The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-17
soLrIER OF FORTUNE.

u
Col. 'Schiel, soldier OF fortune. have APP
peared. but 80 far no details are given
by Col. Schiei himself On his return
from Europe II In 1s93-on a mission
which seemed 10 be kept a close SO
cret-he sailed per Royal Mail steamer
Roslyn Castle. timed TO arrive at the
Cape January II. 1894. says the Times OF
Natal. During his voyage Schiel was
exceedingly communicative 10 those
who could speak German, and in view
OF subsequent events. the particulars
given by himself may not be uninter-
esting. To begin with, ne confessed
himself even from boyhood. 'mauvais
sujet." For by various breaches or
discipline and determination not to
study he was expelled from every
school to which he was sent in Rhen-
ish Prussia. He managed, however, TO
secure some sort Of officer commits
sion in the German army. but for some
reason or other his career was cut
short. and ahe then arrived in South
Africa TO seek his fortune. Making his
way to Zululand he created himself
sort OF ''Inkos settled down and mar
ried the daughter of a German mis-
s.onary. AT the outbreak of the Zulu
war, however. his goods were stolen,
his place lOOltu anu HIS
burned. TherVupon he fought with the
English In the punitive, war OF 1879.
Mystery seems 10 cnshroud events
about this time, for the colonel, in
making his recital soon changed
his tone as TO the British government.
No doubt this has something TO do with
the $500 offered years ago and never
known yet to be withdrawn. BE that
as il may Schiel In 1881 at once took
side with the Beers. His remark as to
the abrupt termination of the war after
Majuba throws another light aitogeth-
er on the Boer asseveration that they
ought to be independent, and also on
their denial that they ever consented
TO be annexed. His words Were. You
could have knocked ME down with
feather when / heard the war was at
an end. We simply couldn't believe
that Gladstone had given up the coun-
try, To u.s. If wrongly annexed. why
were they surprised? Asked as u
whether he regretted going to the
Transvaal, he said: Never, / have
adopted the country, have made my
home there and have now an estate OF
some $4,000 acres up in the Spelon-
ken. My time in Germany has been
spent partly in choosing El2oO worth
OF farming implements. / intend To
have a fine place up there" In speak
ing OF natives, Schiel declared he would
like 40 root out the christian native.
To have ever been under the influence
OF -nissjonary--that was enough To
make him increase the punishment IN
variably. For theft. ten lasbes To
raw Kaffir but twenty-five lashes 10 "a
Christian Kafir" he said with a
chuckle. He explained fully. too, the
working of an automatic arrangement
by which he punished on the spot any
native tampering with his larder win
dow. On hearing noise. Schiel. by
txt, N hHd Iaf off
a run charged with salt-and the ma
lives bowling and yelling for mercy
one could hear a long way OFT.
During the whole voyage Schiel was
always at some time OF the day In deep
conclave With Elias Grobler. one of the
rising Free Staters who at that time
was returning from representing the
Free State at the Chicago exposition.
a man OF ability. the young Grobler
had worked himself up 10 the position
of vice chairman OF the Raad I'm Bloem-
fontein. 1t was quite evident that
complete inoculation OF this useful
Free Trader was going on, and sub
sequert Raad debates now prove this.
The evening before landing the health
OF the two republics was drunk In
bumpers OF champagne. Under this ge-
nialzing influence Schiel began TO
boast tnat an unexpected honor was
accorded him IN Germany when at a
private audience he received decor
alton from the German Emperor. In
answer 90 the natural For what SER
vice?' he stopping the flow of informa-
tion, then gave ft Because OF a Ger
man officer rising 50 high in the ser
vice OF The Trensvaal." he supposed.
Whom walking about the Cape Town
streets soldiers were met Schiele said
more than once that ever since the
Boer war OF 1891 he always felt that
he wanted M alave n pot at then, again.
whenever | zee n redcoat I seem TO
feel Tor my rife" In private life