Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-05

LONDON, October 4.-The most SEN
sational news from South Africa this
morning is the reiteration of the report
of yesterday of the acquisition by the
Transvaal authorities of G500,00 IN
gold which was on the way to Cape
Town from johannesburg. The con-
frmation of the story comes from two
sources.
The Cape Argus asserts that the
Beers made the seizure at Vereeniging,
the amount being the weeks shipment
Of gold on the way from the Rand to
Cape Town. The report is also con-
irmed by a cablegram received to-day
by a mining company in London from
their representative, which is to the
effect that the train upon which he
was travelling from johannesburg TO
Cape Town was held up and looted by
the Beers, who secured 100000 in
gold, the amount being considerably
less than the original estimate.
There is nothing very tangible in to-
days war news. The situation re-
mains as strained as ever, unles hope
may be derived from the apparent fact
that the forces on the frontier are re-
garded by both sides as wholly defen-
sive for the present, and from the
statement that MIR. ]. H. Hofmeyr, the
Afrikander leader in Cape Colony, is
still prepared to endeavor to secure the
adhesion of the Transvaal government
to the "irreducible minimum" pro-
posed at the Bloemfontein conference
to President Kruger by Sir Alfred Mil
ner. the British high commissioner, If
the imperial government will stand by
the high commissioners original pro-
posal.
The Stock Exchange was influenced
during the opening hours to-day by
vague rumors that Queen Victoria had
! cabled President Kruger and President
Steyn, holding out the olive branch,
! and a report that the Beers had been
defeated in a small engagement. Prices
rose. but there was a speedy relapse
when both stories were discredited.
Sir William Werner Harcourt. the
distinguished Liberal statesman, mem
Der of Parliament for West Monmouth
shire. had another slashing attack in
to-day's papers upon the policy of the
! Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr..
Joseph Chamberlain. He re%iterates his
original statement that Mr.. Chamber
lain's assertion hat the Transvaal re-
fused to redress the grievances of the
| Ourlanders is the reverse Of The case;
and he insists that Great Britain is re-
sponsible for "slamming the door in
the face of President Kruger just when
arrangements were approaching a set
Element"
Advices from Cape Town announce
that Gen. Sir George Stewart White, V.
c.. who will command the British
forces in Natal, will proceed to Durham
| to-day. On his arrival at Cape Town
he found the situation on the Natal
border so grave that he wired for i'm
mediate transportation for himself and
staff to Durham, and the British sec
ond-class cruiser Forte was placed at
his disposal.
A London news agency publishes the
following dispatch from Volksrust,
Transvaal. dated October 8: AN un-
confirmed report is in circulation here
that the time allowed the British troops
to withdraw from the T~ransvaal border
will expire at 4 o'clock tomorrow
afternoon, and that failure to comply
with the demand will be considered
tantamount to a declaration of war"
The British foreign Office this after
noon assured the Associated Press that
absolutely nothing was known there OF
any Transvaal demand for the with
| drawal Of the British troops from the
frontier.
PARIS, October A number Of
papers say that the Beers have sent an
ultimatum to England demanding the
withdrawal of the troops from the from
tiers within As hours. The papers con-
graduate President Kruger for coming
to this decision.
BLOEMFoNTEIN. October 4-The
landrost OF Boshof telegraphs that the
| British troops have crossed the border
from Kimberley.
PRETORIA October "A more de-
! tailed account OF the speech Of Presi-
dent Kruger at the adjournment Of the
Raads yesterday is nov obtainable.
According TO trustworthy reports he
said:
Everything points to war. because a
| spirit of falsehood has oyertaken other
countries and because the people Of the
Transvaal wish 10 govern themselves.
Although thousands may come 20 TT
tack Us, Ne have nothing 70 fear. for