The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-17
FOUGHT WITH THE BOERS
MEMBERS OF THE IRISH AMBULANCE
CORPS LAND AT NEW YORK.
Private Bedford and dynamite Dick
King Tell of Their Experiences
i'm South Africa.

NEW YORK. Nov. 16.-The North Ger
man Lloyd steamer Trave. which arrived
this morning, had on board thirty-four of
the Chicago Irish ambulance corps who
fought in the Transvaal They were met
at quarantine by committee to arrange
for their landing and reception. The dele
CATION consisted of p. b. Buckley, Patrick
Eagen, DR.. c'Neill and j. j. Judge. The
returned Irishmen are all in good health
and spirits and greeted the delegation cor
daily, saying they were glad to get back.
They were all clad comfortably in wilmer
clothing and looked as if they did not suf
fer for means Their soft PREDETERMINED
felt hats were decorated with buttons and
other insignia of the Beers.
On their arrival in this city they were es-
corted to the Vanderbilt Hotel. where they
were entertained. The original number of
the corps when ii went TO South Africa
was fifty-eight. One was killed, one taken
prisoner, some are in the hospital and some
remained in South Africa. The corps left
Africa for home about month and a half
ago, going first to Trieste, and from there
to Paris. They boarded the Trave at Cher
bourg.
John w. Escholman, vino went out under
General Hassell as a scout, said the men
had all given a good account of them
selves. Private 7. A. Belford, of Ireland,
and j. n. King of California, better
known Dynamite Dick" also spoke of
their experiences. 1--WE are all members"
said Beford, 'of the Irish Brigade, which
was commanded by an American colonel,
Johnny Blake, formerly of the Sixth
graduate. This war is not over, notwith-
standing reports to the contrary. Read
The reported losses of the British, which
they say in their dispatches are due to en-
teric' fever. 1t is not the enteric fever, or
any other kind of enteric affection that is
doing the work. 1t is Mauser bullets and
nothing else.
I'VE were in the field from Oct. g. 1885,
until the second day of last month; then
we sailed from Lourenzo Marques for
Trieste, en- route to America. We were at
Spfon Kop, Colenzo, the siege of Lady
smith, Modderspruit, besides many other
engagements. AS regards craftsmanship,
especially with small arms. the Beers can
give the English cards and spades and still
beat them with their eyes shut. During a
fight on Oct. 80 five hundred johannesburg
policemen fought 500 entrenched English:
captured their works, with LIS men and
killed the rest. This gives an idea of how
the Boer can shoot. 1t sounds strange, but
1T is true-I never saw a union jack or a
regimental flag during all the war. The
white one. and never heard of a white
union jack.
when the poor old President left for
Europe, General Botha, in his order to his
men announcing the departure said: Now
that the poor old man is SAFE let the fight
ing begin This was the inauguration of
guerrilla warfare. The English officers are
q queer set French is the best of the lot.
Butler is the bulldog of the crowd. He
has feeling for his men. On one occa-
sion a detachment of troops in his COM
mand refused to storm Boer stronghold,
to face which was certain death In his
anger Butler turned battery of artillery
on them and seventy-three of them were
killed.
Dynamite Dick King said the scouts
had an experience similar to that of the
Irishmen in most cases, one of their duties
having been to dynamite the railways. His
participation in this duty, he said, ac-
counted for his sobriquet. He said that
the detachment was discourteously treated
by the authorities at Lourenzo Marques.
the Portuguese having imprisoned them
for six days on a troopship before allow
ing them to board the Austrian Lloyd
steamship Styra, on which they sailed for
Trieste.