The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-17

age OF FfAteen hehEs-EouEhh "AsAa
the British Against the Beers For
Over Two Years.
Two years and half ago, when the
schools opened for the spring term, one
of the boys of the Whittier. ]. McElroy
Browne, turned up missing. Eight days
afterward his father, Daniel w.
Browne, with offices in the New York
Life building, received a letter saying
that "about the time you will receive
this, dear father, 1 will be sailing out
of New Orleans for South Africa. J"
That explained why McElroy, or
Mack as his family name is, was alb
sent when the Whittier opened. Fiji
teen years of age, he ought to have
turned around at New Orleans to come
back to school. He is back now, or
was here a week ago, having just turn
ed his seventeenth birthday. Barring
hole drilled through the calf of his
right leg and the swing of cavalry
man, the Kansas City boy is none the
worse for his two years and four
months fighting on the veldt. He was
d IlEG VI NNphNA ~
once, had four horses shot under him,
was hit once, and on one occasion
shared with an old East Indian Brit
Usher the distinction of being the only
survivor of a troop of 100 who went in
to action. The two survivors got away
by making a break for the brush and
hiding out overnight.
1--WE did not know thing about his
going away" said Mr.. Browne, sr., vest
terday. HE had been mixing up with
the mule buyers at the stock yards.
Next thing we knew he was off for
Africa with lot of the mules Then
we heard that he had enlisted in
Brabant's Horse. After that he went
into the Petersburg Horse, and finally
wound up with Steineker's Horse. He
was discharged from that command
last.
MACK had lots of experience, but he
was hit only once. He as-riding one
day when his foot went to sleep, He
ratified his boot around in his stirrup to
awaken it, but it did not do the trick.
After while when he was trying to
get up a circulation he felt something
sslishing around in his boot. Come to
LOOK, 1t WAS Iull OIL UiUUu. "a NduoSk
bullet had gone through his leg.
.'He does not seem to think so much
about that wound as he did about Ser
geant Jimmy eastman, a New Zea-
lander, as fine as they make them, JIM
my, the troop sergeant, was the life of
the command. His jokes were the
richest when the firing was the closest.
He came of a good family, was rich
and about to be married. One day,
4 Steineker's Horse was dismounted.
Firing was going on at about $500
yards. Mack, my boy, lay behind lit
lie hillock, though on the side of hill
with the crest in front of him, when
Sergeant Jimmy came up to speak to
him. Spat! Something tipped Mack's
I hat, and the next thing he heard his
sergeant tumble. The bullet had gone
through Mack's hat and Jimmy Cash
mans chest. He died with a merry
laugh for his farewell to his comrades,
poor fellow. They buried him in his
blanket, the smile still on his dear face
Afterwards, his family sent "a man out
all the way from Australia to find the
grave and ship the remains home, but
no amount of money could do it."
McElroy's latest action was interest
ing.
He told u.s." said the father of the
4 schoolboy, that Steineker's Horse, $50
strong, was augmented by another
squadron of about 200, most of them
Beers. Macks captain ordered Stein
eker's Horse to rush a kopje on which
he estimated there were thirty-five
Beers. When Mack and the balance of
them got well within range, volley
ENDORSED fifty of them. The command
ing officer then discovered that instead
of thirty-five, he had 100 men to nego-
tiate with, concealed and, behind
breastworks. There was nothing to do
but to retire, for the rear Boer squad
ron never budged. They just left the
British Horse to stand the brunt Of the
6 losing attack. The enemy made the
most of the check, and before the fight
was over they had killed or wounded
every man in the command but about
Dozen
Relating the capture of McElroy, Mr..
Browne said:
with an East Indian soldier named
Cove he escaped being shot down in a
fearful little skirmish. He lodged into
l..
morning he saw what he thought was
a British camp and started for it. A
Boer halted him, told him he was CAP
tured, took from his his watch and
about $500 in money and his shoes, and
then let Him go on into camp. When
Mack got into camp he was taken be-
fore the commandante, Detoy, he pro-
nounced the name. Detoy found cut
Mack was an American and asked how
It was that any American could be
found to fight against republic. Mack
told him how he happened to get into
the war. One of the men standing
with Detoy then asked Mack if he
would not stay and fight with the
Beers. Mack said that he would be a
traitor to turn against the men he had
served with. Detoy told him, My boy,
think more of you for that than be-
FORE and he allowed him to go. Mack
told about being robbed and Detoy said
he would try and have the money and
the watch restored. Nothing came of
it, however, Mack had to walk eight
miles over the hot soil, getting to a
feet. He was then compelled to ride
twenty odd miles to- another British
camp. When he reached there he fell
from his mount exhausted and lay mn-
conscious for ten days"
The Browne incident came up Off
cially when Mr.. Browne asked former
Consul General Stowe to undertake to
ifnn b. Iaa liz