WAR ON RAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 March 1922, Page 5

WAR ON RAND.

THRILLING ENCOUNTERS. STORIES OF BATHES. BEATING THE REBELS. OUTBREAK IN CONTROL. u? Telegraph.—Frees Assn.—Copyright. Received March 16, 12.45 a.m. Capetown, March 15. It is reported a number of Fordsburg “reds” have been driven towards Laandgaate, where they are likely to fall into the hands of burghers. Some buildings were severely damaged by artillery fire. An eye-witnese states a number of persons were hit in the street and left lying in the road crying for water, and an attempt by people in nearby houses to assist them was met by murderous rifle and revolver fire. It is believed two prominent “red” ’ -iders. Fisher and Spendiff, were killed in the Trades Hall. Ficher was said to be an Oxford man. An official communique states that in the eastern area General Britts entered Springs, releasing sixty-nine police, who gallantly defended their position. General Van de Venter and General Britta have practiclly joined forces and are engaged in collecting prisoners. The Cape Times state.s one result of a fight at a Brixton suburb on Monday was the relief of a string police force numbering 183, who proceeded to Brixton on Friday and were lost to sight ever since. The men put up a heroic fight against big odds. It is now learned they retired to the veldt, where they were cut off by hordes of revolutionaries and subjected to a continuous attack. They decided to fight to an (nd and returned the rebel fire with the utmost coolness.

No food or water was obtainable and ammunition ran out. They gave up hope, but soon they were sighted by an aeroplane, which informed the authorities and food and ammunition were conveyed to them. Shortly after the revolutionaries withdrew, but no doubt the gallant stand kept 1500 armed ruffians engaged and had a great effect on the course of events.

The ‘red" leaders Fisher and Sppndiff were killed by shrapnel while making bombs it the Trades Hall, which was discovered to contain piles of bombs. Documents reported to be found indicate the “red" campaign, which included the seizure of Johannesburg and also the execution and assassination lists of practically all prominent people in Johannesburg. Another case ta reported of the “reds” killing two natives wantonly, one being Biutilated.—Reuter Service. FIGHTING IN BENONI. WILD SCENE IN THE TOWN. WOMEN TAKE PART. Received March 15, 5.5 p.m. Capetown, March 14. A special correspondent with Van Deventer's force describes the fighting in the Benoni district. He states it started without the “reds” knowing that martial law had been proclaimed. It is declared a white man wounded a native, who seized a rifle and the trouble then became general. The “reds” attacked the police on all sides and the police repulsed the attacks, but as sniping continued the police raided surrounding houses and captured sixty men. They discovered women and children among the snipers and the police were so exasperated that they shot a supposed woman, who they round them to prevent their capture. Women with white flags sheltered the men, while children formed groups round them to prepent their capture. Finally a few rounds of machine-gun fire stopped the sniping. In the meantime the Benoni police and Colonel Burne’s relieving force joined General Van Deventer and a frontal attack with the bayonet cleared one section of the “reds’ ” defences. Stretcher-bearers were unable to relieve the wounded, owing to the “reds” pouring in a murderous fire, and the wounded had to lie where they fell till the afternoon. This happened on Sunday.

Every house in the main avenue of Benoni was fortified and barricaded. The military did not use guns, fearing to hurt women and children, and they Waited till Monday to occupy the town. On Sunday night there was a wild orgy. Houses and shops were ransacked and burned and liquor stores looted, drunken “rede” firing indiscriminately on women and children or anyone appearing in the streets.

The Government forces entered at daybreak. All the “red” commandos returned and General Deventer continued to advance on Brokpan, the “reds” retreating in the direction of Heidelburg. According to the manager of the Brakpan mine, when a small party was defending a party of surrendered a band of ninety men who had taken no part in the fight shot the defenders down at close range and battered their heads with pick handles. The police post gallantly held out, though riddled with bullets, while Brakpan itself suffered little damage. An official message states the whole of Fordsburg is occupied by Government forces and armed resistance of every kind has ceased. Our casualties are •UgSt .—Reuter Service.

DRAMA OF FORDSBURG. SHELLS AND BULLETS FLY. RUSH BY THE TROOPS. Received March 15, 7.10 p.m. Capetown, March 14. The greater part of the population of Johannesburg, from roofs, water-tanks and every point of vantage, watched the Fordsburg drama. Everywhere were khaki lines intermingling with the police blue, with big guns, machine-guns and ambulances, while a tank, waddling down past the Stock Exchange, completed the weird sight. Shells and bullets were whistling over the heads of the spectators. When the Government forces rushed the houses, white flag's oegan to flutter. The infantry went forward and surrounded the Trades Hall, and then the

