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| General Paul Mehuen. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, March 17, 1902.
OUTFLANKED BY BOERS.
Lord Kitchener Gives Particulars of Methuen's Defeat.
BOERS WORE KHAKI UNIFORMS.
Rear Screen of Mounted Troops Overwhelmed at Dawn—Two Guns Left Unprotected, But Continued In Action Till Every Man Was Killed. Protecting the Wagons.
London, March 17.—The war office has received the following communication from Lord Kitchener at Pretoria:
"Lord Methuen has sent me a staff officer with a dictated dispatch, from which it appears that certain particulars previously given are inaccurate. The rear screen of mounted troops was rushed and overwhelmed at dawn. There was a gap of a mile between the ox and the mule convoys. The mounted supports to the rear of the screen with General Methuen immediately reinforced by all the available mounted troops and a section of the 38th battery, maintained themselves for an hour, during which the convoys were closing up without disorder.
"In the meanwhile two hundred infantry were being disposed by Lord Methuen to resist the Boer attack, which was outflanking the left of the rear guard. The Boers pressed that attack hard, and the mounted troops attempting to fall back on the infantry, got completely out of hand, carrying away with them in the rout the bulk of the mounted troops. Two guns of the 38th battery were thus left unprotected, but continued in action until every man, with the exception of Lieutenant Nesham, was hit. Lieutenant Nesham was called on to surrender and upon refusing to do so was killed.
"Lord Methuen with 200 of the Northumberland Fusiliers and two guns of the Fourth battery, then found himself isolated, but held on for three hours. During this period the remaining infantry, namely 100 of the Lancashires with some 40 mounted men, mostly Cape police who had occupied the kraal near the wagons, also continued to hold out against the repeated attacks of the Boers.
"By this time Lord Methuen was wounded and the casualties were exceedingly heavy amongst his men. Their ammunition was mostly expended and the surrender was made at about 9:30 in the morning.
"The party in the kraal still held out and did not give in till two guns and a pompon were brought to bear upon them at about 10 o'clock, making their position untenable.
"It is confirmed that most of the Boers wore khaki uniforms. Many also wore our badges. Even at close quarters they could not be distinguished from our own men.
"It is clear the infantry fought well and the artillery kept up the traditions of their regiment. In addition to the 40 members of the Cape police already mentioned, a few parties of imperial yeomanry and Cape police continued to hold their ground after the panic had swept the bulk of the mounted troops off the field."
From other dispatches it appears that General Methuen was shot while riding to bring up the mounted troops, and that his horse was killed. After the surrender General Delarey rode up and treated General Methuen with the greatest courtesy and consideration. He ordered his return to Klerksdorp under the care of his own nephew and a medical officer.
According to a Klerksdorp correspondent of the Daily Mail the burghers were so angry at this that a party of them went out and brought General Methuen back. General Delarey, however, overruled the objection of the burghers.
Expecting an Attack on Colon.
Colon, Colombia, March 17.—All the approaches to Colon are now guarded by small detachments of troops. The government is throwing up embankments at certain advantageous points in the center of the town, and from 200 to 300 troops are kept moving up and down the railroad line. These are necessary precautions to avoid an insurgent surprise and attack similar to the one of last November.
HORSE TRADE WITH ENGLAND.
Large Quantity Sold to Help Carry on the Boer War.
WASHINGTON, March 17.—England has bought in the United States and shipped to South Africa since the beginning of war there, 82,427 horses and 95,460 mules. The aggregate paid for the animals was $24,887,104, an average of $139 each.
The average cost to the United States government for horses and mules during the past four years has been $89. The inspection by the British agents is said to be lax, and stock men allege that they have no trouble in selling to them animals rejected by the United States officers. The ability of a horse or mule to do a reasonable amount of work is all that is required by the British inspectors in passing stock for shipment to the army in South Africa, and charges have been made by English papers that higher prices than are necessary have been paid by the government for inferior animals.
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| Attorney James Dougherty. |
IN CORTLAND, N. Y., POLICE COURT.
Barber Fined for Shaving on Sunday--Customer Paid Fine.
