plot seemed to be nearly ripe,” said Mr. Gano, “Cordua and I rode out of Pretoria one night to communicate with Botha, a fire burning on a kopje being the signal that his commando had arrived. Of course the authorities knew of Cordua’s move, so I was ordered to accompany him to see what was really going to take place. Cordua was going to obtain for me a billet on Botha’s staff, and that was the ostensible reason of my travelling with him. When we were some distance out in the direction of Silverton, I hinted to Cordua that it would be advisable for me to return to Pretoria with him, but he did not think it necessary.
“This put me into rather a difficult position, but fortunately the commando was not at the kopje, and after riding round for hours we had to return. I knew he had some papers on him, but how to get at them was the difficulty. We both entered a farmhouse, and then I purposely so aroused the farmer’s suspicions without giving myself away to Cordua that he sent for the English picket, and the farmhouse was surrounded. We were arrested and taken to a tent.
“I wanted the officer to search us, but this he neglected to do, and Cordua still held the indispensable papers to prove the plot. Then I turned to Cordua suddenly and said: ‘Quick, hand me your papers, they are going to search us.’ He handed me some letters, and as I hastily put them in my pocket, I noticed him chewing, and later swallowing, a piece of paper. The letters were in cypher, and he had swallowed the key. But I had the letters, and that was something. My next move was to find out who were actively implicated in the plot. As we jolted along to Pretoria in an ox-waggon, I told Cordua it was a serious business for me; who would protect me should I escape? He gave me the names of several persons in Pretoria who would shelter me. When we reached the city I prevailed on the picket to take two cabs, and we were driven as prisoners to the Provost-Marshal’s office. That is the story of how Cordua was captured, but my experiences were by no means ended there.
“Cordua was still under the impression that I was a prisoner, an impression I wanted maintained, in order that I might lay hold of the other conspirators. When we were taken into the office, I therefore darted through a back door, and escaped into the street, the officer recognising me. I was instructed to continue my investigations, and went as an escaped prisoner to the house to which I was directed by Cordua, where I was concealed. The police, of course, kept searching for me, and soon after I was settled they came along. I was changed from one house to another with great rapidity. Sometimes there were shots fired during the operations, sometimes not; sometimes I even fired myself. I became quite expert at jumping out of back windows and over fences, but it was necessary in the interests of the service. After a short experience of this kind I was allowed to relinquish my rôle of escaped prisoner, and return to my ordinary duties.”
It was now admitted that the Boers had misunderstood the principle of leniency. They had used it as a cloak for further resistance, with the result that precious lives were sacrificed, owing to the impossibility of distinguishing between combatants and non-combatants, between supposed neutrals and intending guerillas. Lord Roberts, therefore, found it necessary to revoke his former proclamation—except in regard to those who had already taken the oath—and promulgate a new set of rules of a more stringent nature. In future all persons who had taken the oath and broken it would be punished with death, imprisonment, or fine. All burghers in districts occupied by British forces, except those who had sworn the oath, would be regarded as prisoners of war and transported; and all buildings, structures, and farms where the enemy’s scouts were harboured would be liable to be razed to the ground. All fines under the former proclamation would be rigorously exacted, and prisoners were warned to acquaint her Majesty’s forces of the presence of the enemy on their farms, otherwise they would be regarded as aiding and abetting the enemy.
This new move afforded general satisfaction to those who had suffered from the duplicity of the foe, and it was felt that the time was ripe for the formal annexation of the country, whose capital was in our hands, and for the intimation to Mr. Kruger that no longer could his scattered knots of burghers be viewed in the light of belligerents, but merely as irresponsible marauders.
In reference to Lord Roberts’s proclamations, it is of interest to read the following letter, which was addressed by “the envoys of the South African Republic and of the Orange Free State to the Right Honourable the Marquis of Salisbury, K.G.,” by the “Consul-General temporarily in charge of the interests of the South African Republic”:—
“St. Petersburg, August 18, 1900.
“Excellency,—According to a publication issued at Pretoria on June 25, 1900, under the designation, ‘Government Gazette Extraordinary, vol. i. No. 7,’ some proclamations have been addressed to inhabitants of the South African Republic by Lord Roberts, Field-Marshal, Commander-in-Chief of her Britannic Majesty’s troops in South Africa.
“By the first of those proclamations, dated Johannesburg, May 31, 1900, it is, inter alia, announced to all burghers ‘who have not taken a prominent part in the policy which has led to the war between her Majesty and the South African Republic,’ &c., ‘and who are willing to lay down their arms at once, to bind themselves by an oath to abstain from further participation in the war,’ that they would be allowed, after taking the oath, to return to their homes (section 2 of the proclamation).
