TODAY IN KIMBERLEY’S HISTORY 5 JANUARY Inquiry into allegations of bribery against Cecil Rhodes (pictured) begins, 1876 DID YOU KNOW The Black Flag Rebellion of 1875, coupled with other matters of social misbehaviour, saw the appointment of Colonel Crossman as a Royal Commissioner with the task of holding an official enquiry into the practices, and then implementing changes to bring Kimberley into the fold of responsible governance. The Court of Enquiry began on 5 January 1876 with one of the charges to be investigated by Crossman being to do with the flooding of the mines and the ineffective machinery utilised. A certain Mr Heuteau who was responsible for the machinery and pumping of water from the De Beers Mine alleged that he had been offered £300 by a speculator if he could stop the machinery by damaging it and thus flooding the mine. He refused to name the speculator but Crossman threatened legal action against him so he compromised by writing the name on a piece of paper. The name he wrote – ‘Mr Cecil Rhodes.’ Crossman immediately called for Rhodes but Charles Rudd came in his place and told Crossman that Rhodes was not a man who bribed anyone and that he himself was prepared to give evidence that Heuteau had committed perjury. Crossman then summonsed Rhodes and Heuteau to appear before him two days later on Friday 7 January. Rhodes arrived shortly after Crossman had closed proceedings for the day and apologised stating that he had been checking the pumping machinery at Dutoitspan Mine. He claimed that Heuteau was lying. The following day, Thursday 6 January, Rhodes attended a special meeting of the De Beers Mining Board, and appealed to the members for assistance in clearing his name, but they did not help. The Chairman even said that it was only one man’s word against another, and that, quite unbelievably, he had even heard about the bribe some months before! So it was to the enquiry the next day that Rhodes had to explain. It was a very short hearing as Rhodes had met with his lawyer (and partner) Robert Dundas Graham, and he advised Crossman that he was going to charge Heuteau with perjury and had handed it over to the Public Prosecutor. Crossman allowed no representations in the light of the matter going to court and legal proceedings were allowed to take its course. The editor of the Diamond News, Richard William Murray (Snr), commented: “The Attorney-General will, we hope, not shrink from his duty. The charge has been made; the character of a respectable citizen has been assailed. If Heuteau can prove that his allegation is true, the Attorney-General ought to put the law in force against Rhodes; but if he cannot, then Rhodes ought to have full justice done him, for if a man be robbed of his good name, he has suffered an injury which, in some cases, it takes a lifetime to remedy.”
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 02:58:46 +0000
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