A furious controversy, which with the general election close at hand, was in danger of developing into a political issue involving the acute South African color problem and, probably, the Jewish question, raged here over the action of Justice Saul Solomon in sentencing Jack Nafte, a Jewish farmer in the Bethal District, to seven years’ imprisonment with hard labor and ten lashes, for beating to death a native in his employment.
Bethal is one of the district, Devon. Trichardts and Bethal, which contain a settlement of Jewish farmers, and in which the South African Jewish Board of Deputies is trying to promote a Jewish agricultural colonization movement, with the help of the Jewish farmers already settled there.
Tremendous feeling was aroused here over a white being sentenced to lashes, which is regarded as degrading to the white race, and endangering the prestige of the whites in the eyes of the natives. It is the first time a white is to be lashed.
The Prime Minister, General Hertzog, intervened, suspending the infliction of the lashes, pending further investigation and a review of the case by the Acting Minister of Justice.
The farmers of the Bethal District held a largely attended meeting, at which a deputation of ten members was appointed to raise a petition for the remission of the lashes. It was at first proposed that the deputation should consist of five Jewish farmers and five Dutch farmers, but in order to avoid making it appear a partisan movement. it was decided that the deputation should be called only a deputation of ten farmers from the Bethal District.
The South African Board of Jewish Deputies was approached to take an interest in the matter, but decided not to interfere with the administration of justice. There was an attempt to make party capital by introducing the Jewish element into the case, but it is hoped that this will be avoided.
Jack Nafte was tried jointly with his foreman, Van Niekerk, with murdering a native laborer on his farm by flogging him to death. The two trials were held separately. Van Niekerk pleaded guilty of common assault under provocation, saying that the native had threatened him and his wife. The jury found him guilty of common assault, recommending him to mercy, and he was fined thirty pounds.
Nafte was then charged with murder, but the jury found a verdict of culpable homicide, recommending him to mercy on the ground that he had not intended killing the native.
Judge Solomon pronounced sentence of seven years’ imprisonment with hard labor and ten lashes. The assault of which Nafte was guilty, he said, was horrifying in its cruelty. He had inflicted terrible suffering on a native by
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cruelties which were as cowardly as they were heartless. His punishment would not be adequate unless it also included the infliction of physical pain.
An agitation was started immediately, both against a white man being sentenced to lashes, and also against the extreme contrast between the two sentences imposed on Nafte and his foreman. Justice Solomon is being attacked in the nationalist press as a negrophile.
Justice Solomon is not a Jew, but is of Jewish descent. He is descended from the Rev. E. Solomon of Cape Colony. who was a Christian missionary. To the same family belong also Sir William Henry Solomon, who was Senior Puisne Judge of Transvaal, the late Sir Richahd Solomon, and W. E. G. Solomon, the well-known artist, who is now in India.
The flogging sentence was executed against Jack Nafte on May 2. a cable despatch stated.
One hundred and fifty representative citirens of Chattancoga Tenn, gathered at the Ochs Memorial Temple to attend the third goodwill dinner.
With the men’s club of the temple acting as hosts, every creed and belief was represented Attorney Sam Whiraker was the principal speaker and Adolph Geismar. president of the men’s club. acted as toastmaster.
The speakers included Rabbi Shillman, of Mispah Congregation: Father Francis Sukivan. the Rev. Oliver J. Hart and many brief walks by prominent men. Mayor Bass said a few word the Rev. Battie McLester. J. W. Bishop. Neil Crowley. James F. Finlay, Lapsley G. Walker and Walter Johnson also made brief remarks.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
