The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-09
RUMORS OF A B0ER DEFEAT.
y1TIyEs TELL OF HE<TY LOSSES
NEAR IdDYSMITH.

R.port. Dncredited in London-No Direct
Sev. from Gen. white-Boers Using
smokeiess Powder In Smelling the Town
Paris Rumor of Loss of the Fifth Lam
GERS Not Crrd!trd-Gen. Butler Taking
Step. to Check the Boer Advance In Cape
Colony -soms Germans in tho Natal
yoiuntcers-stories OF Doer Trrschery.
Special Cab. D,ssG'ehi to TER Sun.
IoSpoS, Nov 9.-Therc Is still no direct news
from Gen White in reference 10 the fighting
,ear Iadysmith on Nov. 2 and 3. or suisse
ouent events The War once explains
,ba, Gen. Buffers despatch OF Tuesday
WA PRESS telegram from Ladysmith
which was mistakenly regarded as
onaclal. II was assumed that Gen. White
had sent de patch at the same time but
that the pigeon or runner carrying It had
com, TO grie, II 10 noteworthy that nono 81
the reiterated reports OF the slaughter aud
eopturc " Beers emnnnte from Lcdysmith.
The correspondent 81 the DGdV Ne'rs ut Est
court. tsesraphiug under date OF Nov. >. says
there is good authority for stating that the
British have gained brilliant victory The
CORRESPONDENT adds: The reports arc singu-
larry unanimous in placing the Boer loss at
1000 killed and wounded anu -'OOo PRISON.
.r"
some wholesome salt IL supplied to this story
bya letter which J. b. Robinson. chairman Of
the Robinson South African Banking COM
rany, addresses to the Nstrs gravsly warning
the pubic against accepting statements
made ty natives, He relates his own
experiences with natives OF South Africa
from his childhood aud says he 10 con-
WINGED that these reople are now making
wild statements. which are probably only
having the way 20 an unpleasant rsnc-
ton later on. Mr. Robinson says: The
South African native Is exceedingly cum
nng. AMI In times 81 excitement like
the present he knows exactly what the white
nan wants and that h. j. master Of the situa-
ton. For a piece oi tobacco he will trump up
an exciting story; Tor 4 shilling he will lay It
on th!ckly I'm a'rald the natives are doing
the correspondents
Mr.. Robinson rdcuies the successive wild
rero-ts OF Boer losses. lie shows that IL those
report. were true tn, Boer losses in killed and
vounde! up TO the present time would bs
about 5000.
In the absence OF further news from Lady
smith attention is now bsias turned to the
southern frontier Of the Orange Free State.
whore there are indications Of growing Boer
activity
The Patty telegraph has = despatch from
Estcourt which savs that oGciai commuhica-
ton was established with Gen. White az Lady
smith on Nov 1, when the latter received an
official message from Gen. Butler.
despatch from Durham saws Germans are
being enrolled Ia the Umyoti Mounted Rifles.
Natal volunteer force. Il ia reported that
they are very energetic and that M volunteers
are more anxious Tor active service.
despatch from Colesbers. Cape Colony.
dated Nov y, SAYS IL is reported there that
5000 hurGhers have eft Pretoria 10 assist in
the defence Of southern border Of the Orange
Free State. IL stated that these troops are
accompanied by German artIllsrists and have
GuicS-hrng guns OF heavy ca'ibrs.
Adesratch 10 the Daily Mail from Queens
Town, Cape Colony, says: The members OF
the s;al OF the Cape Colony Railway are
being withdrawn from oil border stations be-
tween that point and De Aar. Four thousand
Free state burghers are now In Cape Colony nd
more arr expected. Gen. BUTLER. however has
taken effective steps To check their advance
There is no cause for alarm. although Aliwal
North. Burghersdorp, SteynsburG. Mo'tenO
and Barky East are UNPROTECTED. The censor
does no; allow me to particularize. but you
may expect good news.
LONDON. Nov S-A despatch TO the Times.
dated Es'court. Nov, ;. by courier from Lady
smith. after describing Col. Broekleh lrst's
action which was referred to in a pre-
vlous despatch. says: The enemy are
now Smelling tho town and their artillery 10
being splendidly handled. The enemy. under
nag OF truce. sent an artillery officer. dis
guised az an am hulnncs driver, into tho town,
Theenemys battery Is hard to locate. Thoy
are using smoksless explosive"