“By the second proclamation, dated at Pretoria, June 6, 1900, it is, inter alia, notified that, in the event of any burgher being granted a pass under paragraph 2 of the above proclamation, he would be allowed to retain possession of his stock; or should any or all of this stock be required for the use of her Majesty’s troops, he would receive current market value for the same in cash.
“The undersigned, in the name of the Government of the South African Republic and the Government of the Orange Free State, feel themselves obliged most strenuously to protest against the intent of both these proclamations.
“Because from these proclamations, taken in their mutual relation to each other, there appears to be no other deduction than that the burghers are only guaranteed retention of their property if they shall first have taken the oath referred to in paragraph 2 of the first-named proclamation clearly. The declaration set forth in the proclamation of June 6, 1900, only has sense if it is assumed that in the judgment of Field-Marshal Roberts the property of burghers (even of those who have taken no ‘prominent part’ in the policy which led to the war) may be taken away from them by him solely on the ground of there being war between England and the South African Republic.
“This now is in direct conflict with principles of international law in force for ages already, according to which private property, not being contraband of war, must be respected in war with the country, and which have been once more expressly acknowledged by Article 46 (being a part of the 3rd Section, entitled ‘De l’autorité militaire en le territoire de l’état ennemi’) of the declaration annexed to the ‘Convention concernant les lois et coutumes de la guerre sur terre,’ which was also signed on behalf of her Britannic Majesty. Said article reads as follows:—
“‘L’honneur et les droits de la famille, la vie des individus, et la propriété privée, ainsi que les convictions religieuses et l’exercice des cultes, doivent être respectés. La propriété privée ne peut pas être confisquée.’
“Although the South African Republics are not included amongst the contracting Powers, the principles enunciated in the article quoted may none the less be invoked by them, because that article does nothing more than formulate what during ages has been common right in war between civilised nations.
“By further proclamations of June 16, marked A 1 and A 2, the threat is made in case of damage occasioned to railways and telegraph lines that the principal inhabitants of the villages and districts affected would be held jointly and severally responsible for such damage; moreover, a heavy fine would be imposed, and nothing be paid for goods delivered; also that houses and farms in the neighbourhood would be devastated, and that one or more of the inhabitants would be taken along in trains used for purposes of war.
“By these proclamations punishments are threatened for actions whereto a belligerent party has every right, and the infliction of those punishments are by anticipation provided for even for cases wherein no proof whatever of guilt is furnished, private property is confiscated and destroyed, and an attempt is made to make burghers appear against one another.
“Against the intent also of both these proclamations, which violate every sense of right, the undersigned desire to record their most strenuous protest.
“The Envoys,
“W. J. Leyds.
“A. Fischer.
“C. H. Wessels.
“A. D. W. Wolmarans.“His Excellency the Right Hon. the Marquis of Salisbury, Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, &c., London.”
Elsewhere the Dutchmen continued to make themselves obnoxious. On the morning of the 27th Major Brooke, R.E., commanding at Kraai Railway Station, had come in for his share of annoyance, some Boers having lodged themselves in a kopje preparatory to pouncing on the rail. The Major with a hundred men promptly went forth to tackle the conspirators, and with the assistance of this small but plucky crew, notable among them the brave fellows, Lieutenant Maurice Griffith and Sergeant Hannam (Volunteer Company Royal Welsh Fusiliers) and Sergeant Southrood (Cape Garrison Artillery), he succeeded in completely routing the Dutchmen, who left five dead on the field.