j fighting died down, though aeroplanes I continued the clearing up of the sniping posts. The infantry dealt with stragglers inside the wide cordon, and a stream of strongly escorted prisoners began to flow into Johannesburg.—Reuter Service. A HOT ENGAGEMENT HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED. Capetown, March 14. Jepps, a township in the central area, was the scene of a hot engagement on Sunday between the Imperial Light Horse and the revolutionaries. Red sharpshooters kept up a steady fire on the troops from behind barricades, sniping from windows and balconies. Considerable street fighting followed. The rebels sustained material losses. It is reported that four captured policemen were murdered in cold blood at Fordsburg and others threatened with the same fate, but a member of the Red Cross belonging to the revolutionary forces intervened and his impassioned address saved their lives. It is estimated that 2500 Reds, 500 of whom are armed with rifles and others with shot-guns, revolvers and bombs, are in the Fordsburg area. Two German machine-guns of the 1918 pattern were discovered in the area yesterday. Fine work against the Reds was done by a squadron of four armored trains ■manned by the Railway Rifle Corps. They inflicted severe losses at several points.

The leader of the Brakpan Reds is stated to be an Irishman. Ainsworth, with considerable military experience. The leader of the Benoni group is Ratenbach, who earned a reputation for heroic rescue work in the mines.

The Johannesburg correspondent of the Cape Times telegraphs that the back of the rebellion is broken. The revolutionary forces are disorganised and the principal leaders have fled. Commandant Erasmus is said to be wounded. The rebels are short of munitions and other supplies. REBELS READY TO YIELD. The majority are anxious to surrender and are only holding out because the bitter-enders have threatened to shoot deserters and because the leaders have spread the report that rebels captured by the troops would be courtmartialled and shot. The prisoners captured will be tried by a special court. Crowds of natives watched the bombardment of Vrededorp and Brixton and expressed satisfaction that the Government had punished the men responsible for the recent murders. Fordsburg was captured after a 75 minutes’ bombardment. The attack commenced punctually at 11 o’clock, Johannesburg reverberating to the sound of artillery, machine-gun and rifle fire, while whippet tanks co-oper-ated in the attack. An official message says that over 4000 prisoners have been dealt with at Benoni. Many were not revolutionaries, but were being held in the town against their will. General Nussey has reached Newlands. The encircling movement of the Government forces is now complete and the situation so well in hand that, not only is recruiting stopped but considerable forces are available as reserves and will shortly go into camp. Only certain portions of the central area remain to be cleaned up. Offers of support continue to flow in, not only from the Union, but from the South-West Protectorate. Thousands of leaflets were dropped over Fordsburg in the morning, calling upon the women, children and others well disposed towards the Government to leave the area before 11 o’clock and proceed to the show ground with blankets and food in view of military opera- ’ tions. REVOLT LONG PLANNED. Even some strikers are indignant at the disclosures in captured documents showing that the revolution was long planned and supported by money from abroad. A large number of arrests were made yesterday on charges ranging from spreading false information to high treason. The majority of the prisoners are miners, but many are of the quasi-professional class, including Irish, Dutch, Germans, Russians, Greeks and Poles. Details of the attack on Fordsburg show that at 11 o’clock a gun signalled the commencement of the infantry advance and the police guns on the Brixton Ridge opened fire. Three minutes later the Durban Light Infantry linked up near the cemetery and, after a brief lull, the guns bombarded the trenches in Market Square. Then the advance was resumed.* Reinforcements brought in motor-cars swelled the ranks of attackers, who by 11.45 had occupied some of the Fordsburg houses and continued to press forward. At noon a white flag was hoisted and firing ceased. The battle appeared to be over on the northern side of the town, but intermittent rifle fire continued in the vicinity of the railway station. This was only a flash in the pan and the town was virtually captured shortly after noon. CROWDS WATCH BOMBARDMENT. EXODUS FROM FORDSBURG. Capetown. March 14. Huge crowds watched the bombardment of Fordsburg from the streets of Johannesburg. Prior to the attack aeroplanes dropped leaflets over Fordsburg advising the women and children and those well disposed to the Government to leave and proceed to the showground. A great exodus immediately commenced, people streaming along the appointed route, Amongst them were 50 police, who had been imprisoned in the area for several days. Great confusion prevailed and there were many pathetic scenes. All kinds of transport was used to remove belongings, including wheelbarrows and perambulators. Those who were unable to secure vehicles carried what they could on their shoulders, 1A miles to the showground. Many also fled to Johannesburg. Nothing like such a scene had ever before been witnessed in South Africa. Fortunately the weather was fine.

Tn the Legislative Assembly the Act-ing-Premier stated that the Fordsburg rebels asked for an armistice . They were told that only unconditional surrender would be accepted. They allowed the women and children to leave, but turned back all male adults. He also announced that thousands had been captured or surrendered at the East Rand. Mr. Malan, Nationalist leader in the Cape Province, moved the adjournment as a mark of sympathy with the fallen men. The Acting-Premier declined to accept the motion, if it was intended to signify sympathy with the revolutionaries. Mr. Malan disclaimed such an idea. The motion was defeated by 63 votes to 48, Nationalists and Laborites forming the minority