Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1900-06-14
STILL ANOTHER WAR.
JOHN BULL FIGHTING WILD
MEN OF BORNEO."
RebeIious Natives Driven from Strong
hold to Stronghold and the End Is
Near-Rare Courage of the Islanders
Is Near the Philippines.

While public attention so far as
British military activities are con-
cerned, has been conferred on the
South African struggle, England has
been having serious trouble with a
people other than the Beers and at
present is carrying on a bloody war
in Borneo Owing to the poor facili-
ties for carrying news, little has been
made known as yet as to the origin
of the war, but it is known that Brit
ain is conducting an active campaign
which cannot end otherwise than in
the early crushing of the revolution.
The government at Washington may
well shake hands with the British over
kindred troubles in the same neigh
borhood. Borneo is next-door neigh
Dor of ours in the far east, being sit
uated Immediately and only short
distance southwest of the Philippine
Islands. 1t is in direct line between
Australia and Asia, and is a little
nearer the latter. Borneo is one of
the largest islands in the world, but
from the standpoint of production has
been of little Importance. 1t seems
the island produces little but monkeys,
butterflies, tobacco, jungles and fevers.
A rebellion was organized last year
under chief named Mat Lalleh and
before the British bestirred them
selves, serious rebellion was begun.
Much of the earlier part of the war
was confined to jungle fighting. Here
the natives had tremendous advan-
tage on account of long familiarity
with the few paths through the tan
gled brush and their remarkable
agility in sliding through what is ap-
parently impenetrable masses of bam-
boo and underground. So long as the
rebels chung to this style of warfare
the British made little Roadway in
subduing them. Time and again the
English were decoyed into ambus-
cades in the jungles, and always
with disastrous results to the AT
kins" troops. The islanders also had
several forts, and the Englih endeav-
ored to capture them. One of them,
the fort of Lalleh, occupied an almost
impregnable position and it was found
impossible to surround it completely
Intrenched in such a position as this
the rebels were able to defy their en-
emies for some days. Their British
adversaries had no cannon just then
sufficiently heavy to do any effective
work against the Notifications, ordin-
airy as they were. There was no course
left but to make an infantry attack
and to endeavor to carry the fort by
storm. Under fire from the rebels the
British made a dash for the outer
works, where they were stopped by a
stout bamboo fence. The upper ends
of the rods had been sharpened and
this in addition to their height above
the ground rendered scaling impos-
sible. The soldiers began cutting
through the barricade AS soon as the
first opening was made there occurred
remarkable instance of courage and
daring.
A Javanese boy named Leyman,
who was servant of one OF the resi-
dent British officials, dashed through
the hole in the stockade and with a
big can of oil in one hand and a fam
ing torch in the other ran toward the
fort buildings. The rebels, yelling
and bowling, turned their heaviest
firing on the boy. The soldiers, who
were now pouring through the open
ings in the bamboo fence, soon drew
most of the fire from the lad. In
daunted by the bullets whistling
about his head Leyman darted from
building to building, and soon half
dozen of them were in flames The
rebels brought into play a small brass
cannon, which at the third shot eX-
ploded. With the explosion the rebels
abandoned the fort to the enemy. A
number of them were captured, how
ever, and the remainder who had es-
capped the bullets, darted into under
ground tunnels and escaped. At last,
the rebel forces had to retire to their
only fort, which occupied a command
ing position, and here they withstood
the British for ten days. On one oc-
casion a daredevil patriot appeared
on the fort wall and shouted defiance
at the enemy. A rifle cracked and a
ball passed through both legs of the
patriot. The man fell outside the
walls and no sooner struck the ground
than he scrambled into a sitting pos
ture and turning his face to the enemy
tore open his shirt, exposing his
naked breast. A half score of rifles
rang out and six or seven bullets
entered the spot the poor rebel barred
for them.
Eventually the rebel chief was
killed, the fort had to be abandoned
end now the Borneo revolutionists,
the few who are left, are fugitives in
the jungles. Very soon it is expected
they will be run to earth and the rev.
olution will be at an end.