Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-10-06
The TRANSVAAL.
Reported Th1t Boer Invasion Of Natal
Has Begun.
BUT THIS IS CONTRAD1CTED.
Said, on the other Hand, That Jou-
bert Threatens to Shoot Any
of His Men Who Cross
the Border.
BUT THIS Is CONTRADICTED

from South Africa Is unmlStakaDly grave,
the advocates of peace still derive a
glimpse Of hope from some of the dis
patches that the stage Of negotiation Is
not yet finally terminated.
The news is contradictory. Side by
side with the announcement that the
Beers have occupied Laingsnek Is print
ed a dispatch from Pretoria stating that
the Transvaal government has issued
strict injunctions to the commandments
that British territory must not be inyad-
ed and that Commandant General Jou-
bert has issued proclamation threaten
ing to shoot any man who crosses the
border.
The Daily Telegraph publishes in Its
second edition the following dispatch
from Newcastle, Natal:
1.-The Boer advance began with gen
eral movement of artillery. The Beers
are occupying Laingsnek nightly and
now hold the mountains to the southwest
of Volksrust. There are no British troops
nearer than Ladysmith, and preparations
are being made to abandon Natal from
the frontier to Glencoe.
1.-The inhabitants of Newcastle met and
decided not to attempt to defend the
town in the event of Boer advance In
force. General Symons is prepared to
evacuate within "a hours. The people
are crowding the trains for Ladysmith."
From other Newcastle advices it ap'
pears that the premier of Natal has tele.
graphed the military authorities that
they can render Newcastle no assistance,
adding that if the Beers intend to attack
the town resistance would be futile and
that the women and children should be
sent away and the town surrendered.
A Flat Contradiction.
Another Newcastle special, forwarded
later than that to The Daily Telegraph
it and declares that all was
quiet on the border and that there was
no sign of a Boer advance.
The next news regarding this alleged
invasion of Natal is awaited with anx'
ious interest. The statement in The
Daily Il elegraph's special that there are
no British troops nearer Newcastle than
those at Ladysmith is obviously an error
as 5000 British troops are encamped at
Dundee.
A dispatch from Pretoria says:
"Mr. +. w. Reitz, the Transvaal sec.
rotary of state, in the course of an inter
view said:
"'The Transvaal government Is await
ing the next imperial dispatch, which
ought to contain the final proposals OF
Great Britain. The British agent, Mr.
Conyngham Greene, has informed mt
that the dispatch Is In course of prepa
ration, but that some days will elapSe
before it will be ready. In the mean
time the Transvaal forces are mobilizins
and going to the frontier. The govern
ment, however, has issued strict instruc
lions to commandments and all other mill
tary officers on no account to violate
British territory"
An unconfrmed report says that mar
tial law has been proclaimed in the
Transvaal.
A Very Ugly RumOr.
A distinctly serious and ugly state
mcnt comes from Newcastle to the effect
that armed Kattirs accompany the Boei
commands. This would be an absolute
breach of the conditions supposed tt
govern warfare among civilized nations
and, if true, presages scenes worse thar
even the gloomiest forecasts.
Advices from Bloemfontein, capital OF
the Orange Free State. say that thu
town presents a most animated appear
ance. Armed burghers so about every
where, although the government still
processes hopes Of peace.
Several boxes Of bar gold which wer.
lodged at the National Bank of the South
African Republic, in Pretoria, have beer
by the Transvaal govern
ment. who gave the companies full re
ceipts.
A special dispatch from Johannesburg
says:
"As a natural result of the panic, Their.
is considerable lawlessness. The regular
distribution of letters has ceased The
government has Communicated all dyna
mite and cyanide supplies, which have
been removed and placed under strict
guard at various depots. A strong
guard has been stationed at the reservoir
to prevent tampering with the water"
An enthusiastic meeting of Irishmer
was held in Kimberley under the presi'
dency of former mayor of the town
at which resolutions We're unanimously
adopted expressing disapproval of the
conduct Of 1rishmen who sympathizeG
with the Beers and of the course of the
Irish parliamentary party in extending
sympathy and support to the Transvaai
in the present crisis.
Stories Of outrages committed by thu
Beers upon refugees from the Transvaal
continue to pour in. A bad incident oc
,urred at Kroonstad. where a deputation
from trainload of 1000 refugees at
empted to buy provisions, but were driv
IN out by Beers armed with blacksnakes
Petition to the Queen.
A petition to Queen Victoria, signed
'embly, has been forwarded through the
British high commissioner, Sir Alfred
Miner. pointing out that the petition
,rs, who are related by blood and
through marriage to residents of the
rransvaal, are materially interested il
he maintenance of peace, urging the
abandonment of warlike measures las
he Transvaal is now fully awakened
o the wisdom of liberal CONCESSIONS
md praying her majesty to appoint d
commission forthwith to confer with thu
Beers, as the petitioners are convinced
hat, if the present franchise act is in.
deluate the Transvaal government IA
prepared to make further concessions tic
he uitlanders. The petitioners in clos.
ng declare their loyal devotion to the
hrone and person of the queen.
The secretary Of state for the colonies,
Ar. Joseph Chamberlain, has just sent
he following reply:
THE imperial government is not un.
mindful Of the sympathies and interest
British subjects of Dutch descent in
outh Africa. One of the main objects
the imperial policy is to secure for the
on-Dutch inhabitants Of the Transvan
ghts and privileges similar to those en-.
yed by the Dutch in Cape Colony. The
lperial government has shown the