HOW MR. STEYN ESCAPED CAPTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11771, 28 September 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

HOW MR. STEYN ESCAPED CAPTURE.

In an interesting mail letter of the Daily Telegraph Mr. Bennet Burleigh, describing the Boer surprise at Reitz, gives the following account of Mr. Steyn's narrow escape of being captured or shot': " Creeping away round the comer of au adjoining house, bareheaded, in night dress, and with only socks upon his feet, was a tall, stout, swart, full-bearded, partly bald-headed, elderly man. If anybody saw him he probably smiled at the spectacle, and did not trouble in particular about an unclad burgher more or less. But the skulking personage was none other than ex-President Steyn himself, now reduced to this woeful plight. A Boer companion near by found him a ponj and assisted Steyn to mount, for the ex-Presiident prefers a wheeled vehicle to horseback. With a cut and a kick the Boer sent Steyn adrift upon a most uneasy seat. If, in the hurry, there had been a saddle thrown upon the pony it was .ungirthed, and had turned beneath in a stride or two. Then the unwonted apparition appeared in the one long main street of Peitz of a dark, heavy figure of a man, bareheaded and bare-limbed, with a, flowing shirt, clinging to a horse's neck, and galloping madly to the eastward. He had to pass the corner where some of Lieutenant Shaw's men were. A challenge rang out for him to halt, yet not Steyn, but the horse, was in charge of that wild John Gilpin ride. lam told Steyn would have gladly stopped, but could not, and looked pitifully as if he would have liked to. Sergeant Cobb, the crack shot of the ?th Dragoon Guards, repeated the challenge, and at ten paces lifted his rifle to bring the horse or rider down. But the weapon missed fire. Slipping out the cartridge, he put in another, but the second also missed fire. And why? Because the oil supplied the men was of inferior quality and had frozen, blocking the spring and the striker. Owing to the intense cold similar mishaps had previously occurred with the men's rifles. Lieutenant Shaw snapped his pistol, but missed. There was more laughing than vexation at the man's escape, till later on it was found that it was Steyn himself who had got away. When the column came up scouts were despatched after him, but Steyn had been met a few miles out by three or four brother Boers, who had helped him upon, a better and more comfortable mount, and conducted him by Kaffir tracks; into the kopjes..- ..