The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1899-11-24
BRITISH RUN INTO a BoER TRAP

New YoRK, November 16.-A ca
BILE to the Sun dated London, No
vember 18th, says: The long silence
respecting operations in Natal has
been broken in manner wholly uu-
welcome to the British, whose grow
ing hopefulness, based on the arrival
OF re.enforcements on the coast,
has received sharp setback through
the news OF disaster to an armored
train near Chieveley. The Beers
had prepared clever little trap and
the British train seems to have been
run with guileless innocence.
To people here it looks as il the
troops who are operating in Natal
are imbued with the same contempt
for their clever enemy that charao.
terizes the music hall patriots at
home. 1t was known that the enemy
held the country through which the
train had been moving backward
and forward for days, but apparent.
ly, immunity from attack strengthen
ed the British oyerconideuce. After
they had fallen into the trap the
personal bravery of this party on the
train was useless in the face OF the
excellent fire of the Beers, who are
now able to send to Pretoria another
batch of prisoners vsriously estimat-
ed at from fifty to one hundred.
There is little doubt that Winston
Churchill is among the prisoners,
and as he acted conspicuonsly in the
fight in rallying the British it is not
likely that he will obtain his liberty
on the ground of being a non com
blatant.
There is no news from Ladysmith,
hut correspondent at Estcourt re-
ports hat attempts to Photograph to
the beleagusred troope wers answer
cd Ivy Boer Photograph, which read:
N'i' - with YOU tomorrow"
M. AtltN ton DIV u that Can
eral Jouoert was Killed by frag-
ment OF shell from British naval
gun is not worth consideration, as
doubtless it originated with the ma.
tves. An inquiry by the Sun cor
respondent at the War Office this
evening brought out an answer
which was tantamount to an autho-
ritative denial, the officials stating
that they had news OF Joubert sub.
sequent to the rumored date OF his
death. Another Durham rumor that
General Lucas Myer, who cammand-
ed the Beers at Dundee, was i'll and
had returned to Pretoria, is equally
uncomfortable.
LONDON, Nov. 17.--5 a. m.--Misfor-
tune stesdfastly pursues the British
employment OF armored trains, the
fascination for which has given the
Beers their first and latest victories.
On this last occasion the British
seem to have walked into deliber-
ate trap, with the result that, &C.
cording to the best accounts, ninety
men are either killed, wounded or
missing. OF these the Fusleers
claim fifty and the Durham infantry
forty. It is believed that few escap-
ed and that the others are prisoners
in the hands OF the Beers.
Many OF the wounded were
brought back on the locomotive and
tender OF the armored train. Capt
Haldane Of the Gordon Highlanders
was attached to the Fusileers and
other officers were with him. The
list of casualties is awaited with
great anxiety In time OF trouble
Lieutenant Winton Churchill has
proved himself more soldier than
a correspondent, and his gallantry
is highly praised on all sides.
According to the Pietermaritz.
burg correspondent of the London
Outlook rumors are current in the
Natal capital that the Beers con-
template a retreat. 1t is needless,
however, to attach Importance to
such reports, which are spread, 10
all probability, with view OF Turing
General White. il possible, to aban-
don his defensive attitude. Similar
rumors are current regarding the
Beers at Mafeking and are spread
industriously by native spies.
Special dispatches from Lourenzo
Marquee cay that the Transvaal
Government is exercising a severe
censorship over all war news and
will not allow newspapers to leave
the country. One correspondent
says that the Beers are hurrying
new commandos to Ladysmith and
are declaring that the place must
fall speedily in order to liberate their