Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-10-26
WAR IN 7RAySVAAL.
The British Forces Come in Contact
with the Enemy.
4 BIC BATTLE EXPECTED TO-DAY.
No Authentic News from Mafek'ng-brit-
ish Subjects to BE Made to Leave
Johannesburg--BO Ooeupa'
ton Of mathlabama.

enemy in the nelghDorhooo VI hc'oh
Homes and Testers station, about 10
miles out, yesterday morning. Inc
firing began about ten O'Clock. Inc
British cavalry patrols have been IN
action at Acton Homes and Testers
station since midday and the action Is
still in progress. A number OF casual
ties have been reported. Supports are
leaving the camp and expect to fight
to-day.
II is stated that the enemy's scouts
are almost in touch with the outposts
at Glencoe. The Beers are working
around both sides, with the idea OF get
ting south of Ladysmith and attacking
in force, with the cooperation OF Com
mandant General Joubert.
At Glencoe the British patrol covered
a wide area in order to prevent the out
thanking and were subjected to hot
fire in persistent skirmishing. Cen
Sir George Stewart White is quite pre-
pared to offer battle and the camp is
pleased at the prospect OF striking q
definite blow.
An official note published here says:
"a Free State commando yesterday
commenced,actual hostlities. The Free
State has thus taken upon itself the
responsibility Of beginning war and
cannot hereafter pose as the injured
party"
NO AUTHENTIC NEWS FROM MAFEKlNG'
London, Oct. 10. There is still no
authentic news from Mafeking, but all
reports tend to confirm the belief that
Col. Baden-Powell is holding his own
and no credit is given to the vague
rumor that flag Of truce had been dis
played.
The Cape Town correspondent OF the
Daily Mail says: The authorities at
johannesburg have announced that
they will make q house-to-house search
on Monday and will compel every Brit
ish subject to leave the town.
The imperial authorities have i'm
pounded $75O,OOO which arrived by
steamer yesterday for the Transvaal.
The money will be kept here until the
war Is ended.
A special dispatch from Pretoria says
the Boer Krupp batteries are now
covering Mafeking. Military engineers
can be observed laying a temporary
railroad, which will probably be used
in armored train defense by the garri-
son.
BoER OCCUPATION OF RAMATHLABAMA.
Lorenzo Marques, Oct 19.-The Volk-
stem, the Boer official organ at Pre-
toria, gives the following account OF
the occupation of the British camp at
Ramathlabama, just north of Mafe-
king: "The British camp at Ramath-
labama has been captured and sacked
by Gen. Cronje, after severe fighting.
Many burghers were killed Or wounded.
The British loss is not known"
London, Oct. 20. The war Office yes
terday evening issued the following
bulletin: "No news Of Importance has
been received from Natal to-day, The
cavalry attached TO our forces at Lady
smith and Dundee are engaged in OBJ
serving the enemy's movements" Steps
have been taken to secure Pietermar'
itzburg and Durham against raids on
the western frontier There is no ~
cent reliable intelligence from Kimber
ley or Mafeking, both places being cut
off from railway and Geographic com
munication. 1t is believed, however
that y skirmish took place on Sunday
six miles south Of Kimberley and tina
the Beers were beaten off with som,
loss by an armored train. There wa,
some fighting at Mafeking on Friday
or Saturday, ending with a repulse o
the attacking force. Beers in consid
cradle numbers are assembled opposit,
Aliwal north and Bethulie on tn
Orange river. Railway communication
with the Orange Free State and tn
Transvaal has now ceased, the remain
ing refugees having been warned t,
leave by way of Delagoa bay.
DEVELOPMENTS HOURLY EXPECTED.
London, Oct. 20, The gravest intel
ligence yesterday seems TO be the re
port of the capture of the train wit
officers at Elandslaagto, because it wa
understood that the whole cross countr
line was regularly patrolled. As n
correspondents are allowed at tn
front it is quite impossible to gain def
mite information, but it is known tina
Gen. Sir George Stewart White ha
been making some extensive move
ments of the troops in that neighboi
hood and developments are hourly e,
pected, Although the Beers hav
shown considerable activity in Nata
there is nothing to indicate that the
are preparing for serious combine
attack, and the general belief here
that unless something unexpected haJ
pens Sir George Stewart White wi
maintain the defensive.
BRISK FIGHT AT BEsTER's STATION.
London, Oct. 20.-The Pietermarit
burg correspondent of the Daily Mai
in dispatch dated Thursday says:
The brunt OF the fighting at Bester's static
yesterday was sustained by the volunteer p
trolls, The fighting was brisk, The Beers nun
bered 1900. The volunteers at one nome
were In great peril, being nearly cut of, but Il
officers handled their men splendidly and h
maxims effectively stopped the Boer rusht
The Boer shooting was wretched. The volu
teers lost their kit and altogether the fight "
n nretiv trying nnp Tho mon uera In tho en-