Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-30
Beers and kaflrs Have a Battle In
Which the Whites Win.
THE WAR WITH ENGLAND.
Boers Kept Informed Ne TO uritish
Army Movements bcsui,ory
Fighting In Progress.

Pretoria. Tuesday. December goth, Via
Lourenzo Marquee. Thursday. Deem
Der 2s.-Commandant swart reports
from the iaagcr at Alowyns kop. neat
Zeorust. that he had an engagement on
Friday, December 22nd, with kafilrs In
the ncighborhood of Dordorpoort The
kafiirs occupied "a strongly fortified
ridge. and were well prepared for emer-
Ecnclcs. After heavy nrng the
burghors captured the kaflir position,
LOSING three killed and Ave wounded.
London. Dec. so.-'rhc latest special
dispatches from Chlcvclcy camp hint
darkly at some Important movement as
imminent This h interpreted. with
some mlaglvings. 90 mean that Gen.
Butler oontemplntcH renewal OF his
attempt to relieve I.adysmith.
II IN reported By the same dispatches
that the Beers have now retired to the
north bank Of the Tugcla. being afraid
that the swollen river may bar their te-
treat. They are also moving their laaE-
crs noacr Labyrinth, probably with
,hc Intention u putting further pres
Gurc on the garrison which now seems
10 be suffering pretty heavily from
bombardmcnt.
II Il difficult. however, 20 conceive
that Con. Butler would make another
frontal attack, especially npw that the
river IN rising ana an additional indi.
cation that this N not his purpose IL
the fact that he has removed his head
quarters back To Frcrc
Tho liocr movement northwnrd from
the Tugcln IN quite IN keeping with the
encmy'a plan OF securing a safe line OF
retreat
II Ia known that further artillery u
due 10 arrive for Gen. Butler but the
belief here In that his forces oven then
viii be too weak. He may, however
bc animated BY desire To accomplish
something before the arrival OF Lord
Roberts. aud to satisfy the kecnness OF
his men TO retrieve their leicnt
The reported engagement with kniilrs
IN very vague. and cannot be explained
pending the arrival OF later dispatches
The Times has the following, dated
December 21th. from llurcnzo Mar
quez; 'cargoes for the rransyaal have
dwindlcd TO one.flfth OF the average.
but large shipments are expected from
Europe. In the meantime there are
persistent rumors here and In Durham
that guns ana ammunition are SNUG
glcd through FOR the Beers. A French
liner. now In the harbor. IN said TO
have brought two large guns from
Madagascar.
''The head Of the customs assures me
that there " absolutely no ground.
however. for such fumors. Tho goods.
he SAYS. are discharged. examined and
dispatched BY daylight. So great IL the
stringency. according to this official
that even saddles and horee-ahorA are
not delivered to local importers. except
IN small lots and under written guarln-
tees. The same precautions are taken
with reference to all contraband arti-
l.t.
competence and incorruptibillty OF sub.
ordinates.
The Times has a later dispatch from
Lourcnzo Marques. dated December
2sth. which says; 'The suspicion that
the Boor Intelligence department IL In
elosc touch With foreign consulate In
Pretoria IN confirmed by the fact that
the news OF the appointment Of Lord
Roberts as commnndcr-ln-chief In
South Africa was generally known In
Pretoria. December Goth. Indirectly
reaching Delagon bay from the Trans
wal two days later, Suspicion rests
upon consul who II notorious Tor his
Bocr sympathy. There Ia reason To be-
lleve that Pretoria IL kept wei In
formed with regard to British military
movements
with references TO the rumots OF
smuggling contraband, II IL signitcant
that Mai. Erasmus OF the Free state
>
cldcnt with that OF the French liner.
Considering the freedom with which
the Transvual secret service fund II
spent. considerable mischief may be
done unless cnrgoes are inspected by
British soarchers who understand for
cign bills OF hiding"
The Modder river correspondent OF
tho Times. referring 10 the scare-nring
OF the Beers. says: Their nervousness
causes much amusement among the
British. II u quite certain that half
the Boer force IL employed watching
by day and the other half by night.
Probably the consequent WEAKNESS
with the scarcity OF water and the
presence of typhoid. Will render the
Boer position intolerpblc. Their pres
cnt action N due either to u scare oT
10 n wish 20 cover retirement 10
Spytfontein."
The Times publishes the following
dispatch from ChieVcley Camp. dated
December cath. Parties Of Beers ap-
preached today within three miles oi
chieveley Camp. threatening our
watering parties. who are compelled
10 go some two miles OWING 10 The
scarcity Of water. II is reported that
the Ladysmlth garrison made a sortlt
on Thursday ana captured HIM.
The CapetOWn correspondent OF tho
Daily News says: "A leading resident
Of Nryburg, who was released by "a,
Beers. saw 1900 colonals from Griqun.
land West, lie says colonial faces an,
TO be seen everywhere In the BoeI
ranks"
Commandant Snyman reports as fol.
lows from Molopo; ION Monday morn,
ing the enemy from MafeElng attacked
one OF our forts IN force with cannon
and an Ormored train and 80 persistent,
~ that there was lighting right on IN,
walls Of the fort. But we have re,
tained our fort. The British loss is re-
ported az Co."
The other commands report: ~
quiet, with the exception OF the usuh
bombardmont uf Ladysmith. Gen
Meyer has recovered and returned /,
the front"
Adyices from Iadysmith. dated Sun.
day. December gan via piotcrmnritg-
burg. say, Gen White has had d
slight attack Of fever, but he "a nov
conyalescent,
''rho Docr she'll IRE has been yer,
damaging recently, On Friday one
shell Killed six men ana wounded nine
The same missile killed fourteen horses
Another Just missed the Htth luncers
lines. slightly Mnundlug six officers
Several shells have fallen close 90 Gen
Whlle'h house compelling the rcmovn
OF Headquarters to another point
II Is reported that Gen, Ioubcrt q
again IN command uf the Beers here
The military authorities app.ar conf
dent but they are very rctlceht Boer
nave been observed moving northwar,
and westward IN large numbcrH."
The MnrFeilles correspondent Of IN
DAILY Mall, telegraphing the suhstanc
. OF an Interview with the Ruasiuu Gon