The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-05
FROM THE TRANSVAAL.
A Visitor from There Who Has "a Poor
Opinion of the English.
Cleveland Plain Deale

Dr. H A Tunison, of johannesburg.
Africa, is at the Forest City House on a
short visit to Cleveland. DIR. TuniSOn was
in South Africa during the recent war be-
tween the Engishlnen of the chartered
colony and the negroes, and was in johann
nesburg during the time of the famous
Jamison raid which ended so disastrously
to the English and their American friends.
During his two years residence in Africa
of his British fellow citizens, and he con-
densed his opinion of them in an interview
last night by saying that an Englshman
is a hog. The doctor dwelt on the causes
of the war with the natives in BulluWayO
quite extensively.
Il am familiar with the history of that
whole affair, he said, and l want to say
and assure the readers of the Plain Dealer
that what l say is true that the English
were at fault in starting the war, and,
what is more, that the reports which came
back here were cOlored and false. The
English employed the natives in the mines.
When a native applied for his pay he was
quite as likely to get hippopotamus hide
whip over his back as to get his money,
and a whip of that kind is just about like
a piece of whalebOne.
''The English stole the negroes corn and
drove away their cattle. In the enforce
ment of their laws they were barbarous.
I have it upon the evidence of Capt. J. r.
F. Blake, formerly Of the United States
regular army, that they repeatedly hanged
negroes for trivial offenses and their meth
cd of hanging was this: They put the ne
gro in tree and put the moose around his
neck. Then they would compel him to
jump off and hang himself.
In his account of the war DIT. Tunlson
was equally at variance with published re-
ports and equally strong in his testimony
against the English
won it," he said. They would go out,
fight for an hour and then retreat into
town and get drunk. When the war ended
the natives dictated terms and they have
been better treated SINCE
Jamison's raid the doctor regarded as an
other attempt at grabbing gold mines by
long before the raid just what was going
= to happen said the doctor. Preparations
were being made there to turn Johnnes-
burg over to the raiders when they came,
but the Beers knew it as we'll the Amer
leans and English and they stopped the
knows, but it is though that Cecil Rhodes
was behind the whole thing"
Dropping war and politics and speaking
of general matters and personal affairs, the
doctor said:
This Captain Blake of whom I spoke. is
my partner in the business of buying and
selling mines and mining stock. He was
known all over this country at one time in
connection with the famous Whitacre case
at West Point Wbitacre a colored cadet
accused Blake &c sitting his ears in haz-
ing escapade. Whitacre afterwards con-
fessed that he cut his own ears TO avaid an
examination in his studies, which he feared
he could not pass. Captain Blake is now
in London and ! expect TO join him there
soon. South Africa mining stock is very
low now. There has been a tremendous
The amount invested there is Incredible
On the Rand. as they call It. there is $50
100000 invested. I don't like to tell that
because it sounds like lie, but | have
been assured that it is true very many
times
The doctor explained that tho Rand is a
range of country about fifty miles long,
that is practically one gold mine. of vary
ing value in its different parts. 1t is in the
Transvaal.
But in the mines in the chartered COL
ony." said the doctor. things are differ
ent. The mining business there in Cecil
Rhodes's country is q gigantic swindle
They have doomed stock that is not worth
a shilling away up in the pounds in the
London market"
Personally DR. Tunson is an exceedingly
pleasant gentleman and good CONVERSE
tionalist. He is evidently born traveller.
for besides his African experience he was
in Mexico for many years. In South Africa,
besides carrying on his mining business, he
maintained an office and practiced his pro-
fession in johannesburg.