Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-12-11
MORE ABOUT ENGLISH BARBARITY.

More evidence is coming to light re-
garding the violation Of the usages of
civilized warfare by the British in South
Africa.
1t receives added emphasis from the
fact that English news channels have
been full of charges of brutality against
the Beers, which, however, have been
disproven and refuted in every instance
and denied by the English commanding
general, himself.
At first these charges of disregard of
civilized usages on the part of the Brit
ish since the beginning of the war were
promptly denied in London or excused
as retaliation for alleged abuses of the
white flag by the Boers-abuses which
have been denied and disproven. Now,
however, proof of the truth of these
grave charges against the British is
overwhelming in the shape of private
letters from British soldiers. In addi-
ton to those already published in these
columns are the following cabled from
London:
]. H. Fox, Uftlander at Ladysmith,
writes: 1T was a sight to see the Lam
GERS charge. When they got within 100
yards the Beers threw up their arms and
begged for mercy. They jumped off their
horses and got on their knees and prayed
for mercy"
oe-d
very hard to spare him, but my reply was
You =! Here's your mercy l shot him
dead and did not take the trouble to lance
him. No doubt you will think this cruel
but if you had seen as much of them as
have you would not / saw plenty in Jo-
hannesburg before the war began
This soldiers statement regarding
johannesburg is denied. Not a man
was killed there and the charges of ill
treatment were proven false on inves-
tigation. The London cable above
quoted continues:
Private Thomson, of the First Battalion
of the Kings Royal Rifles describing the
fight at Glencoe, writes that, after the
British troops had received the order to
fix bayonets: with a wild cheer we were
amongst them. Bayonets went to work,
and heads were smashed like pumpkins
They (the Boers) were speeches. with ter
ror When they saw the line of cold steel
coming ait them, they threw down their
arms and fled in confusion, only to be cut
up into travellers samples, when they
reached the bottom, by our cavalry
Henry Burgess. the fireman of a British
armored train, describing Elandslaagte
says: "Once the bayonet charge of the
Devons and Gordons began, the Dutchmen
fed precipitately. Meanwhile, the L.ancers
had been creeping up behind. and as the
Beers reached the bottom the Lancers
charged them at full gallop. The panic
stricken Beers threw down their rifles and
attempted to escape, but ii was utterly
useless. for, with shouts of Majubar the
Lancers were upon them, and the awful
work commenced. Very few Beers es-
capped
Drummer Hearn of Colonel Baden Pow
ellis Light Horse describing the first en-
gagement at Mafeking, tells how the Beers
were enticed on a field sown with mines,
which were exploded.
I'VE cleared the remainder at the point
Of our bayonets." he writes. TT was real
" fine fun. You should have seen what
fuss the Beers made about being pricked.
touched one, and he jumped four yards
They don't like cold steel We showed
Them no mercy. But 1t was only what they
deserved for what they have done TO us
before"
A private it the Kings Rifles, writing
Of Elandslaagte, says:
1T was a great but terrible sight to see
those horsemen hew their way through
the Beers. Three times they rode right
thrsugh-o uttiaE saaAhsng. haoadfE sone