OUR MAIL BAG.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1146, 10 February 1903, Page 4

OUR MAIL BAG.

NEWS FROM EVERYWHERE. KAFFIB TKLEOBAPHY. Mr Douglas Blackburn, writing from Natal to the " Spectator," mentions the two following cases of Kaffir telegraphy, for the aooaraoy of whioh he vouobes:—Case I.—At 9 a.m. on a Monday a Kaffir herd-boy was attacked by a ball. He defended himself with a crowbar. Kaffir aod bull were dead by 10 a.m. At 12 the same day 8., a farmer residing 42 miles from the scene of the tragedy, wrote to A. a business letter, appending this postscript" My Kaffirs are saying that your herd-boy stabbed your red Devon bull with a long knife, and that both are dead. Hope it is only a Kaffir yarn." That letter was despatched by mounted messenger before half-past 12 the same day. Case 2. A Kaffir was being tried for manslaughter at Johannesburg. At sin the afternoon an old Kaffir woman on a Boer farm 38 miles from Johannesburg told me and others that tbe boy had been acquitted, and that the principal witness against him had been taken to prison. As the Kaffir had pleaded guilty at the preliminary hearing and was to be undefended, this result seemed extremely improbable. Later wo learned that tbe Kaffir was given counsel at the last moment, the plea of guitly withdrawn, and be was acquitted at a quarter past 3 p.m. At 4 o'clock that afternoon the principal witness was knocked down by a aab in the street and taken to the gaol hospital, where he died. In each of these oases tbe accurate news travelled in less than half the time that would have been required by the fastest horse, bearing in mind tbe broken, almost virgin, and roadless country that would have to be traversed. There are many such cases known to South Africans. lOWA TRAIN HELI) UP. The Bock Island express was held up towards the end of November about midnight, within the limits of the city of Davenport, lowa, by a gang of 12 to 15 men. The express car was blown up by dynamite, and the booty obtained by tbe robbers is said to be very large. In stopping the train tbey swung a red lantern at the crossing, and as tbe train slowed three masked men sprang into the locomotive and threatened the engineer and fireman with revolvers. 'When tbe train was at a standstill, part of the gang guarded the passenger cars, preventing interference, while others ordered the engineer to start with tbe express oar only. The robbers ran fbo express car two miles out, side tracked the car, then applied dynamite to blow open the safe. The explosions were heard at Davenport, but the cause of them was unsuruiised till some passengers returning to Davenport gave the alarm. A strong squad of police were then rushed to the scene of the outrage, but all the gang had vanished. The railroad officials say that this is a record incident in tbe long list of train robberies. The safe in the express car was despoiled of 75,000d01s in bullion.