Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-17
CITY OF MOURNING
London Take, On Very sombsr Hue
Owing to the African War
BLACKLIST CHRISTMAS SINCE THE WUTINY
Many Pathetic Scenes Are Enacted Every
Day at War Office.
SADNESS AND GLOOM PERvADE THE CITY
Poor Suffer by the Absorption of Funds for
War Purposes.
TALES OF CRUELTY TO THE BOERS CEASE
Private Letters of Soldiers on This
Subject Are Now supprcssed-
Society Men Under Social
HIM Go TO War.
TALES OF CRUELTY TO THE BoERs cEAsI

Copyright, 1899, by Press Publishing Co
LONDON, Dec. 16.-(New York Worlt
Cablegram-Special Telegram )-London il
fast assuming the aspect of a city OF
mourning. Social activity confines itself to
entertainments conducted in behalf of the
charitable war funds, which already amount
to nearly $3,00O000 the mansion house
FUND alone totaling more than $2,250 900.
The theatres are suffering heavily. West
End tradesmen complain they never had
such bad Christmas for presents. Private
Christmas entertainments as well as hunts
and county balls, characteristic of English
life, have been abandoned generally.
Pathetic is the procession of wives and
relatives of soldiers and officers which cease
lessly passes in and out of the doors of the
war office in search of news. Sadness and
gloom reign everywhere.
The general atmosphere of melancholy has
been intensified by the dark and bitter
weather War funds have so completely
absorbed the resources of the charitable that
the ordinary Christmas collections for the
! poor have failed on all sides, thus meaning
that the war has been brought home in
! stantly to the neediest class of the popula-
/ tion. Coal is dearer now even than during
the great coal strike. 1t is predicted it will
rise 25 per cent more, owing to the immense
! demand from the colliers by the govern
ment.
| This is in fact the blackest Christmas
England has faced in many years since the
Indian mutiny. But the depression would
be greatly relieved If some decisive success
was announced.
No More Cruelty Stories.
There has been an almost complete cessa-
ton this week in the publication by the
London papers of private letters from the
officers and men at the front. Their un-
sophisticated accounts OF the brutalties
perpetrated on the Beers at Elandslaagte and
elsewhere, as cabled last week. apparently
caused further similar publications to be
restrained.
1t is also noteworthy that there have been
none OF the usual accusations of abuse of
the white flag, firing on ambuances and
so forth from Lord Methuen at Magersfon-
tein or General Gatacre at Stormberg. The
Evening News has offered payment for SOL
diers letters. but it dscreetly refrains from
publishing them fully.
Sub-conductor Tres of the army ordnance
corps writes from Elandsaagte: when our
chaps got to the top of the hills the enemy
got no mercy and the Dubins and the
Gordon Highlanders simply bayonetted all
that came their way. Some of the Beers
yelled for mercy and some feigned to be ,
dead to escape sticking"
The Evening News leaves a hiatus here
which can easily be filed.
Private F. Stewart, Gordon Highlanders !
gives a picture from Elandslaagte of the
furious bravery of Colonel Dick Cunning
ham and his orders to his men in language
which tells its own tale:
He was shot and had to sit down. For |
ward, Gordons,' he cried. The world is
looking at you, brave lads. Give it to the
beggars Exterminate the vermin. Charge!'"
Gunner Alfred Beadnall writes from
Orange river how General Gatacre shot a
spy. THE most painful thing ! have seen
was in the case of Dutch spy who was
caught trying to poison our horses. He
was tried and sentenced to be shot. The
poor fellow was made to march and dig his
own grave. When he had finished it he
was stood over it, Then twelve soldiers
marched out and had to pick up rifle out
of group Of twelve. There were six loaded
and six unloaded, SO none knew who sh 1t
him. The poor chap never said word 1t
was all over in a few minutes"
On the other hand. testimony is borne on
all sides to the humanity and kindness OF
the Beers, slanderous accusations against
them, wherever specific, being steadily dis
proved.
simply Fake.
Great indignation was caused here by a
account of the finding of the
bodies of three British outlanders OF the
irregular cavalry, tied to trees and rddlel
with bullets. This dispatch now comes from
Pietermaritzburg: The three British out
anders are unharmed and we'll treated in
Another revolving crime attributed to the
5oers was the massacre of nine members
If the town guard of Dundee after eyacua-
ion by General Yule's force |. Rayfield.
Who arrived at Estoourt from Dundee, made :
his statement before Under Secre ary
Bird
AT the time OF my leaving Dundee the
3oers had not interfered with any private ,
PERSONS and / telieYe the charge OF sboot. I
ng members OF tho town guard TO be abso- ,
utely false. ! was myself a member of ,
he town guard and I was on duty as a
member of the town guard the day after
he battle"
In view of tho British protest against the 7
lleged Boer use OF "dumdum" bullets as {
nhuman the following statements by Mr. S
Veblery, head cf the Noted firm hich manu- /
actures the British army revolver, is re- |
1t is made in defense of his FIRMS
eyolvers as used by the British officers and
n reply to statement that the Mauser
utomatic pistol used by the Beers is a more ]
Elective weapon: ?
"A revolver is used at short distance. when I
is question whether you or the enemy ,
les. You must make your man drop. You
nay depend our man-stopping bullet will
o II, The bullet mushrooms at low 7
eloeity. All its energy is spent after It 1
as entered the body. The pistol bullet. on A
he other hand, will pass right through the a
ody and therefore at close quarters is much
nferior."
"Mushrooming" is the quality in dunn
um" bullets which makes them inhuman \
Lnngtry Advertises Herself.
Mrs. Langtrys eleyerness in utilizing the
ar fever to work her way back into society
fter years Of ostracism amazed everybody u
he has prominently identified herself with h.