The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-04-30
BRITISH DEFEATED
DESPERATE FIGHT WITH MATA-
BELES NEAR BULUWAiO.
u,,.b soIdires Make an Attack
IN. Natives. Taking Them
s,rprisr and Killing Many "f
,ut Are Finally Compelled
20 Retreat-Their Defe" Ih""sh'
Have Been IA had One.

c.,rricbteJ. By Associated PreSS.l
VC"rroc Town. April 26.-TelegraphiS
.",,rnir,tinn with BCluwayO was re-
anrI for a time to-day, AMI then
"rporn was another break. believed.
,Nrr y f. be only II temporary inter
Hmnt,or During the time the wire
ras working dispatches were received
rrom several sources IN III" h"Sle%rd
.ovn The news flashed south Is
sompwhat conflicting, but the main
,ac, seems we'll established that the
pritiSb have made u SOrtie in force,
a~nco,utrred large numbers Of Malta
haIaS inflicted great loss upon them,
srffcrrd in return. were at one timc
IA DANCER of humiliation, and finally
rptreat"l.
THE story of the fight must be di-
riJrd into two chapters, the official
and unofficial account. The official
version of the SOrtic says that the
British force shortly after midnight
was quietly called to arms, ana with
ont APPARENTLY alarming tn" native
mart of the town, Il force of about 4Up
men. under Captains Napier and
Duncan. with on" rapil-tirr Maxim
cun. ard Il IIotrhkiSS quiCk-tiring gun.
belonging to the flagship -. George,
mustered outside the barbed wire de-
fences. were served with n ration If
run and Saddl"d up for a dash ut the
aDrmy'S lines. swords and all chatter.
ing accuutrrmcntS were dcadcncd with
cloth. and the feet of the horses. COM
posing the advlnc" guard. q
,haggcd" thOOfS covered over with
strong Sacking.t Owing TO the prccau-
tons il was necessary to take. there
was considerable delay in getting OF.
and the first StrcakS of gray on the
horizon could be- seen when the col
uun arrived within striking distance
Of the enemy.
Great Fight.
The latter were quietly campcd be-
hind their s~tonr-tOpped r~arthwOrks.
about four miles out of Buluwayo.
But contrary 10 expectations. the
MatahcleS had thrown out pickctS.
which. although surprised by the adj
vance guard. raised the alarm. This
was no one don" than the troopers
in advance charged and shot down
many Of the fleeing natives. This was
the signal for the advance Of the main |
body Of the troopers, and they gaIlopcd |
forward in fine style to the support Of |
their comrades.
| InluckIiy for the plans OF Captains |
Napier and Duncan. by this time it
vas getting quite light. and the Malta
@leS had sprung to arms all along the |
Inc, AS the British advanced they |
vrc received by Il scattering rifle fire |
mn behind iii" rarthworkS. but the |
siTancc guard charged right up TO the |
Bounds and Spurrrd their horses over |
them in several places. Then followed |
a setback for the troops. The Malta |
beleS charged in force and drove III" |
ADVANCE guard back. and. being met |
y tn" main body of the Buluwayo |
brCe, nrc was opened at about 4W |
nrlS on the MatabClc position. This |
fiS Kept up until board daylight. when |
ue advance was ordered back. 1t IL |
now said that both the llOtchkiSs and |
Tue Maxim rapid fire guns worked bad |
~ ana that they We're only used for |
a comparatively short time. as the |
mechanism damned repeatedly. No |
correct estimate of the killed and |
wounded has yet been received. the !
only statement being that of the Brit !
M Ofhclal report. which says that the |
British loss was very slight and the |
hatabclcS lost heavily. |
The opinion is gaining that the Brit |
nu suffered Il bad defeat. and that the |
hatabele loss was not SO great as at |
hrSt rumored.