Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-02-17
LETTER FROM A BOER
Prisoner on st. Helena Describes
Suferings of Captives.
JUST KEPT FROM STARVING.

oOA' IN Lonely IsIand writes
That Food supply of Prisoners Is
Barely Enough to Keep Body and
Soul Together-Plead. For Cloth
ing and Food For Americans In
Prison Camp.
Struggled out Of Deadwood camp,
the Boer prison on the historic island
OF st. Helena, has come to the New
York World letter from one of the
prisoners. The letter was posted bare
of postage and came with two ten cent
G. o. d. stamps affixed by the United
States postoffice department. The let
ter probably was taken away from st.
Helena by n sailor on some ship bound
from Cape Town to port in the far
north, for 1t was posted at Copenha-
gen. Here is the letter, dated Dec. II:
So much has been said by the English
press concerning the chivalrous trea tment
Of prisoners of war on this island by the
military authorities that 1t is high inns
the other side should be heard as we'll.
Certainly If the feeding Of the prisoners
OF war constitutes chivalry, then the Eng
lish press is right, but beyond that it will
take powerful searchlight to discover
that real kind consideration, ETC., the
prisoners of War are supposed to receive.
NOW, to begin with, books. journals and
newspapers are not allowed to enter camp,
whether censored or not.
The food supplied to the prisoners of
war is barely sufficient to keep soul and
body together, and lucky are those who
fau, H.
less a prisoner of war reduces himself to
the state Of beggar he will walk about
in ragged clothing. for unless one begs Of
the officers he will not be supplied with
clothing.
During the time the prisoners of war
have been here two of them have been
shot by the sentries. and-mark this-not
on or near the dead line, where prisoners
of war are not allowed under the penalty
of instant death.
The medical attendance Is inefficient
here, and while the climate is good Beers
die through neglect from diseases that
could have been easily cured. but then it
Is a good way of getting rid of the enemy.
The foreigners who are here with the
Beers and who fought bravely at the
frort for the same cause as Lafayette
fought for in America are considered by
the military officials as the instigators of
the war, are treated with the utmost alb
sence of courtesy and considera BILE
amount of vindictiveness.
There are several Americans among the
prisoners of war, but they are absolutely
neglected both by their consul here, Mr..
Poole, and by their countrymen in the
States Yet they have done what every
American should have done under similar
circumstances; they fought for the liberty
of sister republic.
Holland relieves the wants of the Dutch
prisoners of war by sending them cloth
Ing, tobacco and money. Germany. France,
Denmark, Sweden and Norway and even
Finland do the same. Why not the people
of America?
An attempt has been made here by Lieu
tenant Colonies FACET and Bathurst to in
duce some of the prisoners of war to take
the oath Of allegiance to Great Britain,
and | am glad to say they succeeded in
clearing the two camps here of all its
scum. Those rebels, as we call them, do
not number more than 200 and they have
sold their souls for pot of jam, for that
is the extra ration they receive. l may
as we'll mention that we number nearly
5000 here
The inha bitants OF the island, as well as
the civil administration, treat the prison.
ers of war with great kindness and will
put themselves to great deal OF neon
venience for our sakes.
Lieutenant Colonel Evans, the officer
commanding the troops, has done great
deal to try and improve the condition of
the prisoners, and the same can be justly
said Of Captain Meklejohn, V. c., one
armed hero of Elandslaagte, our garrison
adjutant. I should have liked to say the
same of the rest, but it is impossible.
Hoping that this Underground mes
, sage will interest your readers. re-
main, very respectfully,
A PRISONER OF WAR
and Citizen of the United States.
p ST. should like to give you my
name, but dare not, as the letter may be
, discovered before 1t gets away-and then