The Petticoat Commando | Page 8

consideration which
was discussed by the more thoughtful section of the community was
the probable destruction of the farms by the British forces by way of
retaliation for the fate of the mines. Could the burghers have foreseen
that the entire country would be laid waste in any case as the war
proceeded, nothing could have saved the mines. But the devastation of
Boer homesteads was not to begin until a much later period, and to this
fact the "Destroyers" no doubt owed the frustration of their schemes.
I have to thank friends who were principally concerned in the matter
for the following account of how the mines were saved and for the
interesting description of the surrender of the Golden City, appearing in
Chapter III.
* * * * *
At this time the British troops were advancing rapidly. The Boers were
panic-stricken, and had it not been for the determined efforts of the
administration in Johannesburg, chaos would have resulted.
About ten days before the surrender of the town, the scheme of the
"Destroyers" was unwittingly disclosed through the foolishness of the

man who had been apparently chosen to carry it out. Judge Kock, who
was a friend of Dr. Krause's, came over to Johannesburg for the
purpose of making a last and determined effort to destroy the mines.
Being a great friend of the Krauses, he was invited to stay at their house.
In a burst of confidence he produced a letter signed by a very
high-placed official of the Executive Council, whereby he was
empowered, in indefinite terms, to call for the co-operation of any
military official whom he pleased. He showed Dr. Krause this letter and
requested him to instruct the mine police and certain other mine
officials to assist him. He was met with a blank refusal, and a threat
that if he persisted in this undertaking he would be arrested. Judge
Kock, or, as he then styled himself, "General" Kock, had gathered
together a cosmopolitan force of about 100 men.
About this time events were rapidly changing. The determined advance
of the British forces and the panic-stricken retreat of the Boers had the
effect of encouraging "General" Kock and his men. Dr. Krause's hands
were full in attending to the military necessities of the situation. Urgent
messages from Botha and the President were hourly passing over the
wires. General French, who was advancing on Johannesburg from the
east, had pressed forward to such an extent that the Boers retreating
from Vereeniging were practically hemmed in by the British columns.
Commandant Krause on the Sunday afternoon hastily gathered as many
fighting men as he could muster, and with them occupied the hills
surrounding Van Wyk's Rust, in order to check the advance of French
and give the Boers an opportunity of retreating safely. On the Monday,
while fighting was going on, he was obliged to leave his men--who by
that time had been reinforced by the retreating Boers--for Johannesburg,
on receiving an urgent message that chaos was reigning in town, and
that the goods sheds at the station, where Government provisions and
food-stuffs were stored, were being looted. On his return order was
speedily restored.
Tuesday, May 29th, was the eventful day in the history of the saving of
the mines, as on this date Dr. Krause personally arrested "General"
Kock and dispersed his band of followers. It happened in this way.

During the progress of the war the Government had been working some
of the mines, and, at the time of the rapid advance of the British from
Bloemfontein, instructions were given that all the gold should be
conveyed to Pretoria. The week before the surrender of Johannesburg,
Dr. Krause had given the necessary instructions for doing this, and had
received a report that all gold had been transported. Now, it appears
that Kock had taken advantage of the Commandant's absence from
Johannesburg to further his scheme of destruction, and the first mine he
went to with that purpose in view was the Robinson. On arriving there
he accidentally discovered that about 120,000 ounces of gold, valued at
about £400,000, were still stored on the mine. He was evidently so
perturbed about this that he momentarily forgot his purpose, and
galloped post-haste with the greater number of his men to the
Commandant's office. His men were drawn up outside; he dismounted
and found Dr. Krause in consultation with Commandant L.E. van
Diggelen, the energetic officer in command of the Mines Police. Kock
adopted a threatening and bullying attitude, and demanded the reason
why so much gold had been left on the mine, and where the treachery
lay. During the course of his angry outburst he disclosed the fact that he
had proceeded to the mine for the purpose of destroying it, and had
discovered the