THE RAND REFUGEES.

Thames Star, Issue 9504, 24 November 1899, Page 4

THE RAND REFUGEES.

CHILDREN PARTED FROM

THEIR PARENTS.

INSULTS TO THE QUEEN.

r(From the Cape Papers.) * Amongst the latest arrivals from the Rand is Mr Charles R. Plunkett, the editor of the Johannesburg Sportsman and Dramatic News. Mr Plunkett decided to leave with his wife and family, and he quitted the scene none too soon, for a warrant had already been issued for his arrest on a charge of high treason.' It seems that he enlisted some 300 men for tbe Imperial Light Horse now at Maritzburg, and carried the risky buainess through without the authorities getting to hear of it until too late. Mr Robinson--whose only crime consisted in suggesting to some of his friends that they should enrol themselves—was arrested, and had not Mr Plunkett eluded the police he would have been in a similar evil case. He would not have feared proper trial before a criminal court, but under martial law a man gets a drumhead court-martial and short thrift thereafter. Mr Plunkett travelled the first part of the journey in an empty coal truck. The women and children were put in the carriages and the men in the truck. This was a proper enough arrangement, but, unfortunately, mcD were divided from their wives and children, and the splitting up of the trains, without any notice being given to the passengers, lsd to much confusion and inconvenience. A PATHETIC INCIDENT. A widower was compelled to leave his two little children, a boy and a girl, in a carriage and travel by him* j self in a truck. At Viljoen's Drift the trucks wer* left behind without warning, and the resj: of the strain pro* ceeded on its journey, M,r Plunkett was lucky enough to jump' on the train, and so was able to rejoin his family. He found the two little children, who had been thus suddenly parted from their parent, weeping bitterly. They had no food, and could give no information as to their destination. Mrs Piunkett took the mites in charge, and brought them with her own children to Capetown.

At Elandsfontein trains containing armed burghers were drawn up at the opposite side of the station. The old burghers never left their seats, where they sat grim and serious, but the Hollanders aud Colonial Afrikanders strolled up and down the platform insulting the refugees, and doing everything short o| actual personalviolence, although it is true that in other seats both men and women were actually Btruck. The young burghers flung the vilest taunts at the Britishers and the Queen, and parodied the National Amhem in a most disgusting and indecent inanaer.; Ai Elandsfontein the bar was burbt open by the German contiEgent, the ticket office also being broken into, and money removed. At other stations, en route through the Free Slate the train passed isolated trucks or portions of, trains crowded with men, and shunted on to sidings. Some of the unfortunate, refugees were in a nalfr-fttniished condition, and had been several days stationary on the veld. Very ; little water and no provisions are procurable uutil British territory is reached.