Your guide to Heidelberg Gauteng
#Old Gaol / Old Prison
Heritage Blue Plaque #Nr 1
OLD GAOL / SALMON VAN AS EXECUTION SITE - Cnr of Jordaan and Ueckermann Street
What is the story here?
"In the early days of Heidelberg, the first lockup belonged to Heinrich Ueckermann, secured only by a wagon wheel. On May 21, 1878, Magistrate Carl Ueckermann submitted a report stating dire conditions of the jail, calling it unfit for holding prisoners due to its decayed walls and collapsing thatch roof. He urged government for a new facility, emphasizing the urgent need for a proper jail. However, just months later, on October 29, 1878, two prisoners managed to escape and comically returned to the scene, caught while attempting to rehang their cell door."
THE HISTORY OF THE OLD JAIL IN HEIDELBERG
EARLY DELAYS AND THE FIRST LOCK-UP (1867 - 1870)
In 1867, Mr F.K. Maré, the first Magistrate of Heidelberg, formally requested permission from the President to construct a local jail. He enquired whether state war funds could be used to finance the project. While the government approved the construction of the jail, it denied the use of the war funds.
By 1868, Maré was allocated £100 for the project. This amount proved entirely insufficient to construct the planned 30-by-20-foot building, as the lowest contractor tender received was £180. Consequently, the Magistrate kept the £100 on deposit.
A year later, Maré requested that the £1,509 allocated for Public Works also cover the jail's construction. Two months later, the government agreed. The state subsequently purchased a portion of Stand No. 86 from H.J. Ueckermann for £1,100, constructing a Magistrate’s Court and a jail on the site. Mr Fritz Ueckermann, the local sheriff, took on the additional role of "Sapier" (Head Warden).
DECAY AND A POLITE ESCAPE (1878)
On 21 May 1878, the newly appointed Magistrate - Carl Ueckermann, half-brother to town founder Heinrich Ueckermann - submitted a critical report to the government:
"I have the honour to report that the jail at Heidelberg is not available to hold prisoners. It is a very old building of green bricks with a thatch roof. The walls are thin and decayed, the roof is falling in and admits daylight freely and repairs to it would be a waste of money. I would therefore bring under your notice, the urgent necessity of having a new building erected in this village, trusting that the government will decide to erect a proper jail and call tenders for the same." — Signed: Ueckermann, Landdrost, 21 May 1878.
Despite the structural urgency, a new building was delayed for a decade. The prison's structural weakness became comical on 29 October 1878, when two prisoners escaped through the broken structure and burglarised a local trading store. Their escape was only discovered by accident upon their return, when guards caught them attempting to neatly re-hang their compromised cell door from the inside.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE STONE JAIL (1888)
A new, secure prison was finally approved ten years later. On 24 January 1888, the construction tender was awarded to Mr W.A. de Rapper, who submitted two separate structural quotes:
-
£3,682 if the four main perimeter walls were completed entirely in stone.
-
£3,188 if the perimeter walls were completed in brick.
The State Architect opted for the stone construction, requesting additional structural modifications to allow for iron security bars on the windows at an added cost of £119-2-1. By December 1888, the new stone jail was completed and ready to receive inmates.
THE PROBLEM OF THE MULES (1891)
In 1891, an official state delegation consisting of P.G. Maré (Inspector of Prisons), the Heidelberg Public Prosecutor, and the District Surgeon conducted a formal inspection of the premises. They reported a bizarre security flaw:
"The mules wander around the courtyard and naturally make lots of noise with their hooves on the stone floors, so much that the warder on guard could not distinguish whether or not anyone was trying to escape! The mules have to be locked in the courtyard as there is no other place for them."
To resolve this issue, the State Architect allocated £60 to put out a tender for a dedicated stable. The project was awarded to Mr James Russell, who completed construction on 2 November 1891. Over the following century, the stable structure collapsed. Freelance local builders eventually cleared away the remaining half-standing rock walls to use as cladding material across modern Heidelberg.
ORIGINAL BLUEPRINT LAYOUT AND INMATE CONDITIONS
According to the original 1888 blueprints, the internal prison layout consisted of:
-
Two cells for female inmates
-
Two cells for male inmates
-
Two hospital rooms
-
A kitchen and two storerooms
-
A Guard room and the "Sapiers" (Head Warden's) office
The site featured two separate courtyards to segregate male and female prisoners, while the central main courtyard was used to corral the transport mules. Inmate hygiene facilities were basic. The men bathed in a stone bath measuring 1.5m x 2.1m and 1.1m deep, located out in the open male courtyard. No hot water was provided, even during harsh winters. Female inmates were provided a shallow washing trough within their designated courtyard. Bucket toilets served as the only sanitation facility for all prisoners.
MODERN EXPANSIONS AND DECOMMISSIONING
As overcrowding escalated, the prison layout was altered. The doorway connecting to the main courtyard was permanently sealed, and two additional male cells - accompanied by a corrugated metal guard hut - were built inside the former female courtyard. Two solitary confinement cells were also added, leading directly out into the male courtyard.
