The People's friend., 1894-08-31
AMBUSHED.
Dutch Soldiers Suffer Severely al the
Hands Of Eastern Islanders.
FIFTY-SEVEN MEN KILLED.
YaquI Indians Lead Party of Mexican
Troops Into Trap-A Hot Fight
Follows with Loss of
Life.

THE HAGUE, Holland, Aug. 31.-The
Official Journal published to-day dis
patch showing that the disaster to the
Dutch forces operating against the
.aiah of the island of Lomboh, near
lava, were much more serious than at
irst supposed and were the result of
2reconcerted plan on the part Of the
eading native chiefs Gen. Vetter was
surprised at II o'clock at night near
Tiakra Negara. The firing was con-
tinuous until morning and the Dutch
n this engagement lost fourteen killed
and thirty-fve wounded. AS the
water supply Of the column fail
"a and foraging was impossible
che Dutch troops were compelled
to retreat toward Mataram, the capital
If the island. During the retreat the
Dutch lost heavily, being continually
1arassed by the natives and at one por.
don Of the route they found their bar
.iers had been raised. These Obstruc-
tiOns were SO stOutly defended by the
native warriors that the troops were
unable to force a passage and were,
consequently, compelled to make long
letOur in order to avoid the blOckaded
route, and in doing SO they lost more
nen. The Dutch succeeded in reach
ing Ampenan on August 27, with a
total Of casualties far in excess of the
1umber at first reported. The killed
numbered four officers and ffty-three
men: there were twelve officers and 153
men wounded and six officers and 14S
men missing.
Col. Van Pabst's column, after see
ing the promises Of the chiefs exc
cuted, was returning to Tjal1ra Negara,
when it was attacked while fOrding
the river Babal1 BY the Balinese, whose
hostility was unexpected. The column
only succeeded in regaining the road
to Tjal1ra Negara after sharp fighting
and heavy loss. After harassing re-
treat the Van Pabst column was APP
preaching Tjalra Negara with
out seeing any further signs of
the enemy, when suddenly,
from the walls Of that place, from
every loophole and every point of
vantage, hailstorm of bullets was
poured into the column. The latter
were completely taken by surprise and
Slogan to falter. To make matters
A.zeFse- Balinese had no sooner
opened fire upon the head of the col
umn than it's rear was also exposed to
a terrible rifle fire. Thus the advance
and the retreat of the column were
alike cut off Had it not been that
nightfall came to their assistance there
is little doubt that the entire de-
tachment would have been massacred.
AS it was, under cover of darkness, the
exhausted soldiers, many of them bad
lv wounded, succeeded in reaching Am
penan. The Balinese succeeded in cap
turing quantity Of arms, ammunition
and provisions, and also the guns anC
effects Of Gen. Van Pun's force, they
having been abandoned in order tC
save the wounded.
News Of the losses sustained by the
Dutch forces has caused great excite
ment throughout Holland and it is be
lieved that when the losses of the Var
Pabst and Bylevet columns are added
TO those sustained by the Vetter col
umns. the loss in killed, wounded anC
missing will be over 500 men.
INDIANS AND MEXICANS FIGHT.
SAN DIEGO. Cal, Aug. 31.-July .
forty-five men of the Fourteenth bat
talon, Of Mexico, left a place called
the Pillares for Cruz de Piedra ant
from there started for Rio Yaqui, nea
the outpost of Los Guasimas. The.
were ambuscaded in thichly wooded
part of the road by about 100 Indians
At the first fire, delivered at pisto
range, nine federals dropped. Capt
Gomez, in command. rallied hi
men on the defensive a Gttl
outside Of the ambuscade and whel
the Indians attacked again the troop
furiously resisted. The fight laste
more than an hour and half. the fed
erals remaining in possession of tn
field. While some of the Indians wer
fighting the remainder stole the bag
gage, animals, money and as much c
the ammunition of the troops as the
could carry off. Two Indian wome
and six or eight Indian boys wer
among the batants of the federal
Twelve men were killed, six wounded
the wife of sergeant killed and Ii
tie child of and a boy of wel
wounded. Four Indians were kille
and twenty-seven slightly wounde
and taken prisoners. Capt. Gomez wi
be court martialed.
Leaving he Coke Region,