Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-27
MADE DARING ESCAPE
Winston Churchill Tells Of His Break
for Liberty.
he IS NOW 1T LORENZO MARQUES
Gen. Kitchener jams Gen. Roberts
at Gibraltar.
LATE NEWS FROM METHU EN-

LONDON. December 27.-Mr. Winston
Spencer Churchill has cabled and the
Morning Post publishes today an account
Of his escape from captivity with the Beers
after having been made prisoner in the
reconnaissance of an arrnored train at
Estcourt. The dispatch. which is dated
Lorenzo Marques December Il. says
In the evening l concealed myself in a
railway truck under a great pile of sacks.
l had a small store Of good water. | re-
NAMED hidden 50. CHANGING discovery The
Beers searched the train at kpmatipoort,
but did not search deep enough. After some
sixty hours Of misery came safely here
1 am very weak. but am free. l have lost
many pounds IN weight. but am light in
heart shall avail myself Of every oppor-
tunity nence1orth to urge earnestly the un-
finching and uncompromising prosecution
Of the war.
ION the afternoon Of December u the
TrauSvaaTs secretary of War informed me
that there was little chance of my release
| therefore resolved to escape, and the same
night | left the State Schools prison In
Pretoria by climbing the wall when the
sentries' backs we're turned momentarily
l walked through the streets of the town,
without disguise. meeting many burghers,
but was not challenged in the crowd
Got Through the Pickets.
Il got through the pickets of the town
guards and struck the Delagoa Bay rail-
road. l wake along it, eyading the
watchers at the bridges and culverts and
waited for a train beyond the first station
The 11:fO goods train from Pretoria had
arrived before / reached the place and was
moving at full speed.
Il boarded il with great difficulty and
hid under coal sacks l jumped from the
train before dawn, and was sheltered DUR
ing the day in a small wood, in company
with a huge vulture. which displayed
lively interest in
Il walked on at dusk. There were no
more trains that night The danger of
meeting the guards of the line continued,
but | was obliged to follow it, as | had no
compass map l had to make wide de-
tours to avoid bridges, stations and huts,
and my progress was very slow. Choc-
Olate is not a satisfying food The outlook
was gloomy but ! persevered, with Gods
help For five days my food supply was
very precariCus. / was lying up by day
light and walking by night.
Hot His Trail.
Meanwhile my escape had been dis
covered and my description te1egraphed
everywhere. All trains were searched, and
every one was on the watch for me. Four
times the wrong people were arrested.
THE sixth day l managed to board a
train beyond Middleburg. whence there
was direct service to Delagoa."
LORENZO MARQUES. December o.
Mr.. Winston Churchill arrived here late
last night and left for Durham by the
steamer Induda-
GEN Roberts at Gibraltar.
GIBRALTAR, December 21.-The British
steamer Dunottar Castle. having on board
Gen Lord Roberts of Kandahar. command
er-in-chief of the British forces in South
Gen. Sir H Kitchener who came from
Egypt to join Gen Roberts as his chief of
stan, embarked on board the Dunottar Cas-
tie and the vessel sailed early this morn
Ing for Cape Town.
No Change in Methuen's Status.
LONDON. December 27.-The war office
here has received the following dispatch
from Cape Town, dated Tuesday, December
%:
There is no change in the situation
.ielAuSn reports that the enemy force has
increased and IS engaged in intrenching
lnree and a half miles from his outlying
pickets. no
'Methuen reconnoitered with two souad-
rons of mounted infantry for two miles
along the line and drew the fire Of four
guns ana TWO Vickers machine guns Four
horses We're hit.
The queens Christmas message was re-
ceiNed with enthusiasm.
Gatacre IS endeavoring to reopen COM
Warming TO Cape CoIoni,ts,
LONDON, December 2I.-The privy coun-
Gil heid a meeting al Windsor Castle today.
AT winch Queen Victoria proclaimed a
warning 10 all British subjects not to as
slst the inhabitants of the Transvaal or
Orange Free State. or to sell or transport
merchandise thereto under penalty of The
law. The proclaim alton was gazetted to-
night. "
The Rhodesian Relief Force,
LONDON, December 27-The Rhodesian
MafeNing relief force, according to a dis
patch from Mochudi, Bechuaualand. dated
Saturday. December L. was progressing
slowly owing to the necessity of repairing
the bridges. avera ging one per mile
An intercepted Boer mail bag it is added.
SHOWS that twenty Beers were killed and
many wounded during the British attack