The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-29
PATHETIC INCIDENT.
IFrere CNataD Cor. Philadelphia Nortl
American

EF'rere (NataD Cor. Philadelphia North
Americana
1t was on November 25, the day the
British forces moved up here to Frere,
General Hillyard being in command of
the advance that the incident which
cast a gloom over the entire army took
place.
few skirnlishes from which the Beers
Scampered away after exchanging shots
at long range marking the entire march
except for a more determined stand
made late in the afternoon by a band
of Beers which suddenly opened fire
from a little kopje on the extreme left
of the British line of march, and which
had contrived to keep themselves con-
cealed from the scouts.
The Yorkshire men were detailed to
clear them out, which they did with a
dashing charge, yelling and shouting
at the top of their voices, after having
poured two or three volleys at the in
visible foe
As they reached the great rough
rocks, scrambling over them with fixed
bayOnetS, only two or three dead
Dutchmen were found, about the same
number badly wounded and dying, and
one woman Dead. Shot through the
center of the forehead the blood drip
ping down her face, her yellow hair
saturated and lying in a pool of the
streaming crimson fluid.
ole ndu not DS6n particularly pretty,
but that didn't matter, She was a
woman, and great Jumps lose in the
threats of the men who a moment be-
fore had been yelling with The excite
ment of victory.
She was young, perhaps not more
than 20. Big, gaunt and bronzed, like
one who had spent her life on the open
veldt under the blazing sun; she wore
no hat, and her dress was of coarse
CLOTH but ScrupulOuSly clean, except for
10 sand a A
bosom, pinning a neat. white necker-
chief, was an old-fashioned, big, gold
mounted brooch containing the photo
graph of an old gray bearded man. pre-
sumably her father. Many said the
grizzled features resembled those of
General Joubert, but this was probably
imagination
The medallion turned on a swivel and
in the other side was lock of iron
gray hair. Further description of this
woman, who fell a victim of British
bullets, I have been unable to obtain.
If aught to establish her identity was
found only few of the Yorkshire men.
and possibly General Hillyard, know of
it, Not one word on the subject viii the
officials permit to be spoken.
That she was given reverential burial
and the place of her interment carefully
marked is certain. That her death
over the Yorkshire boys and over the
whole camp is easy to understand. The
story is known to every man out here.
It's absolute truth can be vouched for
by thousands. That the incident fig
ures in official reports to the war de-
partment can scarcely be doubted, and,
when the war is over, the identity of
the dead girl and all the pathetic story
will probably come out.
1t is quite possible that this is not
the only instance of a woman falling a
victim of the war, for in the loot since
captured are two side saddles. These l
have seen myself. They are of modern
! European make, and such as l have
seen English women using in Johannes
commandment in one of those places
when the war began, but it seems
hardly likely that they would be util-
| lied by fighting men of such caliber as
! the Beers.