The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-22
GUNS BURIED With DEAD
The Beers Use of Graves Recently
Brought TO Light.
Discoveries Made by Australian
MISREPRESENTATION of the Mystery
of the Strange Disappearance of
the Arms and Military stores Froi.,
Cronje's Camp at Masersfontein.

The Beers employment of graves for the
purpose of concealing arms and ammuni-
ton for use at some future time is de-
scribed as follows by a London CORE
spondent:
1T is a far cry from the operations now
terminating in the Free State to those
with which Lord Roberts commenced his
invasion of that territory; but some most
extraordinary and interesting facts have
Just come to light which are worth sum
marizIng. 1t will be remembered that
after the surrender of Cronie and what
remained Of his force at Paardeberg there
was some speculation as to what had be-
come Of large quantities of arms and am
munition which were known 10 be in his
possession. II was commonly said that
they had been buried, the object of their
interment being twofold, namely, to keep
them from falling into the hands of the
British and also in order that they might
be used on some future occasion by the
Beers themselves, should luck again come
in their way.
About that extraordinary burial there
is now no doubt. But your Boer is SLIM
and when this work was done every mag
Unable artifice was employed to deceive
those who might make Investigations. But
there are others at present in this coun-
try who are also slim, and in this case
what might be called the woodcraft of the
Australian Bushman has been of immense
service. Some of these Bushmen, khaki
clad, spade in hand and rife slung handy
10 the grip, have been engaged for some
time in unearthing the hidden spells. 1t
has not been nice work, but that is the,
fault Of the Beers, who have shown but
little respect for the dead. The stencil is
described as horrible-frst carbolic, and
then all the sickening horrors of dead
oxen. dead sheep, horses, done TO death
by hard work or shell. and il must be
added, dead men. These Bushmen were
actually digging up the dead. Beneath
the bodies of these dead Beers were buried,
carefully wrapped in blankets, numbers of
rifles.
What does it mean? What are the
titles doing there? Is that box another
cofin?' asked visitor to the famous bat.
tlefeld
See here, said the Bushman. as he
took off his hat to wipe the perspiration
from his forehead, this is the way the
Beers treated their dead
He picked up a rifle marked H Pie
naar.'
e This / found near one body-poor
devil. Under that body you see now am
going TO pull ont those guns and a lot of
ammunition. Here, jacob December,
lend hand And the two Kafflrs came
up TO assist the soldier grave-digger
First came six rifles, then two boxes.
on opening which Mauser ammunition was
found Both boxes were full and unin-
jured. They had come via Port Elizabeth
In the first place, consigned to Bloemfon-
TEN. The painting on the boxes was plain
and the three months burial had done the
cartridges no harm.
At another spot some twenty Beers
had been dug up. with the result that
thousands of rounds of ammunition were
discovered-put by for future use. it is TO
be presumed; otherwise, why not have
tossed them into the river hard by?
Some hundreds of graves and trenches
were made TO disgorge their contents, and
frequently what appeared to be a dead
mans last home turned out to be but a
clever rusc TO conceal pompom shells or
artillery ammunition of heavier calfbre
In one place was a headstone which
marked the hiding place for some dozen
rifles, tin box with clothing in it. and
perhaps some two hundred rounds of Mar
tini-Henry cartridges. Then from another
grave with q wooden cross at its head there
came, first, an oilskin coat, next three
stretched out upon lot OF crossed sticks.
Suspended from the sticks, and carefully
wrapped UP in oil and thick blankets. were
three new English Lee Metfords. a saddle
under them, and a bundle of photographs
bearing the names of colonial photograph
ers. The total depth OF this grave was
nine feet-good, hard, solid digging.
The cunning displayed by the Beers In
thus hiding arms ard ammunition is mar
velous. and but for the ingenuity of the
Bushmen doubtless shells, guns. and am
munition would have remained intact nm
I'll the premeditated day for their re-
moval.
The skill Of the Australians. remarks
this visitor to PaarGeburg, is a lesson to
our own police. To the ordinary passer-
by the ground is even. and differs not
from the veldt generally, but the astute
non com. stops between two filIed-up
trenches. He makes mark with his
spade and sends for kaffirs. The trenches
are emptied. but though thirty-six square
feet are dug out twice over no find re-
pays the energy and industry of the per-
spring party
Turn this up boys says the corpo-
raj, turning an inquisitive eye to blade
or two Of grass which. after handling
gently. he plucks and throws aside. This
bit OF ground has been taken up and fiat
tened down afterward. and the trenches
have been filed in as a blind
From under this innocent-lookine
ground were recovered a case OF POM
pom shells and an unexploded Iyddite
she'll damaged saddle and a tin case
containing papers and an old kit"