Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 July 1901 — HE CAMB TO BE HANGED. [ARTICLE]

HE CAMB TO BE HANGED.

Boar Gara Lord Wolseley a Chenoa to Carry Oat HI. Threat. Abel Erasmus, the Boer leader who recently surrendered to the British in South Africa, is a man of great distinction among his countrymen. A good story Is told of the old Boer and Lord Wolseley, then Sir Garnet Wolseley, in connection with the part Erasmus took in Wolseley’s campaign in 1879 against Sekukuni, the chief of the Bapedls on the borders of Swaziland. After the capture of Sekukuni he was immediately brought before Sir Garnet Wolseley, who asked him how he, a miserable kaffir living in a cave, dared to defy the great queen of England. The chief replied that he had been instigated to do so by Abel Erasmus. Sir Garnet, in describing the scene at a public dinner given to him at Pretoria on his return from the campaign, said that he wished there and then to let Abel Erasmus know that if ever he found that Erasmus had been inciting any chief to levy war against England, and he was able to lay hands on him, Abel Erasmus would hang as high as Haman. A few days after the dinner Sir Henry Brackenbury, Sir Garnet’s military secretary, was sitting in his office when a tall, bearded Boer entered and asked permission to speak with him. “I am Abel Erasmus,” he said, ‘‘and I have very important business to do here.” He explained that he had come to see Sir Garnet Wolseley, for he had heard that Sir Garnet had said that if he could lay hold of him he would hang him, and so he had Come to be hanged. Sir Garnet .was in the next room and Str Henry Brackenbury thought that tt would be advisable to consult him on the subject Sir Garnet, however, happened to be too busy at the moment to see anybody, and Sir Henry after reflection persuaded his angry visitor to take his leave and allow the hanging to stand over for the time.