The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-09
LOST N SOUTH AFRICA
Lady Sarah Wilson Left Maj
eking for Cape Town.
BUT FOR HER MAID
She Is Now Reported a Pris-
oner in Boer Hands.
BUT FOR HER MAID

London, Dec. s.-According to special
dispatch from Pretoria General Joubert
recently proposed an exchange of pris-
oners and especially Lady Sarah Wilson,
for a Boer lady taken prisoner at Mafe-
king. Lady Wilson is an aunt Of Win
ston Churchill and the wife of Captain
| C. o. Wilson of the Royal Horse Guards.
This was the first definite news that she
was a prisoner. Lady Wilson has been
acting in the double capacity of news
paper correspondent and Red Cross nurse
and there had been much anxiety about
her. When last heard from, Lady Will
son had left Mafeking on horseback with
her maid as her sole companion. She
was reported to have reached Setlagou.
A New York Journal story. of a date
shortly following Lady Wilson's departure
from Mafeking, gives romantic details
concerning her presence in South Africa
and also relates in connection some inter
esting facts concerning Winston Church
i'll, his mother, Lady Randolph Churchill,
and Lieutenant CORVALLIS West, whose
infatuation for Lady Randolph Churchill,
Notwithstanding the advantage she has
of him an point of age. led at one time
to the definitely worded report of their
engagement The story follows:
The members of the ducal family of
Churchill, which has many American as
part in the drama of the world just now
Lady Sarah Wilson, aunt of the Duke
of Marlborough, is a fugitive in the At
rican veldt, which swarms with savages.
Lady Randolph Churchilrs oldest son,
Lieutenant Winston Churchill, is woun,i-
ed and a prisoner in the hands of the
Beers, and liable to be executed accord
ing to the strict laws of war.
Lady Randolph herself is going to
South Africa with hospital ship Maine
which she has equipped for the benefit of
the wounded British soldiers.
Lieutenant CORVALLIS West, the young
officer who is madly in love with Lady
Randolph, has gone to the war and is
now with the expedition that is hurrying
to the relief of Kimberley.
OF all these persons the situation of La
dy Sarah Wilson is the most perilous and
extraordinary. She is the sister of the
late Duke of Marlborough, and therefore
an aunt of the present. She is the young
est of family of ten children, which ac-
counts for the fact that she is a Etale
if any older than her nephew, the Duke
Her five sisters are leaders of society,
and several of them are beauties.
Lady Sarah, who is named in honor of
the great original Duchess of Marlbor-
ough, is a tall, handsome woman, some
what unconventional and lover of sport.
In 1891 she married Captain Gordon VIII
son, of the Horse Guards, son of an Aus
tralian multi-millionaire.
When her husband went out to join
Colonel Baden-Powen at Mafeking, she
insisted on going with him. She went
as correspondent of a newspaper, and
was the first titled woman to act in that
capacity in war time
When the Beers began the seige of Ma
feking closely, Lady Sarah thought it
would be interesting. to get out and tell
the outside world what was happening
there. Early one morning she said good
by to her husband, and with only a maid
accompanying her she set out to travel
a thousand miles and more to Cape Town.
The country through which she had to
travel is not only swarming with Beers,
but what is far worse, with bands OF
savages eager to take advantage of any
WEAKNESS of either side.
Lady Sarah's relatives and friends
shudder to think that this beautiful and
high-bred young woman may have fall
len into the hands of the brutal blacks.
However they still hope that her great
pluck will bring her through safely.
Lady Randolph Churchill's situation, If
It is less perilous, is more romantic and
pathetic.
She is the most brilliant American wo-
man in English society.
Lieutenant CORVALLIS West, the hand
some young officer in love with her. has
gone to the war.
Her son, Lieutenant Winston Churchill,
has not only gone. but has already been
wounded and taken prisoner.
Lady Randolph is going herself, in