Waterbury Democrat., 1901-07-10
ONE OF CRONJFS MEN
Boer Warrior, Taken Prisoner
 Escapes to This Country.

 Swan Under Guns and Searchlight-
 David Stephen du Plocy, Only Twen-
 ty-four Years Old, Tells the Tale of
 His Struggle for Freedom and Begs
 Protection.
 New York, July 1O.-From the battle field and plIso. S.sAnp. alter marvellous adventures i'll two continents, David Ste phen du Plooy, q trooper in the Boer army, who escaped from the British at Bermuda, landed i'll this city from the British steamship Trinidad The brave young man-he is only Fl years old-was a stowaway, who risked his life to flee from his captors, and is now detained at Ellis island, where he will be held until the United States government decides what to do with him.
 Seated on q bench at Ellis island, the young six footer told the story of his life.
 .'I was born at Potchefstroom, in the Transvaal," he said, my father being a Frenchman and my mother German. 1 worked on the farm and got what school ing I could until | became anxious to learn more and went to Pretoria. ] went to school there for few months and then joined the army. saw my first fighting at AIafeking under Commandant Wolmarans.
 T became prisoner along with Gener- al Cronje and the others and was taken to Cape Town. There I was placed upon the prison ship City of Cambridge on March 4, 1900. I was later transferred to the Penderia, where our food was very bad and our. treatment worse.
 When I Complained, I was dragged out of my hammock, and the colonel charged me with insubordination, declar- ing I had said I would not allow British dogs to guard me- Though 1 had never said it, I was locked in a cell for two days.
 Later I was transferred to a prison camp at Simonstown. Some of us were caught making a tunnel there. The men caught were sent to Ceylon. I became i'll and went to the hospital. A British sergeant was in a cot near me, and l tried to escape by putting on his clothes. One of my own countrymen gave me away, and I was placed in q tent with a guard over me.
 T guess they were afraid I would es- cape, for I was finally placed on the steamship Armenian. and on May %, 1900, we sailed for Bermuda with about 800 prisoners.
 IWenty-elgnt days after we sailed we reached Bermuda, and 1 was placed in a prison camp on Darrell's island. We were well treated, but I planned to es- cape, expecting to carry with me state ments from some of my fellow prisoners which told of terrible outrages upon our women by British soldiers. These I hoped to send to President Kruger, be- lieving he could use them to gain your sympathy for our cause.
 'HThe men with these letters were trans ferred to another camp, but determined had to turn back for fear of detection. The third time 1 slipped into the water at night with hat made of seaweed on my head. 1 knew the sentries were pac- ing the shore and watching from the deck of a man-of-war near by, but I was willing to risk my life to get away.
 At one time the big searchlight on this warship was turned upon me. had discarded my hat, but escaped detection by dising under the water. After swim ming for about two hours I reached the mainland and boldly walked to the pier, where the Trinidad was moored.
 Several men met me, but suspected nothing, and I boldly said Good morn ing to them. No one saw me go aboard the ship, and I was soon safely hidden in the coal.
 s'I do not know what your people will do with me, but I pray they will not send me back. I can work, and 1 vii do anything to support myself if can only stay in this great country"