The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-14
- h - &ua HOABa
Threatened by President kru-
ger If Marks
One of His Spies Is Executed by
Gen. White
BRITISH OFFICERS
Held Prisoners VIII Pay the
Penalty With Their Lives
Six For One He Thinks About
the Right Thing.
BRITISH OFFICERS

London. Nov. 14-Nothing is known
either at the war office or at the colon
ial office here regarding the alleged off,
cial statement cabled from Cape Town
saying State Secretary Reitz in behalf
of the Transvaal government has de-
manded that Gen. White Immediately
release Nathan Marks, a supposed spy,
who is confined at Ladysmith, the dis
patch adding that President Kruger
threatens if Marks is executed to retail
late by shooting six British officers in
the hands of the Beers. It is further
asserted from Cape Town that Marks
entered Ladysmith after the investment
of that place with the supposed object
of obtaining information for the Beers
and one version OF the story is that the
Transvaal authorities have threatened
to execute six British officers if the sup
posed spy is not released. to which
Gen. Fuller is said to have replied that
the British We're entitled TO retain the
man until he should render a satisfac-
tory account of himself. Both stories,
it is asserted, bear the imprint of i'm
probability as there is no reason to
think the Beers would be guilty of such
a complete change from their previous
correct attitude and manner OF CONDUCT
ing the hOstilitieS. Nevertheless, the
sensational afternoon newspapers mere
are already demanding that President
Kruger and all the members of the
executive council be ruthleSsly hanged
as the only fitting reprisal, in the event
of State Secretary Reltz's threat being
carried out
That Gen Whites relief is considered
matter of pressing Importance is
again evidenced by the satisfaction
with which the officials heard of the
transport Armenian at Cape Town yes
terday a couple of days before her time:
The nOn-arr1Val of her precious IrelghL
of filed guns and ammunition threat
ened serious delay in Gen. MethOun s
arrangements for the relief of Gen
White.
It is true that the first division still
/ lacks cavalry, but in all probability the
/ first arrivals of that arm at Cape Town
J will be sent to Durham, irrespective of
( which division they were originally as
I signed to- There is no doubt that the
! bombardment of Ladysmith has in
/ creased in intensity during the last
/ few days and though all messages from
there speak of the confidence of the
! defenders a load of anxiety will be re-
moved from the country when unre-
/ strained communica ton with the be-
I leaguered town is re-establlshed-
! Considerable feeling has been aroused
1 by the announcement that Sir William
/ Butler, former minister at the Cape,
will not command the troops on the
/ occasion of the Queens visit to BriS-
] toll tomorrow AS General Butler COM
! mands the western district, his absence
! from this ceremony IS remar kabIe and
+ is attributed to fears of a hostile deter
minatiOn owing to his unpopular atti-
/ tude with reference to the TransvaaL
/ 1t is reported that the officials at
/ Cape Town are now stopping all foreign
/ official kilograms, whether in code or
/ otherwise except messages 20 the gov
ernor of Portuguese, East Africa. and
/ Portugal.
Later in the day the Eastern Tele-
( graph company formally announced
/ that in accordance with the instructions
| of the postmaster general of Cape Col
| ony no foreign official dispatches, eth
| er in secret code, or cipher, can be
| transmitted by the Cape except mes
sages between Portugal and the COVER
nor general of Lorenzo Marques.