The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-30
LADY SARAH WILSON
Safe in Mafeling, Living in Bomb
Proof shelter-Gives an Interest
L., A.......A ~ n. r-...i...

Safe in Mafsking, Living in Bomb
Proof shelter-Gives an Interest
ing Account of Her Experience
MAFEKING. Sunday. Dee. 10, (By
Native Runner to MachudiJ-Lady
Sarah Wilson is living In bomb-proof
shelter of her own construction under
the private residence of Mr.. Well
There she is enabled to exist with some
degree of comfort. and, II she chooses
TO spend part OF the time In the house,
her shelter is close enough to enable
her to take cover between the ring Of
the warning bell and the arrival of the
projectlle.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press in Mafeklng, to whom she grant
ed an interview. was strueiS with the
TACT. on cntt:ys ner bomb-proot re-
tuge, that she Is unq cstionably an old
campalgner. Even in this noIsome,
dark hole, dug under the ground. she
manages to make herself comfortable.
She has whisky and soda as well as
cigarettes 10 offer visitors,
Lady sarah's adventures were exclt-
ing. sometimes amusing. and often
spiced with considerable danger. 1t
was on Thursday that she left Mafe-
king. She arrived at the stelogl hotel
that night. The Following morning she
was aroused by the rattle Of musSetry
and the boom of guns. It was Captain
NesbItt, of the Mashonal and mounted
police. now prisoner in the hands Of
the Beers, who was fighting desperate
ly, unable to get back or to go forward.
but holding the wrecked armored train
until the last. AS soon as daylight
would allow, Lady Sarah pluckily rode
to the scene OF action and photographed
Z the wreck
Finding that her presence at Setia-
golla exposed her to insults. the Beers
moved her to MosutI, where she enjoy
ed the hospitality of colonial farmer.
By means of heavy bribcs she per-
suaded natives to carry information to
and fro. Extraordinary stories regard
Ing her were circulated among the
Beers, One was that she was the wife
OF an English general. another that she
was a granddaughter OF the queen and
had come to spy upon the doIngs OF the
Beers, and third that che was the
only male survivor OF MafekIng, having
escaped in the guIse of woman.
Lady Sarah visited vryburs. She
wag driven there By young Boer who
passed her off ns his sister She found
loyalrgts who gave her official dis
patches ana news. She stayed in the
ho,e. al dey and stole out nt night TO
do shopping. on visiting the hospital
she founl that orders had been Issued
that no one should leave the town. The
gallant Boar had to answer some curl
GUS questions pu: by the landrost before
he could get permission for himself and
his sister" to leave. They set out ut
O'clock in the morning. In fear OF be-
Ing recognized and got away safely.
After tho Boors discovered that she
had been mixed up In dispatch running
she went 10 Commandant snymans
camp with a view OF getting back to
Mafeklng. but snynan refused to let
her go to MafcEIng or even to setla-
COLL. He proposed sending her to eHe-
rust ms prisoner OF war. or, MS an al
tentative, to release her II Viljoen
were given up by the British.
At Hrst ahc refused 10 ask Col Baden
Powell to do this. but finally she
changed her mind. Lady Sarah gath
cred from her varied experiences among
the Roers that they are heartily sick
Of thr war.