The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-20
BEATEN BACK.
Gen. French Attempted an Ad-
vance Near Arundel
When the Beers Opened Fire
Upon Him.
HE QUICKLY RETIRED.
The Dutchmen Are Having Fun
With Baden Powell.
Send Him a Jocular Message In
aShell.

London, Dec 20.-The war office re-
ports that Gen. French reconnoitered
north of Arundel Monday. December s.
After sheIling Jasfontein three miles
eastward of the Boer position, the New
Zealanders advanced and occupied the
farm The Boer guns then opened and
the Beers advanced to the attack, so
Gen. French ordered a retirement
The latest news from NIafeking dated
December 6 has. just been received. 1t
says a desultory bombardment was
continuing and that the sharp shooters
were engaged in a smart duel morn
ings and evenings.
The dispatch also describes a novel
method of sending a message, adopted
by some Boer, December 4. A five
FOUNDER shell was fired into the town
that did not explode. 1t was opened
and found to contain a letter as fol-
lows:
Dear Powell (CoI. Baden Powe1D ex-
cuse iron messenger. No other means
of communic~t ting. Please tell Mrs,
mother and family, all well. Don't drink
all the whisky. Leave some for US
when we get in
The sender's signature was torn off.
It still seems dOubtfulwhether the guns
that Gen. Butler abandoned at COlenso
are in possession of the Beers Accord
ing to a dispatch to the Associated
Press from Durham sent off on the even
ing of the battle and which has just
where they were left by the British
troops and We're covered by the heavy
guns of Gen. Hildyard's brigade occu-
pying an intrenched position. The dis
patch adds that the Beers have thus
far not attempted to cross the river and
carry off the guns, while adVlceS to the
Associated Press from Pretoria under
the same date say that an official BOer
dispatch reports that two guns, 10
wagons and a quantity of ammunition
We're captured besides 208 prisoners.
Further accounts of the Tugela river
battle emphasize the ignorance of the
British intelligence department in re-
gard to the disposition of the Boer
forces. The British were not aware
that the Beers were entrenched along
a series of low lying hills, immediate
Iy northward OF ColensO bridge until a
staggering fire compelled them to re-
treat when the attack seemed about to
succeed The Beers were also in great
er strength than anticipated.
1t becomes clearer also, that the Brit
ish guns were lost in attempting to get
within effective range OF the Boer ar
tillery showing that the latter out
ranged the British ordnance which in
spite of numerical superiority was
wholly inadequate to reply to the long
range Boer guns. The British war Of
flee comes in for scathing denunciations
from the Times today for not providing
effective artillery. 1t is pointed out in
this connection that the longer ranged
naval guns participating in the same
attack, escaped.
BRYCE ATTACKS CHAMBERLAIN.
Aberdeen, Dec. 2O.-James Bryce, NJ.
P, in speech here today severely at
tackled Mr.. Chamberlain, the secretary
of state for the colonies and denounced
his methods, manner and whole con-
duet" and said he hoped it would not
be much longer possible for him to do
his best to excite hostile feelings in
Germany and ALLEVIATE and throw back
and do all possible injury to the closest
understanding between us and the In
tied States"
1877 KILLED.
London. Dec. 20.-Revised list of the
British casualties at the battle of Co.
1enso show that 1877 commissioned
officers and men were killed.
RECOVERED HIS GUNS.
London, Dec. 20.-A special dispatch
from Durham, Natal, dated Saturday,
December 16, says it is rumored that
General Butler called for volunteers to
recover the abandoned guns and that
party issued from the camp after mid
night and brought in the guns. which
were uninjured-
COLONISTS IN REBELLION.
London, Dec. GO.-A Cape Town dis
patch, dated Saturday, December 16
says: Five hundred colonists OF the
Victoria West district have perfected
an apparently anti-British organization
there and as individuals have openly
expressed disloyalty and have threat
ened to attack the railroad station,
which is on the direct line between
Cape Town and De Aar. The Afrikan-
der Bundites, at a meeting there. pass
ed a resolution, asserting that the
troops in the vicinity irritate the farm
erS dangerously.
The meeting proclaimed its loyalty,
but declared that the conduct of the
troops forced the people to use express
sions and commit acts which were cap
able of being interpreted as disloyal.