The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-10-26
A GALLANT DOER SOLDIER
AdoTph Schiel was the Ruler of
Thousands of Blacks.
NOTORIOUS AND FAMOUS
xossbacn, His Beautiful Home
Adored by the Makatese Feared
by the lnsolent Magato Clans
His Six Sons Were His Escort.


Born in 1S5S-from college to mill
ssry service in the ranks of the famous
~Black Hussars' at Brunswick, then
% Africa hunter, explorer, and fill
buster, farmer, frontiersman, and Boer
Government official; once again sol
dier as officer of the State Artillery at
johannesburg, Elandsgate; prisoner
OF var at st. Helena, finally author
and lecturer, until he died recently at
Abe pretty village of Reichenhall, in
the Bavarian Alps-such is in half a
dozen lines the romantic story of the
career of a gallant soldier of fortune,
and my old frend-Capt. Adolf Schiel.
Ills name has been both notorious
and famous-take it as you like-on
the zululand. .Transvaal frontier since
the later sos. With band of daring
Boer flibusters he participated with
considerable success in the inter-trbal
wars between Dnizulu Cetewayos
son, and the pretender Uslbequ. whose
side he took with such effects as to de-
servo the distinction for a period Of
having a reward placed on his head
by the Imperial au horities. who right
Is objected To- white men assisting ma
Eves in their own quarrels.
Ills beautiful home. which he named
Rossba in honor of the doughty bat
tlo in which his old regiment won
eternal laurels in the days of Ziethen
and the great King Fritz, was typical
oi its owner.
remember well calling here near
Is ten years ago Ell route to the noun.
tain recess where dwet the great
Msgato, whom | was to- interview the
next day. Built on a ledge overhang-
ing the Selai Valley ravines this
white stone castellated bungalow pre-
scented a unique and most picturesque
aspect. To descend to the crystal riv-
er-quite thousand feet below-we
made wonderful walk over paths
made in easy gradients, but cut
through q jungle of sub-tropical for.
est composed of wild banana, yellow.
Good trees. covered in glorious creep
ers. and abounding in giant tree ferns.
With natural cascades rushing down
either side. There in the wilderness
OF the North he who has just gone
ated an earthly paradise in which hI.
msu knowledge and Nature had com.
Siued to utmost advantage. There he
ruled tens of thousands OF blacks,
often with iron severity. yet always,
TO my knowledge, equitable in his nd.
Nins,ration OF justice by Transvaal
or native law.
The Makatese tribes, known as
Knob Kneuzen, had elected him theif
paramount chief, and adored him. be
slowing the name of "Cetewayo" on
their white ruler. The insolent Ma
cato clans, practically at all times in
a semi-rebellious attitude, feared him
more than any other Boer leader and
paid their annual taxes to him when
called upon, which was not the case
z1ith commissioners who succeeded
him. To see Schiel mt his best in those
days was to watch the late Colonel ap.
preach his home in a gallop, escorted
by his six sons, In ages ranges from
TO lS, all splendidly mounted on rough
kasuto ponies, born TO the saddle from
childhood and followed hy magnfi'
cent German mastffs and boar hounds
which breed their father loved to ac.
cilmatize in South Africa.
After Magato's death in 1896, Capt.
Schiel was called to Pre- 'oria. doing
good work as Inspector and Chief of
Prisons But Hollander intrigues and
Roer conservatism made the carrying
pGt of reforms extremely difficult
after the raid. Just before the out.
break of hostilities | interviewed him
as he was about to leave for the Ma.
tai Free State frontier to take charge
OF the German volunteers. He was
not hopeful for the success of the Boer
forces, and correctly predicted their
ultimate defeat by trained troops, al.
though he believed that successful ac.
tiOns would be fought as the outset.
As an old soldier. however he was
enthusiastic for active service. As
burgher Of over twenty years in the
country he went gladly on commando
80 do his very best in assisting the
Commandant General, Piet Joubert,
With whom he had for years been on
terms of intimate friendship. His
military career in the war was very
short, Dangerously wounded at
Eiandslaagte three weeks later he was
captured as described by Sir Conan
Doyle so vividly in his great work,
and whom perhaps, | may be permit
ted to quote here: After the final
charge on the brow of the hill, the
painting, breathless climbers were on
fhe edge of the plateau. There were
the two guns which had flashed so
hrightly-silent now, with a litter of
dead Boer gunners around and one
wounded officer standing by the trail.
II was the famous Capt Schiel, the
German artillerist. london Daily
News.