FOOTNOTES:
[9] In order to fully appreciate the excitement of the De Wet chase, it is interesting to read the account, contributed by the editors of St. Paul’s School Magazine, of a British prisoner who perforce was with the hunted: “On the seventh day of our captivity we joined De Wet’s commandos as they were crossing the Vaal, going north to Lindique. As we arrived at the Vaal a battle was in progress with Lord Methuen’s force, which had come down from Potchefstroom. We were hurried across Schoeman’s Drift, and barely cleared the drift when British infantry appeared, lining the ridges commanding the drift, and we came under a heavy rifle fire. We joined up with De Wet’s waggons, who were trekking as fast as they could towards Wolve Nek. A very steep ridge of hills runs from Schoeman’s Drift in a north-easterly direction, parallel with the Vaal River. De Wet held a very strong position here. Lord Methuen’s force was on the west and north-west, and Lord Kitchener’s cavalry and mounted infantry column was on the southern bank of the Vaal. We remained here twenty-four hours, and could see the British columns closing in on De Wet’s laagers. It was here the Boer general did a smart thing. Seeing that his only plan was to break up his laagers, directly night came he moved his waggons out and spread them in a long line along the roads that led out of the hills in horse-shoe shape, commanding both western and eastern ridges. This gave him two alternate routes to escape by, and commanded the narrow neks where the three ridges of hills running in a north-east direction met at an apex. Theron’s force, with whom we still remained, were camped a mile south of the front bend of the horse-shoe laagers, and nearest to the British lines. At daybreak the following morning the Boers were caught napping; a tremendous commotion was observable, and our inquiry elicited the two words, ‘Khaki’s coming!’ And no mistake, for during the night the British had occupied a ridge on the west, flanking and commanding the western end of the horse-shoe, and with the first grey streaks of dawn bang came their shells into the waggons. The Boers scattered, abandoned eight waggons, took half their convoy by the main road to the north, and the balance, with their main column, the road to the north-east, Theron’s crowd and De Wet’s burghers covering their rear. I saw at a glance we were in an awkward fix, with two alternatives—either blown to pieces where we stood, or run the gauntlet of a direct flank fire. De Wet soon settled it, and ran the gauntlet. Away we went helter-skelter up the steep slopes of the hills, aiming for an almost impossible-looking pass, strewn with gigantic boulders and small stones. We had just reached the pass when three waggons toppled over and fell down the gorge, and every moment we expected the same fate. The pass selected was an inconceivable place for vehicles to get through, but the Boer has a happy knack of negotiating difficult country. Over through the nek we went bumping and thumping on the boulders, and directly we showed on the other side we were greeted with shell, as British artillery had gained a position covering our exit. Shell after shell came whizzing over our heads; one struck ten yards on the right of our cart, another shaved our left, a third whizzed close by my head, causing a deafening sensation in my ears, and a fourth plumped right down in front of our leading horses, killing both. A crash, and over went the cart, flinging us through the air in company with mailbags, Mausers, and cushions, landing amongst a pile of boulders. With great difficulty the Boers righted the cart, pulled the hood down, as being too conspicuous a mark, and putting in two horses we dashed off. Fortunately, when we toppled over the British stopped shelling, but directly we started, whiz! bang! came the shells, until we reached a dip in the road, which shielded us from view, and, dashing on, we caught up their main body, a mass of Cape carts and guns, yelling and shrieking drivers, flogging their oxen and urging them on, while the rattle of Mausers and boom of guns showed that a fierce rearguard action was in progress. Again we were doomed to disappointment. Shelled by our comrades, within an ace of being killed, we had the mortification of being dragged away from the scene of what might have been our deliverance. All through the broiling hot day we pushed on, never halting until 6 P.M., to enable the rearguard to close up. We were on the move again at 10 P.M. to midnight; then on at 2 A.M., climbing the Gatsrand, and halting at 7 in the morning. Again on the march at 8 to 10 A.M.; twenty hours’ continuous trekking out of the twenty-four, covering a distance of close upon 40 miles. Here we rested until 2 P.M., then inspanned, and crossed a high ridge of the Gatsrand near Wolvaardt. As we reached the top of this ridge we heard the boom of British artillery, showing that we were being closely followed up. This welcome sound to us caused the Boers to redouble their efforts, and we went scrambling, tumbling, and slipping down the slopes of the Gatsrand at breakneck speed, halting at 7 P.M. a few miles from the Potchefstroom-Krugersdorp railway. At 8 P.M. we crossed this railway near Welverdiend, the Boers blowing up the line in half-a-dozen places. Pushing on to 1 A.M., De Wet thought he had outdistanced his pursuers, and felt safe, especially as he was reinforced here by 1500 burghers and some guns. Our position now was near to Bosman’s Kop and Rietfontein, and we had covered about 95 miles from Schoeman’s Drift in 46 hours, fighting a rearguard action the whole time. I here learnt our objective was the fastness of the Magaliesberg mountains, to effect a junction with Delarey’s commandos. At 8 P.M., to De Wet’s consternation, artillery fire was heard close to his left rear flank, which turned out to be either Lord Kitchener’s, Smith-Dorrien’s, or Lord Methuen’s force shelling the Boer left rearguard, posted in some kopjes near Klerkskraal, while the British field battery of horse artillery were paying attention to his convoy. A shell burst on the waggon containing British prisoners, wounding three men. The Boer guard fled, and sixty out of eighty British soldiers made a rush in the confusion for the British lines. De Wet was so closely pressed here that he abandoned a gun and hastily left his position, trekking night and day to reach the bush veldt of the Magaliesberg, where he knew kopjes or ridges offered excellent positions to hold and detain the British from following him up too closely. We pushed on the following day, climbing the Magaliesberg, while a stiff rearguard action was being fought with Lord Kitchener’s combined forces, and, dropping into the Hox River valley, pushed on till we reached the Olifant’s Nek. De Wet was now comparatively safe, having the mountains behind and between him and the British force. A day or so after reaching Olifant’s Nek all the British prisoners taken at Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom, and ourselves were collected and placed in four ox waggons, with an escort of 100 burghers, and proceeded through Rustenburg, our ultimate destination being Nooitgedacht.”