- 54
Churchill, Sir Winston
Estimate
3,000 - 4,000 GBP
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Description
- Churchill, Sir Winston
- Autograph letter signed, to Lod de Haas, the Dutch volunteer responsible for the Boer War "wanted" poster, after Churchill's escape from capture
- ink on paper
explaining he looks back "with feelings of thankfulness to my share in that long South African story" and adding that "you might have gone as high as £50 without an over estimate of the value of the prize", 1 page, 8vo, headed stationery of the Board of Trade, 24 August 1908, autograph envelope
[with:] typed letter signed, thanking him for congratulations, 1 page, headed stationery of 10 Downing St, 3 June 1953; letter by Churchill's private secretary giving permission to publish the 1908 letter; four files of material relating to the events of the Boer War, de Haas's later journalistic career, and his later story about his encounter with Churchill and 1908 correspondence, including facsimile copies of the "wanted" poster, photographs, and typescripts of his article, and correspondence regarding the possible sale of the 1908 letter including a retained carbon copy letter to the Aga Khan (1954)
[with:] typed letter signed, thanking him for congratulations, 1 page, headed stationery of 10 Downing St, 3 June 1953; letter by Churchill's private secretary giving permission to publish the 1908 letter; four files of material relating to the events of the Boer War, de Haas's later journalistic career, and his later story about his encounter with Churchill and 1908 correspondence, including facsimile copies of the "wanted" poster, photographs, and typescripts of his article, and correspondence regarding the possible sale of the 1908 letter including a retained carbon copy letter to the Aga Khan (1954)
Catalogue Note
"Churchill: Dead or Alive". A compelling addendum to the famous story of Churchill's escape from capture and the widely-reproduced proclamation offering a £25 reward for his capture. De Haas was a Dutch volunteer to the Boer cause who ended up as a police officer living a peaceful existence until he received an urgent phonecall from HQ informing him that Churchill had escaped from prison:
"...the voice on the telephone here became hysterical and told me in heaven's name to... have this Churchill recaptured immediately. An idea crossed my mind. I had read of a price being put on the heads of desperadoes. Why not do the same here? But how much? The Hungarian thought that £100 was sure to bring him in before evening. The Afrikaner concurred. Having to provide the cash out of my own pocket in case of capture, I decided that £25 was ample. So I took pen and ink and then and there wrote the "proclamation"..."
"...the voice on the telephone here became hysterical and told me in heaven's name to... have this Churchill recaptured immediately. An idea crossed my mind. I had read of a price being put on the heads of desperadoes. Why not do the same here? But how much? The Hungarian thought that £100 was sure to bring him in before evening. The Afrikaner concurred. Having to provide the cash out of my own pocket in case of capture, I decided that £25 was ample. So I took pen and ink and then and there wrote the "proclamation"..."