Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1900-07-19
st. Helena Prisoners.

~ ii'l'Ii, 1U1e DIX nun
drcd Bocr prisoners are now quar-
tered here. Cronje and his wife
are comfortably housed on the hill
back of jamestown, while Schiel
and the others, including old men
of GO and boys of fourteen, are en-
campcd in tents ut DcadwoOd on
fine grass land ut an altitude of
more than | 100 feet, and half n
mile in front of Longwood, the
house IN which Napoleon died.
And right comfortable these pris-
oners of war must be, for while
Jamestown is ut this time of the
year II vcrltablc stewpan, made the
hotter and more uncomfortable by
the heat reflected by the steep, dull
red volcanic rock on three sides,
Dcadwood is fresh and cool. with
delightful views of hill after hill
and an outlook for many miles a.
cross the deep blue Atlantic.
Kent cottage, which is the pres
cnt home of Croujc and his small
rctinuc, is pleasantly situated, tho
the approach is by no means en-
tlclng. II is just such cottage
aS may be seen on the outskirts of
many IN English village, an nm
prctcntlOuS two Storicd dwelling
with slate roof, and yellow washed
walls standing ont clearly from Il
background of green hillside. The
window frames and shutters are
painted the same shade of green
that YOU may see ANY day ut II
Dutch farm house in the Pearl dis
trIct of the Cape Colony. In front
runs Ncrandn, and there is II
slightly raised "Stocp." There is
also some prrtcnSc ut Il flower gar
den. The garden is incloscd by II
black wooden paling, aud still far
thrr in front is II little more cult
waited land with banana and Il few
other trees. The scene is simple
ity itself, hut for the bell tent in
the right hand corner of the gar
den, and the steady tramp of kha-
ki-cIad scntricS, east, west, north
and south.
On the Stoop and beneath the
vcranda for the best part of the
day sits General Cronjc, dark of
viSagc, somewhat long-beardcd,
and with hair turning gray. His
eyes are deep set, dark and ferret
like, and his dcmcanor is one of
cNtr"m" reserve. Pict Cronjc can
speak English almost as well as
amy TranSVaalcr of Dutch cXtrac-
tlon, but You may ply him in vain
with questions in English. He
positively refuses to speak any
thing but his nativr "taaI," and
even then his replies are little
more than monosylInbIcs. He has
little 20 say about anything, and
is difficult 10 draw. OF course, he
! feels his position. Nou may see
that written large upon his face;
but, contrary to what 50 many
people think, he appcarst to be very
u grateful for amy Kindness that is
. shown him, and fully appreciates
tn" efforts that are made to secure
bis comfort Beyond this he is as
the SPHINX. He sits III the brood
ing allltud" of Napoleon,
Nh day long Mrs. Crouj", IN
rusty black dress and black Borl
"kappi",' j. the defeated general 5
clos" "Ompinion Others who are
blood relations may emerge from
the hous" aud remain for hricI
while beneath the yrranda, bu
there il about them the rcStlcssncs,
aud imp"tuosity of th" Younger
Borr whnn under restraint
Unfortunately, sickness had bro
ken out mnonG the Borr prisoner
before they left the cape. Tn,
sick, however, are extremely wei
cared for. As write there ar,
twenty in hospital ont of the jOC
ou shore, and two have died
TheSr were accorded military hon
mS and were buried over the hill
just beyond Cronje's : new home,