Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-20

ments frcm Acton Homes from the west,
and from Rorke's drift and Helpmakaar
from the east, may indicate projected at
tack upon the railway below Colenso. The
movement from the cast also suggests an
attack on the railway at Waschbank be-
tween Ladysmith and Glencoe.
Military experts are inclined to the opinion
that the troops at Glencoe are only form
OF guard left to attract the force under
Commandant General Joubert, while General
Whites full strength is concentrating at
Ladysmith with 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, al
though the alleged killing OF 800 Beers is
dis,redited.
Cronje Has Flower of Army.
General Cronjc's troops are regarded as
the flower of the Transvaal forces and de-
clsve fighting must occur on the western
border If, as was intimated in last night s
dispatch, reliefs are approaching from
Rhodesia, it will thereby not be long de-
layed.
Apart from the desire to gain an initial
advantage by capturing Mafeklng, and
thereby attracting the Dutch colonists the
object of the Beers in massing in Bechuan-
aland 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 route by which to import
arms and munitions by way of Walfisch bay.
Damaraland, on the West African coast
dispatch from Pretoria asserts that the
Transvaal government has cabled to Joseph
B. Robinson, the millionaire gold mine
owner and chairman of the South African
Banking company, who is now in London,
to return to Johannesburg on pain of con-
fiscation of his property. Mr.. Robinson
characterizes the alleged threat as ridiculous.
He says he is a British subject, that the
Transvaal government has no right to de-
mand his return and that his property has
not been and cannot be confscated.
Portugal. according to a dispatch from
Berlin, has given distinct assurances of its
neutrality. A continuance Of commerce
with the Transvaal, by way of Delagoa bay,
is therefore secured.
Almost everything Is now in readiness for
the departure of troops from Southampton
tomorrow, when five transports, each carry
Ing 1000 men, with officers, will start for
South Africa The first will sail at 1870 p.
M, the others following at intervals of half
an hour.
Inptnln wOunueu.
Advices from Capetown, dated yesterday
say that the governor of the colony, Sir AL
fred Miner, has issued proclamation pro-
hibiting the importation of all dangerous
explosives
According to private information received
here from Boemfontein, capital OF the Or
ange Free State, President Kruger tele-
graphed an account to President Steyn o.
the affair at Kraaipan, where the Beers de
rallied and bombarded the British armoret
train carrying Captain Nesbitt's party. Mr.
Kruger said that Nesbitt and seven mer
were seriously wounded, that no one wa.
killed and that all the prisoners were well
According to the same advices Dutcl
farmer living in one Of the border towns ha
received a letter from friend in the Trans
vaal referring to the Mafeking affair as "ba,
business
Report All Well Mt Kimberley.
CAPETOWN, Oct ia dispatch from
Kimberley, dated October II. says: "All Il
we'll here. Colonel Hore engaged the Boer
at Mafeking October IA with great success
Mafeking was still safe on October 49,"
special dispatch to the Caps Argus re
iterates the statement that in the fighting
at Mafeking Colonel Hore repulsed tn
Beers, inhcting a loss of 300 men.
The Cape Times publishes the following
dispatch from Kimberley: Reliable in
formation from Mafckng says that an ar
mored train, while reconnotering north O
the town last Saturday, engaged 500 Beers
who suffered heavily.
Colonel Fitzclarence's column foiled tn
Beers, inflictng severe less. The Britis
casualties were two killed and fourtee
wounded, two severely"
Complaints OF Boer outrages upon the ma
tiyes continue to arrive These serv
further to infame the Basutos and Sulus
Yesterday $50 Basutos from Johannesbur
arrived at Burghersdorp, Cape Colony, an
alleged that the Beers had robbed ther
wholesale.
Delayed Telegrams.
LADYSMITH, Oct. 1S,-Noon-( Delayed /
Transmission.)-A cavalry patrol belo
Tintwa pass had brush with the enem
yesterday. The Beers opened with artiller!
but retreated on the advance OF the FIT
Lancers.
DURHAM, Natal, Oct. 1S.-(Delayed