In 1937, a dedicated residential house was constructed next door to lodge the prison guards, allowing the rooms inside the main jail to be completely converted into inmate cells. The prison remained operational until 1963, when all inmates were permanently transferred to a newly constructed correctional facility in Rensburg.
RESTORATION AND CURRENT USE
Following its closure, the local police force took over the Head Warden’s house, and the stone jail sat derelict for several decades. In 1993, the Heidelberg Publicity Association partnered with the Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTHs) to completely restore and upgrade the historic property.
Today, the MOTHs serve as the official custodians of the site. The building is actively utilized as a community meeting venue for various organizations and functions as a heritage museum, showcasing military artefacts from the old Signal Corps and the Heidelberg Commando.
Guided historical tours of the Old Jail can be arranged by contacting Tony Burisch directly via WhatsApp at 072 460 9663.
#Salmon van As
(Execution at Old Gaol)
What is the story here?
The Execution of Salmon van As - In 1902, Veldkornet Salmon Van As faced execution for the murder of Captain Ronald Miers of the Somerset Light Infantry. The incident began in August 1901 when Field Cornet Botha reported a British officer, under a white flag, approaching his men with a proclamation for General Botha. This officer, Captain Miers, attempted to persuade Commando members to surrender, which led to Van As being dispatched to apprehend him. The circumstances surrounding the capture remain murky, shrouded in a blend of historical accounts and conflicting narratives. His arrest eventually led to his execution by firing squad behind the Old Gaol.
The Execution of Salmon van As - It was here, where Veldkornet Salmon Van As was executed in 1902, for the murder of Captain Miers SLI. In August 1901, Field Cornet Botha reported to Commandant Alberts about a British Officer, carrying a white flag, approaching his men saying that he wished to hand a proclamation to General Botha. Later reports indicated that the same officer rode out to Commando’s in the field, under a white flag, offering cigarettes and trying to convince them to surrender.
It was decided that Field Cornet Salmon van As, of the Heidelberg Commando, be sent out to capture this officer. This officer was Captain Ronald Miers. Miers came to South Africa with the Somerset Light Infantry, he was attached to the SA Constabulary in December 1900. After being wounded in a skirmish, he was transferred to the Heidelberg area, where he commanded an outpost at Riversdraai south of the town.
It was here where Van As planned to capture Miers. Here is where the story becomes blurred with different accounts.....According to Louis Slabbert, who accompanied him, they rode out to an old ruined mission station, near the bend in the Suikerbosrand River, on September 25th. Here they waited for Miers. He came riding out, with a white flag, at 1pm. Van As immediately went towards him. When they met, Miers suddenly bolted, ignoring Van As’s order to stop. Slabbert then heard a shot, causing Captain Miers to fall from his horse, dropping the revolver he was carrying. Slabbert was shocked to see a man carrying a white flag shot down.Van As explains the encounter, “Miers demanded my surrender.
I refused, saying I had been sent out to capture him, to put a stop to the treacherous manner in which he was undermining our men”. Miers responded by drawing his revolver, but Van As shot struck first. Weeks later, Van As’s fiancé, Miss Nellie Nortje, approached the Heidelberg Commando in the field, informing them of the warrant that was issued for the arrest of Van As for the murder of Captain R Miers and three black scouts from Emmasdal. On the evening that the “peace treaty” was signed, General Botha warned Van As that the case was still to be settled. Van As wanted to flee, but Botha reassured him that the British would only investigate the matter and that his life would not be in danger. The next morning the Heidelberg Commando laid down their arms at Kraal Station and returned to their homes. On 8th June 1902, Van As and Slabbert were summoned to Heidelberg. On arrival, they were arrested and given separate rooms in the Victorian Hotel. From June 17th to 19th both men went before a military tribunal, which was held in the Waverley Hotel.
Van As chose to handle his own defence and tried to create doubt on witnesses’ testimonies. Slabbert could not understand English, so depended on a cell mate to interpret. On the 22nd June, Van As was found guilty and sentenced to death the next morning. Slabbert was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour. Salmon van As was executed by firing squad behind the jail, his back to the wall, on the 23rd June 1902 at dawn. The squad was made up of the Somerset Light Infantry, embittered by the death of their popular officer. His body was buried 600 metres away in a shallow grave.
Field Cornet Hans Botha later planted a thorn tree to mark the spot. A few years later, the Van As family received an apology from the British Government. They conceded that Salmon did not receive a fair trial, due to the fact that he was not allowed to call his own witnesses. Compensation was offered but refused. On the 17th October 1903, the body of Van As, was re-interred in the Kloof Cemetery, beside other officers and men of the Heidelberg Commando. Louis Slabbert served two years and returned to Heidelberg. He later joined the South African Police. He died in 1962 at 82 years of age.
