Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-08

me to write a letter, stating my requests
and explaining fully what my object
was. l complied with these directions.
The result OF this was that was re-
ferred to Col Quale- Jones, who is In
charge of the Boer prisoners. Here was
my first decided setback. Col. Quale-
Jones informed me peremptorily ana
positively that the governor general mad
given instructions that no reporters
should be permitted to visit the prison
ers, either for the purpose of interview
ing them or getting any photographs.
II was still unwilling to relinquish my
mission, and stated my case to British
officers who were stationed on the
island, but who had nothing to do with
the keeping of the prisoners. They were
frank in their expression that an IN
vestigation of the prisoners ought to be
permitted AT least, they went so far
as to say that it was a pity that the
American public should be allowed to
remain under misrepresentation OF the
true. condition of the Beers. They
seemed convinced that the one published
report had been misleading and unfair.
These officers proposed for my benefit a
plan by which should become an en-
p,oye of the commissary department Of
the British army, which would enable
me to see for myself that there was no
Acknowledgement or abuse. They in
formed me, however, that even IN the
capacity they had sggested would be
unable to interview any OF the prison
ers, or to take any photographs, SO
stringent were the orders relating TO
those matters. Under those circum-
stances L decided not to enter upon the
plan.
much of the information gathered
while on the ground was thru an ac-
Iouaintance I made with gentleman
who spoke the Boer language. Ihere
were also other Beers who We're not
prisoners. With these talked. and
learned many of the things which were
evidently meant to be suppressed by
the British.
"ae informed me that there was q
scarcity of water to be used for drink
ing and other purposes. and that little
effort seemed to be made to remedy
this evil. Several large condensers
had been sent over from London some
time before my arrival. with engineers
and others who understood their opera
ton, but that as yet these had not been
put into full use, and had bettered con-
ditions but little. In the matter OF
clothing they We're but little better on.
.sMany of the prisoners were very
shabbily clad, and there was no more
wearing apparel Forthcoming. For
this reason many of the men would not
accept the proffered offers OF work,
which the British provide. because the
pay, which amounts to only 2 cents a
day, would not balance the damage to
what scant clothing they had.
"The most striking feature of the
case. however, is the fact that there
are about one hundred children among
the prisoners. Some of these are as
young as 10 and IL years of age, and In
some cases they are separated from
their parents, and have no knowledge
of the whereabouts of the latter. One
boy in particular, aged 8, was said to
have been taken prisoner while herd
ing a flock of goats. His goats We're
taken away from him, and he was sep
arated from his parents. Today he is
crying himself into i'll health thru
anxiety.
II do not know whether there Is as
much acknowledgement as the Boer SYM
pathizers have said, but the fact that
the officers guard the affair SO jealousy
does not reassure the impartial visitor
to the islands.
ITO the casual observer matters are
not so unpromising. The prisoners are.
kept on three separate islands. One in
reserved for a hospital for the sick.
Darel's island and Boer island are sur
rounded partially by wire fences sew
5eral feet thick and eight feet in height.
Within the limits of these barriers the