The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-01-13
BOER PRISON
AT PRETORIA
English Officer Writes of The Good
Treatment
Prisoners Receiye Clean Cloth ng and
Plenty 10 sa, d Allowed Some
Freedom.

New YoRg, Jan. IA dispatch to
the Herald from Paris says The Figaro
publishes a long letter which an English
officer, a prisoner in Pretoria, has writ.
ten to member OF his family. The
writer saws:
owe are completely cut off from all
news OF the outside world, and are not
allowed to see the newspapers. We
know, however, of Ladysmith being
bombarded. Here we are prisoners OF
war, and assure you that it is a pitiul
condition. Sometimes feel as il were
going mad. and wish had been shot
We had hoped that we should be re
leased on parole, but the Bocr autheri-
ties do not appear to understand what
parole means, and seem to think
that we should not keep our word
"As far as health goes, we are well
and very we'll treated We sometimes
receive visits from those in command
ut Pretoria-the secretay OF war, field
cornets, chief magistrate and others.
They are ali very polite but are under
the firm impression that their prisoners
are not we'll treated by us, and they are
convinced that our troops use 'dum-dum'
bullets. At first we were nine officers
prisoners and about 1870 men, but the
other day our number was increased by
81 officers, almost all officers oi the
Gloucester regiment and Royal Irish
fusilers, with Colonel Carleton, So that
now we are about ~ officers and 400
men.
"In front Of the building there is
yeranda on which We sit and watch the
people go by. The government gives US
canned beef, bread, and water to drink
and from time to time lime juice. Once
a week we get potatoes. Happily We
are now allowed to buy whatever we
please, 10 we have been able to organize
a mess, and our menu is reinforced by
bacon, porridge, preserved vegetables,
potted meats, pickles and tobacco.
"Each day ,ve send out our orders, and
the things Gene later OF course, when
taken prisoners we had only what was
on our persons, 80 we bad TO purchase
many necessities, such as sponges, soap,
toothbrushes, hairbrushes aud combs.
The Transvaal government, however,
has given TO each OF us an iron bedstead
with mattress and pillow, a pajama suit,
flannel shirt, pocket handker-
chief towels, socks, etc. We also re-
ceived ready made suits, as our khaki
uniforms were too much worn.
We officers live in large building
that was formerly used as a school
hou.c The men are still kept on the
race course. We are certainly far more
conIfor able than we were on the race
course, for this is astone building, while
on the race courses are nothing but
zinc sheds. II is, however, not so warm
as the race course prison. We are not so
much annoyed by flies, but at night
there are good many mosquitoes.
We are guarded night aud day by II
strong police force, although none OF us
have any intention OF trying TO escape.
We are surrounded by iron palisades.
Behind the house there is small grass
plot, on which little zinc hut has been
erected 20 serve as a kitchen.
"Here tents have been put for SER
wants. We were allowed to bring 10 men
from the racecourse to act for as. There
are also tents for the guard aud zine
hut which docs duty as bathroom. We
rise at 6 $50 O'Clock and indulge in a cold
bath. When am dressed | walk around
the building eight times, which makes
mile. At $3.50 we breakfast on porridge,
bacon, sardines, butter, jams and tea or
coffee. They give us tho tea and coffee
and bread, and the rest We buy. After
breakfast We generally read and smoke
until lunch time, at o'clock, when We
get beer, bread, butter, jam and water.
The afternoon seems very long. At
1 $50 we have tea, and at dinner, After
dinner some OF us play whist or chess,
while Others read generally 60 to
bed at $3.50 o'clock. our checks are
provided. They are countersigned by |
the senior officers and cashed."