Roswell Haskell, a barber in the employ of Drexler & Diamond on Orchard-st., was arrested yesterday by Officer Townsend for violating the state law in relation to Sunday barbering. This morning in police court Haskell pleaded guilty upon the advice of his attorney, Mr. James Dougherty, who was the party being shaved when the arrest was made. The attorney stated that he did not want the court to get the impression that the shop was being run wide open on Sundays, as such was not the case. The barber had gone to the shop to accommodate him. The court imposed a fine of $1 which was promptly paid by Mr. Dougherty. Haskell was warned against further violations of the law in respect to barbering on Sunday and was told that the court would fine him not less than $10 or more than $25 for the second offense.
Joseph Ellis pleaded not guilty to the charge of being a tramp although he had been given lodging at the station and had only 5 cents in his pocket. He was given one hour in which to look for work or get out of the city.
Two drunks were given one and five days apiece in the county jail.
HATS OFF TO LOCAL FIVE.
Y. M. C. A. Basket Ball Team Entertain Little Falls Athletic Five.
Scientific dexterity vs. muscular development was presented to a crowded house on the gymnasium floor Saturday evening. Little Falls, New York, went into practice first. When their blankets were cast aside rigid muscles augmented by joint and bruise protectors called to mind olympian games, but while the visitors do not hail from the vicinity of Athens they are from near Rome. Some fine plays were shown, and from the Athletic point of view the team is an interesting aggregation. When the local school boys and clerks emerged from their blankets the avoirdupois ability was marked. A brief warm up and the referee's whistle announced the game on.
Fast and furious was the opening for a period of five minutes when Wheeler found the basket, the visitors retaliating with two and Cortland followed with a like turn. Encouragement was freely extended to both teams until time was called by the referee, Dowd receiving injury through pushing tactics. Pluckily resuming, though lame, satisfaction came when he threw a side-back adding three to Fisher and Wheeler's double with a foul throw by Mills placed the record 18 to 12 for Cortland at close of half. Five fouls were called by Referee Stark on the visitors.
In the second half the scientific team work in basket ball appeared, despite the roughness. Soon after the opening Moyer and Stark exchanged positions, still the locals found the basket and blocked their opponents in prime style unmindful of all matter foreign to the game until Timekeeper Fox, and Flagging Referee Smith announced "time up." The official score standing 32 to 15 for the Y. M. C. A.
The manner in which the officials conducted the game throughout received the sanction of the audience.
ST. PATRICK'S BANQUET
To be Held by the A. O. H. at Taylor Hall Tonight.
Taylor hall is gorgeously decorated and filled with tables in readiness for the grand St. Patrick's banquet to be given tonight by Division No. 1 Ancient Order of Hibernians. Two hundred fifty covers will be laid. The decorations of the side walls and ceiling are in red, white and blue, while the stage is handsomely set in green, the work of Electrician Hugh Buegler. In the center of the stage in colored electric lights are the three initial letters, "A. O. H." Many of the out of town guests are arriving, and the affair promises to be one of the most pleasant and successful that the local order has ever given.
A FILIPINO GALA-DAY.
LETTER FROM TRUMAN H. WEDGE, FORMERLY OF THE CORTLAND NORMAL SCHOOL
Describes the Fiesta—Begins With a Band Concert, Includes a Cock Fight, the Paying of Bets, a Banquet, Speech Making and a Wedding.
The following letter has been received from Mr. Truman H. Wedge, formerly of the Normal school, who is now a teacher in the Philippine Islands, and will be of interest not only to his friends here but also to all others who wish to know more of the strange customs of the inhabitants of our new possession:
MANILA, P. I., Jan. 8, 1902.
