Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-10-05

- serious and ugly statement
comes from Newcastle to the effect
that armed Kaffirs accompany the
Boer commanders. This will be an
absolute breach of the conditions sup
posed to govern warfare among civil
lied nations, and, if true, presages
scenes worse than even the gloomiest
forecasts. From other Newcastle ad-
vices, it appears, the premier of Natal
telegraphed the military authorities
that they can send Newcastle no as
sistance, adding if the Beers intend to
attack the town, resistance would be
futile, that the women and children
should be sent away and the town
surrendered. There is an uncon-
tirmed report that martial law is pro-
claimed in the Transvaal.
The Daily Telegraph published the
following from New Castle: The
Natal-Boer advance began with a gen
eral movement of artillery. The
Beers are occupying Laings Mex
nightly and hold the mountains to
the southwest of Volksrust.
Lacks CONFIRMATION.
Up to 2 this afternoon nothing ar
rived to confirm the dispatch announc-
ing that a general advance of the BOer
forces began yesterday, or that they
occupied Laings Mex.
The war and colonial offices, as
usual, profess entire ignorance of the
matter. A later Newcastle special de-
clares that all was quiet on the border
last evening and that there are no
signs of Boer advance.
Intelligence from Capetown includes
i.I fa1 Of ha
the British crossed the Transvaal
frontier near Kimberley.
England Has Fighting Elsewhere.
Paris. Oct. 5.-According to dis
patch from Ras Jibutil. on the gulf of
Alden. the Iudo- British troops recently
landed on the Somali coast fought
near Berbera with forces of Sheik
Saleh, who had been pro-
claimed mahdi by the Hinterland Mus
selmans, who was investigating an
of Somalis against the Abys-
sinians. rwcnty-seven SOmllis were
killed.
Paris Story of an UItimatum.
Blccmfontcin. oct. J.-Thc govern
EIIcnt publishes n telegram from BoS
hof stating that the British forces
have crossed the border and that fight
Ing has commenced
Another telegram says the troops
have crossed the border. but that no
lhghtin- has occurred.
- The government discrcdits the re
pOrt.
London. oct. : The Daily Chron-
icle's correspondent at Cape Town. tel
cgraphing under date of Tuesday says:
For the first time i'll several months
j. III. Hofmeyr. the Afrikander leader
in Cape Colony. and Sir Alfred Milner
British high commissioner for South
Africa and governor of Cape Colony.
met Yesterday in conference. An un-
confirmed report iS in circulation that
HOfmeyr has been entrusted with an
imperial mission 20 Pretoria"
Report That l. Thought Ominous.
London, oct. THE Daily Mails
correspondent at Lorenzo Marques re-
ports that H. NJ. =. Philomel has gone
1n Durham for the purpose of landing
loo men and a gun. Commenting edI-
torially on the foregoing dispatch The
Daily Mail says il considers that tn"
action reported indicates great dan
ger. The admiralty" says The Daily
Mail. would not countenance such Il
usual emergency" and il thinks it
probable that other British warshipS
are converging silently upon the theatre
of action.
Paris Has n Sen sation.
Paris. Oct. "a number OF papers
say that the Beers have sent an ulti-
matum to England demanding the
withdrawal OF the troops from the
frontiers within forty-eight hours. The
papers congratulate President Kruger
for coming to the decision.
TransvaaI SeIEes Much Gold.
London. Oct. "a special dispatch
from Pretoria SAYS the TranSvaal gov
ernment has seized gold To the value
of S;lOO.OOO. which is now lodged in
the state mint. The government the
dispatch adds. will indemnify the
banks To which the gold is consigned.
Interesting London Development
London. oct. 5.-The most interest
ing announcement in connection with
the TranSvaal crisis yesterday was
that the chancellor OF the eNchcqucr,
Right Hon. Sir Michael HiCkSB Beach.
has already sanctioned rhe provisional
expenditure of e3.Op.Ooo. and that the
government Will not exceed that limit
without authority from parliament.
which VIII he asked To vote sum not
exceeding tS.OnOO- y meeting of
the war board yesterday discussed and
drew up arrangements to insure the
safety Of the route from Durham 10
ie9inG-s Mex. so that large bodies OF