The evening times., 1900-01-10
FLED FROM THE TRANsvAAL.
The Stor, of an American Merchant
of Johannesburg.

NEW YORK. Jan. l0.-'I had to fight
! for the Beers or leave the Transvaal, said
/ Charles W Gittleman. an American mer-
chant of johannesburg. who has just re-
turned from South Africa, and rather than
go to the front | took flight with hun
dreds of other refugees. from the country.
The Beers insisted that all foreigners
should join their forces at Laing's Mex or
Immediately leave the Transvaal. To this
ruling the American residents and mer-
chants objected. A committee OF five was
formed to call upon James c. Manion, the
American Consul at johannesburg. Having
presented our case to him, we asked II
our Government could offer any protec-
tion. He said that he didn't think it could
as there was no treaty with the Transyaal
Government. and that he had no power to
prevent our being pressed into service.
We we're at a loss to know what to do.
We hated to give up our homes, we hated
to give up our business. We finally came
to the conclusion that the best course to
pursue would be to leave at once, so we
barricaded our stores and homes, and aft
er being made to give up half OF our stocks
as war tax, we left johannesburg for
Durham. From the latter place We tele-
graphed to Colonel Stowe. the American
Consul at Cape Town, for advice He ad-
vised us to return to johannesburg with
out fear, and as We were American citi-
Zens, we would be protected. We did so.
when we returned We received
the same notice which other
foreigners received to leave the
Ill, H. 1T,
forty eight hours. The place was in an
uproar. and excitement was at its height
Men women. and children, in their mad
race TO reach the railroad station. left be-
hind all that they possessed -jewelry,
clothing. and even the food which they
had but a few moments before carefully
packed for use during the long journey
which was before them.
This fatal mistake caused much misery.
Not one of the 200 persons that were
crowded together like cattle in the coal
car which was provided for us had any
thing to eat during the twenty-four hours
ride in a binding rainstorm. There was no
room for women with babes in their arms
to sit down and rest and not even a coat
to shelter them from the raging tempest
The train was held up and stopped
many times. AS we passed through towns
and hamlets we were greeted with Kisses
and jeers. At Elandsfontein we were
threatened with the szambok, and at Boks-
burg we received it. The fight which en-
sued over its use proved to be serious.
"a Cornishman whose name was Will
son was smoking at one of the windows
when he received a blow over the head
that laid him upon the floor senseless 1
managed TO grab the szambok from the
hand of the Boer civilian who used 1t and
prevented him from doing further dam
age. The train was allowed to go on. but
not until after the passengers were as
saulted and robbed.
I've reached Lourenco Marques, at Del
agoa, late at night. We were sent aboard
a vessel bound for Cape Town. After a
voyage of three days we reached our des-
tination. The hardships we endured were
frightful. During the three days on the
water we lived on crackers and coffee, be-
ing unable to get anything else
Il am glad to be back i'm my own coun-
try. said Mr.. Gittleman, as he ended his
story, "and l hardly think / will ever re-
turn again to johannesburg or any other
pert os South Africa