The evening times., 1900-03-26
Tired OF THE TRANSVbAL
Returning Americans Complain of
BOer Persecution.
kruger Called an Autocrat-EverS
Bureber Official Said 10 Make n
All JitIanders - The Travellers
Converted to the British View

NEW YORK, March 26-Leonard Leigh
and his son Leonard Leigh. jr.. of Lake
Linden, Mich. arrived on the steamship
New York Saturday on their way home
from the Rand mining district Of South
Africa, where both have been employed by
the French Rand Gold Mining Company
for three years.
Both are intensely pro British in senti-
ment. They were at the Stevens House. in
lower Broadway, last night and Mr. Leigh
sr.. spoke as follows:
Il am glad of this opportunity to do my
part as an American toward setting Amer
leans right on the South African war That
the sympathy of America should be with
the Beers can be attributable only to the
fact that the people of the United States
naturally side with republics. But the
Boer Republic is a republic in name only
1t is a monarchy. with President Kruger
as the supreme autocraJ.
The outrages to which all foreigners
are subjected by the Beers are incredible
10 persons who never have lived in the
Transvaal. Every Boer from sixteen to
sixty years old is compelled TO have
Mauser rifle and $50 rounds of ammunition
constantly ready for action. No foreigner
is permitted to carry arms. OF course. the
temptation for the Beers to use their
weapons on the slightest provocatiOn is
irresistible. and Americans, Irish. and
British, and other foreigners have been
shot down in cold blood. and nothing has
ever been done TO the person who did the
shooting. Boer policemen are usually
mounted They carry sword and a large
which they a inclined n
whenever they have an opportunity.
Take the case of Thomas Jackson Ed
gar. the killing of whom by a Boer police
man really precipitated the present war.
Edgar was walking along a street in Jo-
hannesburg when another Englishman in
suited HIM. and Edgar knocked him down.
BOer policemen saw the act. They follow
ed Edgar home. saw him reading in the
parlor. his wife with him. and battered in
his doom He stepped into the hallway 10
see what the trouble Was when police
man. without a word being said shot him
dead. Nothing was ever done 10 the po-
liceman.
Il oversight once on a train from Jo-
hannesburg to Luipaarsvlei. / was put of.
fined So. and forced TO pay s. more for
ticket for the distance / had everslept.
After the shooting Of Edgar Outlanders
called meeting TO protest 10 the British
Consul Mounted Boer policemen broke up
the meeting. injured many persons and ar
rested TWO men who got up the petition
No paper printed in English is allowed
TO print a petition unless the petition suits
Kruger and his men. but We secretly man
aged TO get up one with p Csc names at
tached and presented il to the Consul.
IF foreigners appealed to a court they
were always Disseminated against. An
American once appealed TO d court because
lie was fined for riding past a station on
q train. He was fined G25 and costs. Ju-
ries are composed only of Beers.
The Rand mines employ g 600 laborers
Each laborer is taxed SO when he is set
10 work. When a Boer official wants money
be sends an inspector around. who claims
that such and such a number Of laborers
have not paid their Initiation fee TO the
mines He fines as many as be likes So
apiece.
Every Doer official makes a practice OF
levyiug blackmail on foreigners. When
ever he wants money he goes TO mine
manager or owner and asks for loan.
There is no land tax. so all The taxes
are paid by the Outlanders. who own prop
erty. yet they have no voice in the gov
ernment
The cities are conducted in an out
rageous manner. There is no attempt at
sanitation. ana WntD We protest we lnGNl
the enmity of officials. who persecute us.
Last year G62. 600 was spent on schools
by the Transvaal all contributed by Out
landers. yet only G65O was used for schools
In which English was taught
The Irish in Africa are indignant at
what they term the misrepresentation by
ihe American press. They despise the
Beers heartily. Great numbers of Irish
and Americans volunteered in the British
Army. Louis L. Seymour. chief engineer Of
The Rand mines an American. is major OF
the Pioneer Regiment of Engineers. a corps
composed entirely OF Americans Irish, and
British
THE Transvaal never viii be a fit place
for a white man to live in as long as the
Beers are in power. Our lives and prop
erty are being menaced constantly.
The Beers are not brave. They fight
like rats. They get into holes or behind
trees and shoot down the British. but never
charge or fight in the open.
My son and / intend TO return TO the
mines as soon as the war is over The
Rand Company is paying all salaries the
same as though we were working there so
as to keep their staff together"