The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-19
MANEUVERlNG.
Engagements in South Africa
Only Skirmishes.
4 Big Battle Is Looked For at
an Early Date.
MAFEKING HOLDS OUT
Beers Reported to Have Been
Driven Back
After Suffering a Loss of 800
Men.

mGus
London, Oct. 19.-NataI again claims
a share of the attention which during
the last few days has been focused
upon the beIeag guered garrison at Ma
fel<ing. The combined advance of the
Boer forces on the positions held by
the British general commanding in Ma
tai, Sir George Stewart White has al
ready occasioned a sharp affair of out
posts which possibly has since devel-
oped into a pitched battle.
The Beers, according to the latest in
formation at hand, do not appear to
have been driven back. Perhaps, how
ever, their movements are only part Of
general plan to isolate both Lady
smith and Glencoe from the south.
The simultaneous BOer movements
from Acton Homes from the west and
from ROrkes Drift and HelpmalSar from
the east may indicate projected at
tack upon the railway below Colenso.
The movement from the east also sug-
gests an attack on the railway at
Washbank, between Ladysmith and
Glencoe.
Military experts are inclined to the
opinion that the troops at Glencoe are
only to form rear guard left to attack
the force under Commandant General
Joubert, while General Whites fun
strength is concentrated at Ladysmfth
with a view of attacking the Orange
Free State force while General Joubert
is still forty miles away.
Stories of British successes in the
Mafeking district are so persistent that
in the absence of contradiction from
Boer sources they may be accepted as
true in the main, although the alleged
killing of 300 Beers is discredited.
General CrOnje's troops are regarded
as the flower of the TransVaal forces
and decisive fighting must occur on the
western border If, as was intimated in
last nights dispatches, reliefs are ap-
preaching from Rhodesia, IL will prob
ably not be long delayed.
Apart from their desire to gain an
initial advantage by capturing Mafek-
ing and thereby attracting the Dutch
cOlonists. the object of the Beers in
massing in Bechuanaland is doubtless
due to the fact that this splendid stock
country is full of cattle and as it is
only sparsely settled, would give the
Transvaal a route by which to import
arms and munitions by way of Wal
fisch bay, Damaraland, on the west Az
rican coast.
A dispatch from Pretoria asserts that
the Transvaal government has cabled
to James b. Robinson, the millionaire
gold mine owner and chairman of the
Robinson South African banking COM
pany, who is now in London, td return
to johannesburg on pain Of cDnfisca-
tion of his property. Mr.. Robinson
characteriZes the alleged threat as RI
diculous. He says be is a British sub
ject, that the Transvaal government
has no right to demand his return and
that bis property has not been and can
not be cOnfiscated.
Portugal, according to a dispatch
from Berlin has given distinct assur-
ances of her neutrality. continuance
of commerce with the TransvaaI by
way of Delagoa Bay is therefore Sc
cured.
ROBBING NATIVES.
Cape Town, Oct. 19.-Complaints Of
Boer outrages upon the natives contin-
ue to arrive. These serve further to in
flame the Basutos and Zulus. Yester-
day $50 BaSutOS from johannesburg ar
rived at Burghersdorp, Cape Colony
and alleged that the Beers had robbed
them wholesale.
Cape Town, Oct. ia dispatch from
Kimberley dated October II, says:
IAN is well here. Col. Hore engaged
the Beers at Mafeki1g on October IL,
with great success. Mafeking was still
safe on October Is"
A special dispatch to the Cape Argus
reiterates the statement that in the
fighting at Mafekiugs CoLEfore repulsed
the Beers, infiicting a loss OF three
hundred men.
The Cape Times publishes the follow
ing dispatch from Kimberley. Rella-
BILE information from Mafeking says
that an armOred train while recOnn0it-
ering north of the town last Saturday
engaged 500 Beers, who suffered heav-
lily
.tCoL Fitzclarence's column foiIed the
Beers, indicting severe loss. The Brit
ish casualties We're two killed and four
teen wounded, TWO severely"
A BRUSH AT TINTHVA PASS.
Ladysmith. OCT. ia cavalry patrcl
below Tintwa pass mad a brush with
the enemy yesterday evening. The
Beers opened with artillery bat re-
treated on the advance of the Fifth
Lanciers.
AN OFFICIAL NOTE.
Durham Natal. oct 1S-The follow
ing official note has been issued regard
ing the Boer advance:
An Orange Free State force with a
few guns moved about ten miles down
Tfntwas pass, opening with artillery on
small British cavalry patrols The
range was very distant and the shoot
ing Indifferent. The object may have
been either a feint to draw our troops
from the real point of attack or a pre-
lude to Boer concentration against
Ladysmith
EXPLOSIVES PROHIBITED.
London, Oct. 19.-AdVices from Cape
Town, dated yesterday, say that the
governor of the Colony, Sir Alfred Mil
ner. has issued a proclamation prohibI-
ting the importation of all dangerous
explosives.