CO885-(15-16) — Page 253

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No. 176A.

(TRANSVAAL.)

CASE FOR THE LAW OFFICERS.

Re THOMAS ENRIGHT and JOHN HODGSON.

ALLEGED HIGH TREASON.

In pursuance of the arrangement come to at the conference between the Under Secretary of State, the Law Officers of the Crown, the Director of Public Prosecutions and Mr. H. B. Cox at the Colonial Office on the 14th January, Mr. Bertram Cox com municated with the War Office in order to ascertain what evidence Major Banon, who was referred to in the papers as being able to prove that Enright and Hodgson were in arms, could give. The Director of Public Prosecutions has now received from the Colonial Office the following letter from Major Banon with a memorandum comment- ing thereon which has been furnished by the War Office.

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"

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From Major L. BANON, K.S.L.I., D.A.Q.M.G., Dublin District to

"the DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE. “(S. 35. I. 3 (a).)

SIR,

Dublin, January 20, 1903.

"1. WITH reference to your S. 35, I. 3 (a), of the 17th instant, I regret that I cannot, after the lapse of over two years, speak with any certainty as to the two men, ex-Prisoners of War T. Enright and Hodgson. "I believe these two men were members of the Irish Brigade, and if they were arrested early in June, 1900, in company with a man called Fraser, 'a Scotchman from Aberdeen, I can recall the case.

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"2. During the 11 months I was at Johannesburg some 80 to 100 foreigners or British subjects were arrested by me for actively assisting the

enemy, and I cannot remember the particulars of each case without refer- ence to the correspondence that took place at the time.

"3. I might be able to speak more definitely about these men if I could

see their photographs or the men themselves, as I can usually remember " faces.

"I have, &c.,

"L. BANON,

"Major,

"D.A.Q.M.G., Dublin District."

PUBLIC

RECORD OFFICE

C.O. 885

Reference :-

15 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

$6

"MEMORANDUM.

Enright himself says that he was made a prisoner of war at Bloemfon-

"tein on the entry of the British Troops, and the official list of prisoners of

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of

war shows him as having been captured at Bloemfontein on the 23rd April. 1900.

"

The British Troops did not enter Johannesburg until the 31st May.

1900, and Major Banon took up his duties as a District Commissioner in Johannesburg on the 4th June.

"Enright cannot, therefore, be the man whom Major Banon remembers "having arrested in company with Fraser in June, 1900.

"Hodgson is shown in the official list as having been captured at Johan- nesburg on the 19th November, 1900. He was employed on the Simmer and Jack Mine, and, although that mine was not within Major Banon's District, it is possible that he may have arrested Hodgson who cannot, how ever, have been one of the men arrested with Fraser in June, 1900." The Director has also been furnished with statements by Robert Gall, referring to Enright, and Sergeant George Deddon, relating to Hodgson, with a report dated

26 Wt 2757 2/1903 D85 13743

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