The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-18
Unconfirmed Rumor that Three Hun
dred Beers Were Killed and
Eighteen British Slain.
SORTIE MADE FROM THE TOWN
AND ITS BEsIEGERs REPORTED TO
HAVE BEEN SEVERELY PUNISHED.
Beers Said to BE swarming Into Natal
-Joubert's Army still mt Ingagane
-Bridges Destroyed.

LONDON, Oct 1S.-Authentic news from
South Africa is difficult to obtain. AT 4
o'clock last evening the British War Office
issued the following bulletin regarding the
situation: mo news of any importance has
been received since yesterdays notice"
Despite this statement it is believed there
has been fighting near Mafeking and Kim
berley. A dispatch from the latter place
near Spytfontein. engaged the Beers, kill
ing Eve and wounding seven. The skirmish,
says another dispatch, was quite lively. The
armored train with a detachment of the
Lancashires approached unmoested until
within range, when the Beers opened fire.
The Maxims were instantly set to work and
The latter also used artillery. but ineffect-
lively. The armored train returned TO KIM
berley unharmed. The crew of the armored
train say the Beers fired thirteen shells. but
their aim was wretched and not single
shot struck the train, which then made bold
TO approach nearer and opened fire with the
Maxims. The burghers replied with heavy
rifles. again shooting wildly. Only two or
three bullets struck the train. Subsequently
the crew learned that five Beers and two
Beers horses were killed. while several
Beers and horses were wounded. Not a
member OF the British force was as much as
touched.
NOT GOOD MARKSMEN.
A dispatch from Cape Town, dated noon,
says: Communication with Belmont Sta
ton, sixty miles south of Kimberley, is still
open- The fight with the armored train
from Kimberley, in which the Beers lost
more men than they did at Majuba Hill, is
held to prove that their shooting is not so
good as II is reputed to be. 1t is the gen.
eral belief here. from items of intelligence
received. that the Beers actually attacked
Mafeking and were repulsed. The reports
OF continued fighting there are regarded as
proving that the Beers failed to score a
success
Advices from Cape Town further say:
''The Beers seized the telephone at Modder
river last evening and attempted to speak
with Kimberley. hoping TO learn the dspo-
sition of the British forces there. The
maneuver was discovered and frustrated"
Advices from Durham announce that the
consul of the Netherlands there has issued
a warning to all subjects of the Netherlands
TO remain neutral.
The Hopetown bridge, over the Orange
river. which Cape Town advices to-day said
had been blown up by the British. is not
the railway bridge, as before reported. but
a bridge twelve miles west of the railway,
over which the old coaching road passes
A special dispatch from Pretoria says the
Beers destroyed the Bechuanaland Railway
Friday night from Lobasti to Aryoget Kop.
The Standards Dundee correspondent, tel
egraphing Monday night, says: THE Beers
have brought artillery from Newcastle and
are destroying the railway ar 1ngagane in
order TO prevent the approach of our ar
mored train"
The correspondent of the Daily Mail at
Glencoe telegraphs that General Sir Will
liam Symonds says there are only 5000
mounted men in the Boer country imme-
6iately north of Ladysmith. but that there
are large numbers OF men on foot. The
horses Of the Beers are in a wretchedly
poor condition and the men look worn out.
The Beers are robbing all natives traversing
the Transvaal
The Cape Town correspondent of the
Daily News says that W. p. Shreiner, the
Cape Town premier. was only induced to
sign the decree proclaiming martial law
IN the northern parts of Cape Colony after
Sir Alfred Miner gave him the option of
signing or resigning. To save Mr. Schrein-
er's face the proclamation specifically men,
toned the fact that the colony had been
invaded by the enemy
A dispatch from Pieterma rItzburg saws.
''It is reported on reliable authority that
Beers in parties OF two or three are ar
irving in the Umvoti country from the
Transvaal and are being accommodated on
various farms Pietermaritzburg itself is
crowded with refugees, 10 shelter whom all
the public buildings are being utilized
There Is much distress. Seven thousand na-
tives have entered Natal from the Trans
vaal within the last week and most of them
have gone 10 Zululand"
Ladysmith reports. that the foremost de-
tachment OF the enemys northern column
has not advanced beyond Ingagane and no
definite movement has been made in the
Drakensbnrg passes.
At colssberg It is persistently reported