Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-28
Unconflrmed Reports Regard
ing Successful Outcome
Continue to Arrive.
THE B0ER CASUALTIES.
Estimated Mt Thousand Men by Late
Arrivals From Pretoria Race
Course Being Made Into
Laager-Olher News.

Cape Town., Nov. 24.-(By Associat-
ed Press.)-Uncontirmed reports con-
tinue to arrive here to the effect that
General White recently caught the
Beers in a trap at Ladysmith inducing
detachments of the beleaguring force
to venture into. the open country, when
sortie parties from the British camp
captured them. 1t is difficult, howev-
er, to believe that news of such i'm
| portance would not have been official
lily announced audit is held that the
affair described will probably turn out
! to be the sortie reported from the, Boer
/ headquarters on Nov. 20. Late arriv-
ais from Pretoria estimate the Boer
! casualties at a thousand men, half of
whom We're killed. They also say the
race course there is being prepared for
Lager, in the event of siege and
the guns of the fort are trained on
it in case the prisoners attempt TO es-
cape. A Maxim has been placed at the
gate of the race course. From Kruger
down every one is in favor of fighting.
They believe they will succeed in an
nexing all the beleagured towns. The
flag of the United Republic, now ready
bears the Orange cross. The Beers ex-
pect the war to last from four to six
months, when they will. possess South
4 Africa. Commardant Albrecht and
thousand followers to capture Bulu-
1 wayo.
4 Fight, at Orange River.
F. Belmont, Cape Colony, 10 o'clock a
! M, Nov. 24.-By Associated Press.)-
4 The entire western division moved on
Orange river Tuesday and bivouacked
at Witteputs. Ats2 o'clock in the NOR.
ming the Guard, brigade moved stead
lily forward to the hill four miles east
! of Belmont station. The SCOTS and
4 Grenadiers advanced to within fifty
!. yards of the base, when the Beers
poured in a scathing fire staggering
the Guards m0is,entarfly.s But they
1 quickly recovering, returned the dead
4 ~ hail into the Beers. The duel con.
tinued half an hour, when the artil
4 Ter commenced and the Beers evacuat.
!: ed their front position and the Scots
| Guards rushed the hill with bayonets
and amid lusty. cheers. The Beers fled
and succeeded in gaining range Of
/. hills in the rear Ain spite of the Ian
GERS flanking movement. Possession
was taken of the Boer Laager and the
Boer stores destroyed. The Beers hois
tied white flag over their second po
sition, whereupon Lieutenant Will
loughby, of the Coldstream Guards
! stood up and was Immediately sho,
down. The Beers twice repeated ths
4 same tactics.
Fight at Tugels Drift.
j London, Nov. 24.-(By Associated
Press The governor of Natal has for
!, warded the following dispatch to the
Colonial Office: YsTugela Drift was at
Z tackled during the morning of Thurs
! day, Nov 90, by, $50 to 300 Beers, who
are believed to have advanced from
Helpmakaar and Umpoti. The mount
ed rifles under Major Leuchars and o
i small body of Natal police totalline
4 140 men, posted south of the river
bank, forced the Beers to retire afte,
two hours, fighting. Our loss was 8
sergeant major wounded.
! At llafeking.
Magalapie, Cape Colony, Sunday
NOV. 19.-By Associated Press -.
dispatch from Matching, dated Wednes
day, the 18th, says. that the garrison j.
cheerful but that position is daily
growing more difficult. The Beers ar,
always drawing their entrenchment
closer and are necessarily plying tn,
British with artillery and musketr,
fire. The garrison is living almost en-
tirely in the underground shelters, ant
the health OF the troops is suffering.
At NIooi River Camp.
MOOT River, Natal, Nov. 24.-(By As
ISOLATED Press -The Beers have onl,
sent an occasional shell into the Brit
4 isb camp since this morning, and tn,
range of the British guns is not sufti
Gent for them to be effective. An OF
fetal native runner corroborates the re
port that heavy firing occurred north
ward. The runner, who was from Est
court, says he was captured by tn,
Beers, who infested the heights to tn
northward. He adds that they search
ed him but failed to find his dispatches
The Beers are in strong force unde
the cover of a hill, on which are tw,
guns. When the English opened fire
the runner escaped in the confusion
The same runner was at Ladysmitl
last week. He reiterates that heav,
firing occurred there. The Beers, b
claims, made several attempts to cap
ture the British camp, but were repuls
ed with heavy loss.
Details of Menthuen's Fight.
/ Cape Town, Nov. 24.-(By Associate,
Press. From details which reache,
| here of General Methuen's fight witt
the Beers yesterday, it appears that tn
Beers from Fincham's Farm shelle,
. an advance body OF the British Wed
nesday, Nov. %, and the British artil
ilery pushed forward and shelled tn
hill, which the British subsequent,
occupied, capturing two guns. TIL
J Boer casualties were thirty men killet
and wounded. The Boer main column
left Fincham's Farm during the at