Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-28
TELLS OF It.
Winston Churchill Cables the
Story of His Flight
HID IN A FREIGHT CAR.
Concealed Himself Far Down in Pile
ofSacks-Boers Searched Car but
Did Not Find Him-Lost
Many Pounds.

-
London, Dec. 27.-(By Associated
Press. Winston Churchill cables from
Lorenzo MARQUEE to the Post an ac-
count of his escape from captivity with
the Beers. He says: ''In the evening
concealed myself in a railway truck
under a great pile OF sacks. had a
small store of good water. and I re-
manned hidden SO, CHANGING discovery.
The Beers searched the train at Komat-
ipoort but did not search deep enough.
After some sixty hours of misery came
safely here. / was very sick but free.
L have lost twenty pounds, but am
light in heart. shall avail myself of
every opportunity henceforth to urge
the earnest, unflinching uncompromis-
ing prosecution of the war.
son the afternoon of Dec. 10 the
Transvaal secretary of war informed
me that there was little chance of my
release. I therefore resolved to escape.
The same night left the State School
prison in Pretoria, by climbing the wall
when the sentry's back was turned for
moment. 1 walked through the
streets without disguise, meeting many
burghers, but not being challenged in
the crowd. I got through the pickets
and town guards and struck the Della
goa Bay railroad. I walked along it,
evading watchers at bridges and cul-
verts and waited for train beyond
the first station. A goods train from
Pretoria arrived before I reached the
place, and though it was going at full
speed, / boarded it with great diff
Guilty and hid under the coal sacks. L
jumped from the train before dawn
and was sheltered during the day in a
small wood, in. company with a huge
vulture, who displayed lively interest
in me.
81 walked on at dusk, for there were
no more trains that night. The dan
ger of meeting guards of the line con-
tinued, but was obliged to follow it as
had no compass or map. had to make
wide detours to avoid bridges, stations
and huts and SO my progress was very
slow. Chocolate was not satisfying
food The outlook was gloomy, but /
persevered, with Gods help. For five
days my food supply was very precar-
ious. l was lying up by daylight and
walking by night.
Meanwhile my escape had been dis
covered and my description telegraphed
everywhere. All trains were searched
and everyone was on the watch for
me. -Four times wrong people were ar
rested.
"On the sixth day managed to board
a train beyond Middlebnrg, from
whence there is direct service to Della
goa"
Churchill Coos to Durham.
Lorenzo Marques, Dec. 22.-(By AS
ISOLATED Press Winston Churchill ar
rived here late last night and left for
Durham by steamer.
situation Unchanged.
London, Dec. 27-(By Associated
Presf "A dispatch from Cape Town,
Dec. 26, says: mo change in the sit
uation. Metheun reports the enemys
force increased, and that he is en-
trenching three and a half miles from
his outlying pickets. Metheun recon
noitereh with two squadrons of mount
ed infantry two miles along the line
and drew the fire of four guns and two
We're hit"
Gatacre has reopened communication
| with the Indwe collieries.
British Subjects Warned
London, Dec. 27.-(By Associated
Press 1.-The queen has proclaimed a
warning to all British subjects not to
assist the inhabitants of the Transvaal
or the Orange Free State or to sell or
| transport merchandise thereto under
penalty of the law. The proclamation
will be gazetted tonight.
Keller Force Progressing slowly.
London. Dec. 27.-(By Associated
Press 1.-The Rhodesian, Aafeking re-
lief force, according to advices from
Mochudi, Buchuanaland, dated Dec. 16,
is progressing slowly, owing to the
necessity of repairing the bridges,
which average one per mile. An in
tercepted Boer mail bag shows that
twenty Beers were killed and many
wounded in the British attack on
Sequani Lager.
or for Cape Town.
Gibraltar, Dec. 27.-By Associated
Press. 1.-The steamer Dunottar Castle,
with Lord Roberts, commander-in-chief
of the British forces in South Africa,
arrived here yesterday evening. Gen.
Lord kitchener, who came from Egypt
to join Roberts as chief of staff, EN-
barked on the Dunottar Castle and the
vessel sailed this morning for Cape
Town.
| Murdcrers Hanged.
Brandon, Manitoba, Dec. 27.-(By As
ISOLATED fress.)-Emily Hilda Blake, a
domestic, was hanged this morning for