To the Editor of the Standard:
The fiesta is the sine qua non to a Filipinos joyous existence. On this day the brass band meets at the municipal building and proceeds to play "There'll be a Hot Time;" the president (mayor) with his council lead the rapidly increasing crowd to the church, the regular service being used. After the service the festivity begins. A stranger will be impressed with the rainbow display of wearing apparel. He will see the various garbs of the dude, the belle, the proud 4-year-old, and the venerable saint. First comes the daughter of a wealthy Tagal arrayed in her Joseph-like dress of silk and displaying American shoes and stockings, and by her side her neighbor just as happy in her pina cloth wearing palm fiber toe slippers minus hosiery. Some young man anxious to show that he has become Americanized appears in a tasty white duck suit and a black second-hand derby.
The cock fight is the native's most fascinating pastime. For several months the active devotees have been training their most promising roosters. Each day they have given them a bath and rubdown, and a "scoring up" by allowing them to jump at and slightly peck each other. To the cock pit these are brought by their proud and confident owners. The crowd has now assembled. Earnest high-pitched voices are heard above the general hum of happy expectancy, voices of owners endeavoring to match their "birds" for a desired amount. One is successful and the spurs are adjusted. The spurs used are slender, slightly curved razor like bolos about 2 1/2 inches long. Each cock is ordinarily supplied with only one—this being attached to the left leg. If the fowls are unevenly matched, sometimes one is handicapped by giving the other two spurs. The two [experts] who are to handle these fighters now enter the pit and proceed to get them in proper fighting mood by allowing their heads to be alternately pecked. During this time the betting has been going on; and one is reminded of "bears and bulls" of Wall-st. The shields are removed from the spurs and the fight is on. It lasts amid the vacillating hopes and despairs of the betters till one combatant runs or is killed.
Then comes the transfer of the money. The money used is either the peso or media peso. The Filipinos also use the peseta and media peseta, and the daco. The daco is worth five-eighths of a cent, the peseta 10 cents and the peso, or Mexican silver dollar, about 48 cents gold.
A banquet usually follows the cock fight and at this several pigs and the fatted calf are served in various Spanish styles while the native vino and Spanish wines flow freely. Speeches are also in order. The following was given in both Spanish and Visayan by a prominent native.
Today completes the third year that the Philippines have been under the denomination of the great nation of the United States of America. Today is the third time we have celebrated a feast that is celebrated in the United States with great enthusiasm. We, after being friends and great friends, turn to be hearty friends again at this feast called T. G. D. for the victories and the liberty of the great nation—the United States. We are getting little by little all the liberty that we were denied, and in the future will be free, prosperous and happy, for this is the will and the desire of the great nation of the United States of America. Three cheers for the United States and the liberty of the Filipino people! "Viva, viva, viva."
The Visayan girls prefer to be married on fiesta days so the day is apt to close with a wedding. The groom has bought the bride a silk dress and killed a caribao, as he is expected to do: the band escorts the presidente and guests of honor to the appointed casa the president gives the dusky couple a brief talk in Visayan on their duties and obligations; they rise and join right hands as the band plays "Just One Girl," and the dance begins.
Very truly yours, TRUMAN H. WEDGE.
BREVITIES.
—The W. R. C. will hold a meeting at 3:30 o'clock Tuesday afternoon in G. A. R. hall.
—The vested choir of Grace Episcopal church is planning to give the second cantata, "The Crucifixion," on Thursday evening, March 27.
—A good-sized audience saw Hoyts "A Texas Steer" at the opera house Saturday night and liked it well. It is a strong play and was well presented.
—New display advertisements today are—J. W. Cudworth, Optical talks, page 5; City grocery, Canned corn, page 5; C. F. Brown, Paints, etc., page 6; Warren, Tanner & Co., Lace curtains, page 6; Smith & Beaudry, Wallpaper, page 4.
—About forty representatives of the Normal school accompanied the cast of "The Rivals" to Tully, N. Y., Saturday night, where the play was presented to a fair sized house. All returned on the late train. Tomorrow night the play will be put upon the stage at the village hall at McGraw, N. Y.
—The remains of the late Mrs. S. C. Colton of Washington, D. C., were to have reached Cortland at 9:45 o'clock this morning for burial, but there was a washout of the Pennsylvania railroad at Williamsport, Pa., and a delay resulted. It is now expected that the party will arrive in this city at 4:48 on the Lackawanna railroad.
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