The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-05
Artillery Pushed Toward the
Borden of Natal.
FRONTIER EXPOSED.
Preparing to Aban-
don the Country.
JOubert's Orders Are Not to
Cross the Line.
According to a Report From
British Sources.

London, Oct. 5.-The Daily Telegraph
publishes in it's second edition this
morning a dispatch from Newcastle.
Natal, dated yesterday. announcing
that the Boer advance began yesterday
with a double move of artillery.
The despatch says:
''The Boer advance began today with
a general movement of artillery. The
Beers are occupying Laings Mex night
ly, and now hold the mountains to the
southwest of VoIksrust. There are no
British troops nearer than Ladysmith
and preparations are being made to
abandon Natal from the frontier TO
Glencoe.
THE inhabitants of Newcastle met
today and decided not to attempt to de-
fend the town in the event of a Boer
advance in force. General Symons is
prepared to evacuate within "a hours
The people are crowding the trains for
Ladysmith."
Although today's news from South
Africa is Enthusiastically grave, the ad-
Vocates of peace still derive a glimpse
of hope from some of the dispatches
that the stage of negotiation is not
yet fully terminated.
The news is contradictory Side by
side with the announcement that the
Beers have occupied Laings Mex is
printed a dispatch from Pretoria stat
ing that the TranSVaal government has
issued strict injunctions to the COM
mandants that British territory must
not be invaded and that Commandant
General Joubert- has issued proclama-
ton threatening to shoot any man who
crosses the border.
Scarcely had the advocates of peace
exchanged congratulations over the an
nOuncement from Pretoria that J. H.
HOffmyr, the Afrikander leader, and
w. F. Schreiner, the Cape premier. had
undertaken a joint semi official peace
mission and had actually started for
Pretoria, where they ought to have
arrived last evening, when later mes
sageS from the TransvaaI capital de-
clared that the Boer government knew
nothing of this alleged mission and that
in any event nothing could preserve
peace but the withdrawal of the British.
demands.
While it is not necessary to accept all
the sensational statements regarding
the advance of the Beers, there is not
a jOt of evidence going to show that the
burghers contemplate receeding.
Up to 2 o'clock this afternoon moth
ing had arrived to confirm the dispatch
from Newcastle to the Daily Telegraph
announcing that a general advance of
the BOer forces began yesterday The
war office and the Colonial office profess
entire ignorance in the matter, but this
is in consonance with the attitude to-
ward the press.
Another Newcastle special forwarded
later than that to the Daily Telegraph
contradicts the first and declares that
all was quiet on the border last even
ing and that there was no sign of a
BOer advance.
The next news regarding this alleged
invasion of Natal is awaited with anx-
ious interest. The statement in the
Daily Telegraph s special that there
were British troops nearer Newcastle
than those at Ladysmith is obviously
an error, as 5000 British troops are en-
camped at Dundee.
The alleged Boer advance comedies
curiously with simultaneous kilograms
from various quarters regarding a Boer
111fiT0af11n1 and the GXniTa fiOn IF -
time limit last evening.
A distinctly serious and ugly state
ment comes from Newcastle to the ef-
feet that the armed Kafffrs accompany
the BOer commanders. This would be
an absolute breach of the conditions
supposed to govern warfare among civ
ilized nations; and if true, presages
scenes worse than even the gloomiest
forecasts
From other Newcastle advices, it ap-
pears that the premier of Natal has tel
egraphed the military authorities that
they can render Newcastle no assist
ance, adding that if the Beers intend
to attack the town, resistance would be
futile and that the women and children
should be sent away and the town sur
rendered.
An unconfirmed report says that mar
tial law has been proclaimed in the
Transvaal.
Advices from BIoemfontein say that
the town, the capital of the Orange
Free State, presents a most animated
everywhere, although the government
still processes hopes OF peace.
a special dispatch from Johannesburg
says:
AS a natural result of the panic there
is considerable 1awlessness. The regU-
lar distribution of letters has ceased.
The government has commapdered
all dynamite and cyanide supplies.
which have been removed and placed
under strict guard at various depOts. A
strong guard has been stationed at the
reservoir to prevent tampering with the
water.
LANCERS AT LADYSMITH
Ladysmith, Natal. Oct. 5.-The Fifth
Lancers and a naval brigade from Dur
ban have arrived here and are encamp-
ed near the railway.
COMMANDERING GOLD.
Pretoria, Oct 5.-F w. Reitz, the
TransvaaI secretary of state, in the
course of an interview given yesterday
to a representative of the Associated
Press said:
1.-The Transvaal government is await
ing the next imperial dispatch, which
ought to contain the final proposals of
Great Britain. The British agent, Cony-
ingham Greene, has informed me that
the dispatch is in course of preparation
but that some days will eIapse before
it will be ready.
I'm the meantime the Transvaa1
forces are mobilizing, and going to the
frontier. The government. however,
has issued strict instruction to com
mandants and all other military officers