The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-30
THE SIEGE OF KIMBERLEY
Hon. Mrs. Mcguire Furnishes Some
Interesting Details.


Correspondence of the Associated Press
London, March 21.-Hon Mrs. Roehfort
Mcguire who with her husband, the Brit
ish South African Company director, re-
nainSd in Kimberley throughout the
siege, describes her experiences in sew
eral columns Of the London Times. Like
all the correspondents, she is loud IN her
praises of the work done by Cecil Rhodes.
She says:
For some time before Magersfontein
Mr. Rhodes had felt that in view of the
uncertain duration Of the siege 1t was
necessary to get rid Of as many mouths
as possible This idea had been at trst
opposed by the military authorities,
Int they gave away eventually
and he managed to get ria on some
5000 natives in the compounds. This was
splendidly managed che natives being
led out Of town in attachments. Ihey
started on their way in good spirits, car
rving their belongings, cooking pots
blankets, etc. together with some rations,
fully intending many of them to return
when the war was over After the pat
tie of the Modder Lord Methuen, who eX-
pected to be in Kimberley almost
imrn ediately. sent message to
Col. Kekewich that he would not
be able 60 remain any time and So
practically non-comba tants must leave
little food would be sent in aud the town
would only be occupied by its defenders
This idea caused great CONSERVATION
among the people who thought IL very
hard that. after enduring a siege of two
months, they should be called upon TO
leave the town and go, nobody knew
where. at almost a moments notice. Co'
Kekewich stated al a meeting of the IoWh
Council that the people would nave 70
leave on the entry of Lord Methuen. Du-
great numbers Of the people said they in
tended refusing TO go. A telegram was
sent by the principal men in the town. set
ting forth the difficulties of turning out
$1,000 people suddenly without provision
having been made for them.
"Our intelligence department dld no.
succeed in getting much Information SO
Mr.. Rhodes organized system OF hauNe
runners and scouts, by which we were en-
able not only TO receive occasional papers
and letters from the outside world, but
also learned what the besiegers were
about, where their laagers were, etc. We
gathered that there were probably never
more than 1900 or 5000 round us at any
time, with about 5000 or 1000 Of as many
more In Spytfontein. impeding Lord Me
thuen's advance; but so mobile are these
irregular troops that whenever we
made a sortie they collected from
all parts in a very snort
time and made action on our part
impossible without great loss of life"
The Standards Kimberley correspond
ent states that the Sunday previous to
relief, when petitions praying that sur
render be resorted to Were being circulat-
ea in the beleaguered town. Mr. Rhodes
received a message through the intelli-
gence department from Lord Roberts,
saying it would be too humiliating for
the town to surrender after its brave de-
tense. and asking him to assure the PEG
pie that relief would reach them in a
few days The message as received by
Mr.. Rhodes was marked secret l met
him shortly after its receipt, when he read
it to me, saying: I know Lord Roberts
never intended it to be secret. The
people need something to cheer them up.
and ] want them to know l have received
this cheering news. He also caused plA-
cards to be placed at the corners of the
principal streets, announcing that the De
Beers and Kimberley mines would he
lighted and opened as places of shelter
for women and children at p. m. over
1900 were accommodated at DeBeers, ana
1900 in Kimberley mines, while 200 took
refuge under the railway bridge. In these
places they We're fed and looked after by
Mr. Rhodes, Dr. Smart, Mr.. Gardiner
Williams and a staff of able assistants
during the four days of active Smelling
which followed"