The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-01-10
HOW WAR Is MADE.
Events THAT MOVE STERNEK AND
SWIFTLY.
Movements Not All In the
Battles.

Thrilling Movements Not All In th'
Battles.
For some days prior to the battle OF
Elandslaagte rumor had been busy as
to the intentions of the Beers, and when
on the night of October is the railway
staff north of Elandslaagte was with
drawn it was felt that trouble was moi
far off Anticipating Boer attack or
natives looting, or both, the women and
children had been sent south for safety.
The local mines were kept working at
high pressure, and railway, postal and
telegraph services to the south were IN
full swing, when word was brought TO
me on the 10Th that the Boer advance
guard was within four miles. The news
arrived about p M, and two trains OF
military stores. which it was intended
to force through to Dundee camp, over
the line, which had been closed on the
day before, had already left Ladysmith
distant sixteen miles), and were due to
pass about 1880 p. M
When the first one steamed up l
! CdllGu Tie uIlNSl llllO Lie OlliCC oit AZ
/ formed him Of the near approach OF the
Beers. Pick up the mails and go for
all you're WORTH" said. There was
hardly time however. Loud cries, rat
ting hoofs, cracking reports from Maui
ser rifles, and the pattering OF bullets
all around-the Beers were upon US
Driver Cutbush did not wait He put
on full steam, and amid shower OF
bullets the train went ahead.
At the moment the van passed me
several Beers rode on to the platform
! and fired over our heads at the train.
Others dismounted and took steady aim
at the driver. The glass window in his
| cab was, learned afterward, broken by
one of the first shots, and several 9TH
ers missed him narrowly. | was at
once seized by the second in command
and ordered to stop the train, the order
being emphasized by the muzzle or his
rifle held close to my head, his finger on
the trigger. But he saw he was losing
time, and left me to fire on the train
The scene at this moment was most 'ex-
citing; in spite of the imminent peril IN
which we stood, 1t was impossible to
avoid admiring the horsemanship which
DeTInlIUGQ lItbSt IOu5H liNiSlo ~ o"iisF
at breakneck speed over rough ground
in pursuit Of the flying train, trusting
to their grip of the saddle for a seat,
firing round after round in quick sue
cession from their Mausers, and yelling
loudly with rage as the trainransmooth-
lyon. Twenty PAGES off one OF the
burghers fell wounded, and his horse
rolled over dead, both shot by some one
in the train.
When my captor left me took the
opportunity to slip into the station and
hide dispatch addressed to General
Penn Symons and two other confden-
tial communications. Then, quickly
I had not a moment to lose, for discove-
ry would have meant nothing pleasant
for mel managed to get just five
words through to Ladysmith: First
train escaped, second captured" The
message was short, but 1t conveyed
very serious meaning to the authorities
in Ladysmith.
When | rejoined the Boer whom |
have called the second in command,
matters seemed threatening. The field
cornet in charge rode up and angrily
demanded why he had not effected the
SIpDpuSG Ol llt TAIN iilb NARiNi'e'sipii
threw the onus on me- The two leaders
seized me roughly, and with their rifles
at my chest, demanded my reasons for
not complying with the urgent orders |
had received. you could have stopped
the train" shouted the field cornet.
1--WE will shoot you for this, you b.
Englishman Come on Whereupon |
was marched away from the station, my
impression that they were to carry out
their threat being, as | afterward
learned, shared by all the English pres
ent who saw the incident Their imme-
diate object, however was not revenge, |
but the breaking of the line In the rear |
of the second train, which had just |
steamed in, and which had no chance |
whatever of running the blockade.
A pair of rails was speedily unbolted |
and Slowed, and the second train was |
an easy prey. The signal at the station |
was then lowered to lure any incoming |
train over the broken road. The next |
move was to cut the wires, and after
this had been done l was ordered to dis
mantle the telegraph and telephone in
struments. The safe keys We're then
demanded, and the cash removed by one
VI Tic Iocci6 NiiV was iiiiOiihSu w
the leader acted as his accountant.
At his dictation / wrote out receipts
for the separate items, and these curl
Gus documents were duly signed by the
leader. Their value to me or to the Ma
tai government struck me at the time
as somewhat dubious, and even at that
time of stress the grim humor of ac-
the receipt of thirty-odd
pounds cash, while taking possession of
twenty wagons of stores and an EN-
CINE, unacknowledged. valued probably
1T twenty thousand pounds forced itself
on me-
At this juncture an incident occurred
which greatly altered the aspect of af-
airs and incidentally our opinions of
,ur captors Field Corner Pienaar ad-
lressed me in the following terms, much
o the surprise of the one or two Eng
ishmen present: I'm very sorry, old
nan, that I said to you what / did
when l first came. l said too much.
You can understand my feelings. See
ng the train escape was bad enough be-
,ause you could have stopped it, and
lid not As rode up I saw one of my |
,oor men fall, wounded by a shot from |
he train, and this made my blood boil
spoke in the heat of passion. Howev-