The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-09
FIGHT TO THE BITTER END
General Pearson Says the Beers
Will Never Surrender.
War I'M South Africn NOM in the
stage of DETERMINATION and Bar
Effort 20 Irduce America to In
sfst on Cessation of EIostiIities.

sIstant Head Commissary General for the
South African Republic, said today when
discussing the war between his country
and Great Britain.
General Pearson is guest at the
Shoreham and came on here 10 enlist the
COCO Offices OF the people of this country
TO bring about a cessation of hostilities
and restore peace. He Is a typical Afri-
kander is well built, and carries his
years well, being forty-One years Of age.
His home is Barberton. TransvaaL He
has been III public life in his native coun-
try for many years and has filled many
responsible Offices of public trust.
It was General Pearson who a. the last
presidential election in South Africa.
nominated SchaIk Burger, who was de-
feated by Paul Kruger by d not very large
majority. General Pearson did not then
see his candidate win, but the present
war placed his man at the head Of affairs
in the Transvaal. Schalk Burger is the
President of the South African Republic
today. hayizg taken charge OF that office
when OCm Kruger crossed the frontier
and entered Portuguese territory TO save
himself from capture by the British, and
his bOdyguaTd from probable total ami
hilation. The constitution of the Trans
yaal provides that when the President
leaves the country without the consent
of the Volksraad he ceases to be presi2
dent. and the vice president Immediately
assumes the presidential chair
General Pearson said that after the
Jameson raid he was instrumental in Sc
curing the right for the outlandeTs TO
cary rifles which give them, besides the
fun privileges of burgher- He said:
I'VE had 10 be very careful in arming
foreigners, as We did not know whether
hey would be used against Us or our enc
mics"
Speaking Of General Kitchener's assur-
ances not TO burn any more farm houses,
General Pearson said: The reason for
that assertion is that there are no more
TO burn As regards the war we are the
best judges whether to continue II or
rot The Beers VIII never surrender TO
tie British. The war seems 10 have en-
tered a stage OF determination and bar
barity as the following letter OF Lieu
tenant Morrison, of Ottawa, editor Of the
Ottawa Citizen who IS with the Ca
madam artillery there, and has been men
toned in dispatches for gallant conduct
in action, viii show, The letter IS from
Belfast, South Africa, and describes the
march through SteilI Oort Valley, north
of Belfast, as follows.
Bright and early We marched of. The
Canadians, as usual, were IN the advance
guard, with the Fifth Lancers and two
Pompoms. Colonel King commanded the
advance and General Smith-Dorien the
main body During the trek which last
ed four DAYS, our progress was like the
old-time forays in the highlands of Scot
land two centuries ago. The country is
very like Scotland, and We moved on from
valley to valley lifting cattle and sheep,
burning, looting and turning out the WON
en- and children TO sit ana weep in despair
and utter misery beside the ruins of their
once beautiful farmSteads- It was the first
touch Of kitchener's iron hand-a terri
bic thing 10 witness, and l don't know
that I want 10 see another trip Of the
sort Il rather revolted the most of US.
We burned track about six miles
vide through these fertile valleys
and completely destroyed the VII
ishing town OF DulIstroom. The
column left q trail of FIRE and smoke
behind il that could be seen at Belfast
Many OF The houses we're surrounded bv
beautiful gardens abI0Cm with roses.
lilies, and hoilyhocks. and empowered in
fruit trees and with my glasses ! could
see the women and children bundled out
their bedding thrown through the win
cows after them The cavalry would
ride rapidly away, and the poor women
and children utterly COMPOUNDED By the
sudden visitation. would remain standing
II the yard OF garden watching help
Iessly, their homes disappear IN FIRE and
smoke
Describing the sack OF Dulls.ro2m.
Lieutenant Morrison proceeds. On the
following morning, the troops were I'D
long before daylight and marched OF at 4
O'Clock we had no trouble in ge-ting I'D
Al the right hour You could hear alarm
clock bells ringing from nearly every
heap OF blankets upon the camp ground
and the VeIdJ hummed like telephone Ct
fee. When soldier loots a house. the
first thing he grabs is the clock In the
dim, early dawn the column. nearly ali
mounted ueE moved swiftly north We
were going 70 sack and burn the town Of
DUlIstTOOm.
a. Nobody WHO was there will ever forget
that days work. About o'clock in the
morning our force seized the town after a
little fight The Beers went into the sur
rounding hills, and there was nobody in
the town except women and children Il
was q very pretty place. nesting in a
valley. The houses had lovely flower gar
dens and the roses were in bloom We
seized kopie overlooking the main street
and placed all the guns on IL. while the
cavalry gallOpec through and Skirmfshed
I'D the hills beyond The Beers drove in
our outposts on the flank. and began snip
ing the guns and amid The roar Of The
eannonade and the cTackIe OF the rife fire
the sscking Of the place began
First there was an Ominous blush
haze over the town and then the smoke
rolled up IN volumes that could be seen
for fifty miles away. The Beers on the
hills seemed paralyzed by the sight and
stopped shooting When the luN came
Gen Smith-Dorien invited the artillery
officers TO 20 down into the place with
him on q sort of Official appearance Just
tell them Jhatyou saw ne style Of thing
The town was very quiet save for the
roaring and crackIe Of the flames On the
steps Of the church a group Of women and
children were haddled The women's
faces were very white but some Of them
had spots Of red on either cheek and their
eyes were blazing.
The troops we're systematicaIIv lock-
ing the place over. and as they got quite
through with each house they burned IL
Our Canadian boys helped the women 10
get their furniture out with much the
same concern as they would exhibit Al a
village fire at home II they saw any
thing however. they particularly fancied
they would likely appropriate il c'muzzle
not the OK that treadeth out the c0rn'O
bat they had not the callous nerve TO take
the peoples stun before their eyes But
you should have seen the Royal Irish on
the loot. They helped the people out with
their stun BY heaying bureaus bodily
through the windows. putting picEaxes
TEr1a-gF -raI~Ia.ne and e-f-r T-.-a .r-a-ft.,,