The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-11
TALES OF BRITISH CRUELTY.
Alleged Inhuman Treatment Of the
BOer Women.
4 Report Made to Mr.. steyn by As
SiStnnI COmmanduut General
Smuts-The Brutal Conduct of Ger
tain officers Described in Detail.

SiStHnI ConmandHut General
Smuts-The Brutal Conduct of Ger
tain officers Described in Detail.
NEW YORK, July 11-Bev. H D
Broeckhuiseu. a Boer pastor of Preto-
ria, who is now in Jersey City. has re
ceived q copy of report Of Assistant
Commandment General SHUTS to Mr..
Steyn regarding the sufferings OF the
women and children in the western
districts Of the South african Republic
The report is an arraignment Of the
methods OF the British and their de-
struction of private property General
SHUTS was State Attorney of the South
African Republic and declares he is
we'll informed on the subject OF inter
national law, which he accuses the
British of violating repeatedly. The re-
port bears date of Dordfecht, June ..
General SHUTS begins by saying the
particulars given are from evidence
given on oath or from his own observa-
ton; that they do not constitute "a
complete account of all the shameful
and unlawful deeds committed by the
enemy, but are only few typical cas-
es' selected from a great amount of
similar matter.
In July, 1900, at Bronkhcrstspruit
Station General SHUTS saw two women
| and some children who had been driven
| from their home by the British. They
We're Mrs. Neethling, of Tierpoort,
mother of the magistrate Of KIerks-
| d0rp, and her daughter, Mrs Du Toit,
and her children. Mrs. Neethling was
more than seventy years old The
/ weather was so cold that General
/ SHUTS suffered greatly from it and he
| was informed that several British sol
| dIers had died there. The two women
! were entirely without protection Of any
/ sort and had only the clothing they
/ wore. They were without food
! Mrs Neethlng said that a British Of
hcer came to her house with a strong
/ patrol and gave her notice TO leave that
! same night, as the place was to be
/ burned the next day. She replied that
| 1t was impossible fer her to move as
I all the cattle and carts had been seized
/ by the British and she was too old to
/ walk to the BOer lines
The officer insisted with such inpU-
/ dence that the daughter of Mrs. Du
/ TOlt told him he ought to be ashamed
( OF prosecuting defenceless and helpless
/ women ThereupCn re slapped her II
/ the face. Finally a messenger was sent
! 10 The BOeT lines for a cart but when
I 1t came the British officer, who was an
! Australian cOlOnist, refused to allow
/ any food, clothing, or bedding TO be
/ taken. and the women were forced 10
| set out III the bitter weather in that
| destitute condition. General SHUTS says
this is typical example of what hap
/ pened in hundreds Of cases
| Let me take as an example con-
! tinues the report, that part of the
/ kTugersdOrp district, situated between
/ the AIagaIIes and the Witwaters Noun
/ taius; one Of the most beautiful. most
/ fertile, and best cultivated parts Of
| South Africa. When I came to these
/ parts in July, 1900, the land was green
I with an uninterrupted series Of cult
| waited fields, gardens, and charming
houses and faTmsteads. 1t is now a
/ WltherCd, barren waste. When we
/ wanted 10 fight the enemv. his trOoDs
{ took refuge behind the dwellings in
which our women and children were. 50
1t was impossible for Us to fire at them.
When We wanted to shell their camps
they were fun of our women and chill
dren, kept there as prisoners. Even
children of twelve Yeas have been tax
en- prisoners because they looked too
/ much ike warriors.
( In the pocket of an English officer
/ who fell at BOschfOntein We found a
/ letter IN which he explained IL a hu-
! morous way how, in one hut, EOnen
/ and children were told they might re-
move whatever they liked as the house
was to be burned down. They were al
! lowed one hour for the work. When
they had carried everything outside
! and piled it up this lot was also set on
[ fire And this officer tells these things
| as If Il were fun.
| When the enemy came to Gr0enfon-
| tein, on the Coster River, brave old
LUikes Van der WeTWe, contrary TO the
| orders Of General DefaTey. fired at the
| hostile scouts from behind a wall on his
| estate His wife left the house to beg
him not To do so. She was fired on
/ and wounded mortally. Her husband
| carried f-er into the house and was
taken prisoner there and transported TO
the English camp. The dying woman
and her three or four little children
were carried out, and the house and its
| surroundings burned down
| The estate CijferfOntein. belonging
/ to Paul ISrcber. was not only looted and
burned down. but his mother-in-law,
a widow more than seventy years -
! was III treated in a horrible manner
| The soldiers threw her down on TIE
ground and partly undTessed her. and
then by violence took from her all the
money and objects IF value which, for
safety's sake she had concealed about
hez person Then they left her for
| dead 1 mention this case only as an
example Of what Happened and is still
happening almost daily