The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-05
HUNTING A FIGHT
Story of a Correspondents Troubles
In South Africa.
BATTLE OF "BABooN's KoP"
The Natural Mistake Made by n Tom
my Atkins-BOers That
Had Tails.

Had Tails.
Johannesburg Letter to London Mail
A small engagement is reported from Riet-
fontein, where a patrol Of the Transvaal Car
blneers came in touch with twenty Of the
retired, leaving three wounded in our hands.
The enemy lost two killed. Our losses, one
trooper wounded.
That is an unimportant enough para
graph, don't you think? 1t is copied with
certain alterations from a wire l des-
patched to the DAILY Mail
And yet, you may not believe it, but
it is nevertheless a fact, that the minor
engagement was once a big battle. 1t
was British disaster; it was Boer
defeat: 1t was the capture of two of our
guns, and the killing of two Boer COM
mandants. Also it was an evenly matched
fight with casualties running to three
figures on both sides. It was all these
things, at various times and in various
localities. In Maritzburg it was re-
verse, and a bad reverse; in Pretoria it
was victory, and great victory. Jo-
hannesburg had heard of it, and Krugers-
dorp knew the number of guns taken and
the battery which had lost them.
sifted First, Then Sent.
l went to find out all about this great
fight, and after reducing the evidence by
comparative examination, sent a wire
something like that above, and / fancy
1t is about correct.
The fight occurred on a Monday, and
the first news was from a blockhouse in
view of the mountain near which the
hgntlng took place. The corporal in charge
OF the blockhouse telephoned Heavy FIR
ing IN the direction of Rooiberg." Now
there are two Rooibergs, as indeed there
are twenty Il am using a fictitious locali-
ty for obvious reasons), and the com
mandant of the nearest garrison Jumped
to the conclusion that it was a Rooiberg
near which Botha was known to be, and
whittier columns were fastening. Imme-
diately he wired that Botha was engaged.
The mistake, however, was soon discov-
cred and rectifed, and that incident. as
far as those chiefly interested were con-
cerned, was closed. But what time the
little railside garrison had been astir with
the news that Botha was heavily engaged,
the Johannesburg train had passed
1t stopped, but Atkins on the platform
mad Impaired his exclusive information to
such OF the passengers as were interested
and the train moved on, bearing in addi-
ton to passengers and baggage quite a
carload of stories of "the great fight
10 johannesburg came the rumor, and
it trickled into the railway carriage in
which was making my way to Pretoria
big thing; very big thing, I've
heard said my travelling companion, an
ofhcer in an irregular regiment, "we've
LOST don't know how maryland two
guns I'm told. They lost just as many
as we, did, if not more. Commandments
Marais and Du Plessis captured-so ]
understand.
You see, he had got hold of the "evenly
matched story. The complete reverse
yarn 1 heard from an irate subaltern OF
militia, who told me his father was an
M. z. and would see about it, He was q
very young subaltern, and his clothes were
quite new
Where did you hear of it?'
Inat question generally ELECTED one re-
ply:
ooh, fellow told me, don't YOU know
He heard. it from passenger on one OF
these trains who saw the fight"
lamentations by Mr.. Atkins.
All this looked sound enough, and al
though the nearest intelligence Office,
knew nothing about the engagement
prepared to get nearer to the scene OF
operation. Officially, Johannesburg knew
nothing, as did Pretoria and Vereeniging
put none the less there seemed every nos.
slplllty OF its truth, and it was worth
looking into. 1t was somewhat of 8
shock to discover that the news haf
come by the Cape train and not. as
mad ina lned, by the Natal mail, which
crosses the country in which Botha usual
~ operates. Botha seldom goes south OF
the Natal line, but anyhow, there was
nothing to prevent him doing the IN.
usual thing ii he felt so inclined A few
minutes after the thought occurred tc
me, an officer hurrying past stopped to
tell me that Botha had crossed the Natal
line and was engaged south. So the story
grew more feasible, and I resolved on
moving south towards Vereeniging.
passed the garrison post whence the story
had emanated, passed the .blockhouse
that had reported the firing, and all un
Knowing of the irony of it. passed the
handful of men who had been engaged
and so reached Vereeniging Vereeni-
glng knew the truth of the matter. for
this station possesses real intelligence
officer. was told the true story of the
great battle and how the mistake had
arisen; and got back to Elandsfontein
station in time to hear a veritabIe Bill
Adams of; an Atkins telling an admirine
circle the story of the Battle of Rooiberg
He had been one of the patrol and hai
brought the slightly wounded men intc
Elandsfontein by means of convenient
train that had happened to be eomins
the right way. Now the way Atkins tolG
MS story, was not as I told 1t in the tele.
gram which heads this column. Nor was
it told as the wildly exaggerated stories
That first reached me were told This is
the story as it fell from Atkins's Iips
ana taken down by me:
Ere was them" said Atkins, indicat
+ ing them" with the butt of his rifle OF
the station platform, ard there was u.s.
us being by a weighing machine-'tTht
captin, e says, I think we've got ZEN
now, me lads. All 1 want now is a mar
| to volunteer to go rount-the back of tina
kopje and see If they've got any ONT
awaitin' behind to give us ell as soon a.
we move on EN-. I want e SEE, "a trust
worthy, reliable man. e sez-'one tina
knows is dooty and is an ole soldier.
e seq; none of your three months serv
ice boys, e SEE. An, Sergeant Jones'
that's my sergeant-'e seq, send Barker.
| e seq, "e's good soldier. e sez-that',
my NAME" added Atkins, modestly.
The End of Their Tails.
81 dessay.'' said sarcastic listener
'And did you go?''
81 did," replied Atkins, .'and-',
81 s'oose your face frightened 'en3
suggested the interru2ter.
'tShut uD. Go on. cocky.,' This from
| the audience.
well, crawls and creeps, adm be
ind bushes and rocks. till / gifts beside