The Press. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 1896. THE TRIAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN REFORMERS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9433, 3 June 1896, Page 4

The Press. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 1896. THE TRIAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN REFORMERS.

In another column we are enabled to publish some interesting details regarding the closing scenes in the trial of the members of the Reform Committee, indicted at Pretoria for high treason in conspiring with Dr. Jameson against the safety of the Republic. There is no question that the "Reformers " were highly culpable for the part they took in the affair, and deserving of punishment. On the other hand, it is equally evident from the report of the trial that the case against them was strained to the utmost, not only by the prosecuting counsel, but also by the Judge. The South African papers to hand by the latest mail, show that the sentence of death passed on the leading prisoners excited the atmo3t horror and indignation throughout the country. The attitude of implacable hostility to the prisoners shown by the Judge in his summing up, and the brutal manner in which he pronounced sentence of death, came in for severe animadversion. The case for the prisoners seems to have been put very ably by their counsel, Mr. k Wssskls. He was, of course, heavily

handicapped in endeavouring to convince a Transvaal Judge of the bitter sense of oppression and injustice under which his clients laboured owing to the treatment of Uitlanders by the Trausvaal Government. So far as this part of the defence was concerned, he might just as well have« saved his breath. The Judge appears siraply to have ignored fche representations of counsel for the accused and proceeded to the task of sentencing the leaders to death with s a cheerful alacrity which forcibly reminds one of the bloodthirsty Jeffreys. One portion of his summing-up would airuosS seem to indicate that he regretted that the mistaken, clemency of the Government prevented him from declaring the property of the accused confiscated as well as their lives forfeit. The (h-ahanistown Journal speaks of the Judge in question—who, it appears, was Mr. Gsegorowski, the Acting-Justice— a3 "an advocate seeking promotion." It points out that he missed a splendid opportunity of proving himself fitted for the position of a Judge by allowing due weight to the strong pleas in favour of the accused, and only succeeded in showing his unfitness for the high office and " receiving a practical snub " from the Government which he " was so anxious to please, but which "in twenty-four hours had to set " aside his savage and preposterous. " sentence." Even when the Executive had commuted the sentence and mitigated the punishment there was still a strong feeling left that the penalty imposed was far too severe, and a persistent agitation has been kept up for the remission of the sentences of banishment and imprisonment. It will be seen from the telegrams which we publish this morning, that all the members of the Keforin Committee, except the four leaders— Phillips, Fabrar, Fiuncis Rhodes and Hammond, together with Davis and Simpson—have now been released from custody, although the heavy fines imposed have been maintained. It yet remains to be seen how the Executive will deal with those whom we have just mentioned. One thing is made abundantly dlear from the legal proceedings, and that is that the difficulty of getting an impartial trial from a Boer Court is not the least real of the grievances from which the Uitlander3 have undoubtedly suffered.