The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-24

from Kimberley dated October 18th
says:tc"AlI is well here. Colonel Hore
engaged the Beers at Mafeking on Oc-
tober Ath, with great SUCCESS. Mafe+
king was still safe on October 18th"
A special dispatch to The Cape Ar
gus reiterates the statement that in the
fighting al Mafeking Colonel Hore re-
pulsed the. Beers, inflicting a loss of
300 men. y --a
Complaints of Boer outrages upon
the natives continue to arrive. These
serve further to inflame the Basuteos
and the Zulus. Yesterday l5O Basuteos
from Johannesburg arrived at Burg
hersdorp, Cape Colony, and alleged
that the Beers had robbed them whole
sale and fiogged them with rblack-
snakes The party, which included a
son of Chief L~erothodi was supplied
with provisions, n the Basuteos then
started homeWard, cheering for the
queen and chanting war songs. j. @ec-
The Cape Times publishes the follow
ing dispatch from Kimberley: Re
able information from Mafeking says
that an armored train, while reconnoit-
ering north Of the town last Saturday,
engaged 800 Beers, who suffered heavi-
ly. Colonel FitZ Clarence'S column foil
ed the Beers, inficting severe loss. The
British casualties were two killed and
fourteen wounded, two severely"
Durham, Natal, October 18.-(Delayed
in transmission. 1.-THE following Off
cial note has been issued regarding the
BOer advance: .F. ---..-H'-
THE Orange Free State force, with
q few guns, moved about ten miles
down Tintwa pass, opening with artil-
lery on small British cavalry patrols.
NJ --1 4LA hAA
ing Indifferent. The object may have
been either a feint to draw our troops
from the real point Of attack or a pre-
lude to Boer concentration against
Ladysmith."
Cape Town, October 18-(Delayed in
Observation-Disclosures is an incessant
procession of applicants for active mil
itary service and the new force of 5000
mounted infantry which the imperial
government has sanctioned will be
quickly raised.
VRYBURG CAPTURED.
London, October 2O.-The Cape Town
correspondent of The Daily Mail, tele-
graphing at 10 o'clock Thursday night,
says: .
"Vryburg surrendered Sunday. To-
nights dispatches from Kuruman,
ninety miles west by south Of. Vry-
burg, state that the police having with
drawn from Vryburg, the town surren-
dered to the Beers, the inhabitants flee
ing in all directions, mostly toward
Thurman. When the police
the Cape Beers notified the fact to the
enemy, thus inviting them to take pos
session. There was a fearful panic. The
British are wildly indignant at this
Scuttling."
Orange River, October 18.-The Beers
suffered a reverse on Sunday at Spruit-
f%ontein, ten miles from Kimberley. An
armored train went out to bring in a
train reported to have been captured
by the Beers neal the Spruitfontein
siding. A party of Beers who were en-
camped nearby lowered the railway
signal and displayed Il white flag, APP
parently, with the idea of inducing the
train to proceed. The driver suspected
that the Beers were in possession and
stopped the train; Whereupon the Beers
issued in large force and opened fire,
but without any effect. The soldiers
replied from the train and about half
a dozen Beers were killed. The British
were unscratched.
Seven hundred Beers surprised a par
ty of thirteen Cape Colony police who
were guarding the railway at Riverton
road, eighteen miles north of Kimberley
on Sunday morning. The police retir-
ed. A terrific explosion was heard Ia
ter and it is believed that the Beers
blew up the station.
A relief party OF twenty-five police
sent from Kimberley met the Beers
near RivertOn. The enemy displayed a
white flag to induce the troops to fall
into their trap, but the police were or
dered to retire. Then the Beers opened
a heavy fire upon them, discharging
about 400 rounds. A bullet struck the
horse of Surgeon Major Sullivan, wht
with a trooper whose horse had Stun
bled and ~dismounted him, vas cap
tured.
London, October 19.-The Daily Mails
Cape Town correspondent says that a
refugee who has reached GrahamstOwn
from the and states that a train ar
rived at johannesburg on Monday from
Klerksdorp with 800 wounded burghers.
Every available conveyance, the refu-
gee says, was called into recuisition to
take the wounded men to the hospital.
The Daily Mail suggests that these
wounded men were from Mafeking.
NO DEFINITE NEWS. &au
The war office this evening issued the
following bulletin:
N news of Importance has been re-
ceived from Natal today. The cavalry
attached to our forces at Ladysmith
and Dundee are engaged in observing
the enemy's movements. Steps have
been taken to secure PietermaritZburg
and Durham against raids on the west
CIh MI IN -
LIABLE intelligence from Kimberley or
Mafeking, both places being cut Off
from railway and Geographic communi-
cation. 1t is believed, however, that a
skirmish took place on Sunday six
miles south of Kimberley, and that the
Beers were beaten off with some losses
by an armored train. There was some
fighting at Mafeking Friday and Satur-
day, ending with a repulse of the at
lacking force. 11-, L
Beers in considerable numbers are
assembled opposite. Alfwaf North and
Bethulie, on the Orange river. Railway
communication with the Orange Free
State n the Transvaal has now .ceas-
ed, the remaining refugees having been
warned to- leave by way of Delagoa
bay" Q SO a=@@ p
A MINE EXPLODED UNDER BoERs
London, October l9.-The Daily News
Cape Town correspondent says: lit is
rumOred here that news has reached