Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-01
EXPECT A LONG DEATH ROLL
Those Acquainted with Methuen
Think His Description of cattle
Forecasts Fearful Slaughter.

LONDON. Nov. 3C.-Although telegraph
and railroad communication is open with
Modder river. no further news of General
Methuens movement or the big fight had
been given out up to 2:30 o'clock this after
noon. This is generally taken to indicate
that General Methuen ie again on the march
and that, as heretofore, he will not again
be heard from until he has fought another
battle and gained another stage That the
general anticipated logged resistance on HE
northward march is shown by tho speech
which he delivered to his troops November
81, after the battle of Gras Pan, reports
of which have just arrived here. After read
ing a telegram from Governor Miner, con-
graduating the troops and sympathizing
with the wounded, General Methuen person.
ally congratulated the troops on the work
done and expressed appreciation of the man
uer in which they had endured the hard
ships. The work, he said, was the most
severe encountered by the British army for
many long day. They had in front of them,
he added, an enemy to whom they could not
afford to give single point Their tactics
had been excellent and he recognized and
admired their courage.
Continuing, General Methuen said that
when called upon to fight for his country
he preferred to fight a ioe worthy Of his
steel rather than savages whose sole recon-
mendation was bravery.
He then expressed the hope that he and
his men had gained each Others confidence
and would all do their duty to their country,
as Englishmen should.
General Methuen also described as 'das-
tardy" the conduct of the Beers in firing
on ambulance wagons. the shooting of c
British officer by a wounded Boer and the
Beers use of dumdum bullets, but he re-
fueed to believe that these acts were char
acteristic of the Beers He gave them credit,
until convinced to the contrary that they
like the British, wished to fight fair and
square.
Those who are acquainted with General
Methuen think his terse description of the
battle of Modder river forecasts "a fearful
butchers BILL
Little attention was paid here to the
iimsy fabrication announcing the fall of
Ladysmith The dispatch caused frenzies
of joy in Paris, but it is impossible to make
a Briton believe that, after withstanding
the siege long, General White, with the
thunder of General Clery's guns at Colenso
telling of the coming relief, would yield his
position while a round of ammunition or
man was left.
The news of the British successes will
speedily spread far and wide among the
Beers.
The War office officials today reiterate
that they have received absolutely nothing
to indicate the slightest likelihood of Lady
smith surrendering, while, on the other
hand, they expect the place will be relieved
shortly.
General Buffers dispatch from Pietermar-
itzburg' yesterday would hardly have dealt
with belated details Of the situation at
Ladysmith If there was anything serious in
the report. Since then has come the dis
patch from Estcourt, saying General Joubert
Is Fastening back to oppose Colonel Baden
Powell This Is iucomprehensibe here and
it is generally supposed that names have
been mixed up. But in some quarters con-
lectures are ventured that the besiegers of
Mafeking have withdrawn southwark and
permitted Colonel Baden Powell to leave
that place and that he is now in conjunction
with Colonel Plumer OF Fort Tuli, trav-
ersing the Transvaal.
1t is claimed that IL General Joubert Is
travelling in an omnibus he must be sick or
wounded.
A dispatch from Capetown, dated Monday,
November o. gives reports of the nervous
ness of the Beers oN the Orange Free State
border. Some Of the Boer forces, it Is added,
have been hurriedly withdrawn from Lady
Grey and Barkley east