The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-13
CONT TINUOUS
ENGAGEMENT.
Fighting at Mafeking Is With
out Cessation.
Consists of BOmbardment and
Series of SalIies.
A BRITISH S RT / E
Carried Into the Trenches OF
the Beers.
All kilograms, However, Are a
Week Old.
A BRITISH SORTIE

4@Ol11OIls 4NON 10 il6 Wi OiAACN N---H'
morning published the following dis
patch received from Gen. Butler:
Cape Town. Sunday, Nov12-CNighD
The following reports have been re-
ceived from Col. Baden-Powen:
d" 'Iafeking, Monday, Oct. 30.-All
well here, enemy apparently shy of at
tacking. Now closing to invest US.
Are today destroying railway u miles
north with dynamite. Shelling contin-
ued. Doing very little harm.
" Tuesday. Oct. 31.-Enemy attempt
ed assault t@-ay on Cannon KOpje and
southeast corner of town. Attack most
brilliant, notwithstanding shell fire by
the British South African police under
Waldorf. Enemy lost heavily Our
casualties five killed and five wounded.
Killed:
CAPTAINS HON. d. H. MAR
SHAM, Fourth BedfOrdshire.
So C. A. PETCHELL, Third King Ri
"A Sergeant Major and two troop
Wounded:
'' Five non commissioned officers and
troopers. All British South African po-
lice
The war office also made public the
following dispatch from Gen. Butler:
Cape Town. Sunday, Nov. 12.-The
following is from Nicholson:
" 'BuIuwayO, Sunday Nov. 5.-The
following is from Baden-PoWeu:
% 'Mafeking. Wednesday, Oct. 25-AH
well here. Enemy still Smelling. We
made successful night attack on his ad-
vance trenches last night getting in
with bayOnet. Our loss six men of the
PrOtectOrate regiment killed. nine
wounded, including Capt. pt.Fitz-Clarence
Third Royal FUsiliers and Lieut. Swim
ton. Enemy's loss unknown, but con-
siderable. Enemy have vacated Signal
Hill and laagered two miles northeast
of town and two miles southeast
FRENCH STEAMER HELD UP.
Lorenzo Marques Delagoa, Bay.
Thursday, Nov. .9.-The French steamer
Cordoba has arrived here. When 70
miles out she was signalled by the Brit
ish class cruiser Magicienne and
as she did not obey a blank shot was
fired across her bows. After her mani
fest had been examined she was allow
ed to proceed.
BOER DEFEAT AT LADYSMITH.
London, Nov. 13.-A special dispatch
from Durham. Natal, dated Thursday,
November 9, evening, says;
Native runners who have just ar
rived here report that the Beers suf-
fered a severe defeat at Ladysmith
this morning the BOer guns We're si-
fenced after four hours fighting, during
which the Boer losses were heavy. No
details have been received
BRITISH WHISTLING.
London Nov. 13.-The simultaneous
attacks on Ladysmith, Mafeking and
| Kimberly, which were opened Thurs
day, manifest full recognition by the
Beers of the fact that every day les
sens their chances of a successful on
slaught on any of the three British
strCnghOlds.
General Joubert's chances of reach
ing Pietmaritzburg can be said to have
/ vanished. This is already reported to
| be admitted by Colonel Schiel, the Ger
man officer commanding the Boer ar
| tillery, who is supposed to have been
| largely the author of the BOer plan Of
campaign, and who, in an interview, is
| alleged to have said:
/ tured Pietermaritzburg ana then to
| dictate terms. But all hope of accom-
plishing this must now be abandoned. ."
There is no doubt that from the Brit
| ish point of view the general situation
! in Natal is Sapidly improving. Nearly
/ 5000 troops reached South Africo dur
I ing the last 4S hours, and by the end of
| the week 500 or 1000 will be added to
/ the British strength in Natal These
will Immediately be pushed forward to
| EstcOurt, bringing the British force
| there up to 10000 and making a general
attack on Ladysmith by General JOu-
| bert very hazardous As the cavalry
and artillery belonging to General Me
| theun's division will not have arrived
| by then, the advance from Estcourt
may be delayed. But, if it is deemed
essential to open communication with
| the belea guered town at the earliest
possible moment, General Metheun. it
regular cavalry and artillery by the
! Natal and Outiander mounted forces
and the naval guns, IN which case, it
is claimed. it ought to be possible to
occupy COlence and stretch out a hand
| to General White by Monday though
it IS added. the course to be followed
by General Metheun must necessarily
/ be dictated entirely by official know
| ledge Of General Whites position and
| resources and the experts hope Gen
| eral Netheun will be able to await the
! concentration Of the whole division be
fore advancing and thus have a better
chance of dealing a telling blow at
/ General JOubert's main army which. it
| is asserted, Will be caught between two
British forces and cOmbelled either to
fight a general action, or retire.
WITH A GRAIN OF SALT
London. Nov 13.-The Drakensberg
dispatch by way of Durham, which was
brought in by a kaf1r reporting the
defeat of the Beers near Ladysmith
| Thursday, may turn out to be correct
but in view of previous experience it
must be received with caution. It ap-
pears however certain that heavy fight
ing occurred and that Lyddite of the
naval guns must have had a dire eff
| feet on the burgher forces if it reached
them. A belated dispatch from Lady
smith dated November g. by way Of
E-stcourt under date November g. con-
firms the idea that the temporary ces-
satIon of the BOer bOmbardment was
| due to Gen. Joubert awaiting the arriv-
| al of other position guns before tack
| ling the work in earnest. 1t also saws