Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-29
FRESH WAR NEWS Is SCARCE
Capetowu Dispatch Brings Relief from Strain
Of Last Few Days.
COMMAND AT LADYsMITH SAFE TO DATE
Indicates the Beers Have Pressed
steadily Forward Since Evacu-
alton of Dundec-skirmish
Near Lobatsi.

LONDON, Oct. 2S-The lull In the news
from Ladysmith, Natal, which was begin
ming to be regarded as ominous, has at
length been broken by a Capetown dispatch,
under this mornings date, saying: Scouts
from Modderspruit having reported the Beers
in force on the Helpmakaar road, General
White ordered out a strong force of artillery,
mounted infantry and cavalry. small
patrol of mounted infantry was shelled by
the Beers nine miles from Ladysmith and
the Boer position was finally located three
miles beyond Modderspruit. The British
force is now four miles from the Beers"
The dispatch does not give the date of
the above occurrence, but it must have been
since Thursday, when the last news arrived
from Ladysmith SO the Boer advance from
Dundee southwark and from Besters station
eastward evidently proceeded steadily in the
interim and the engagement foreshadowed
by the above dispatch may already have
been fought.
The other news from the front does not
enlighten the situation in Natal. Fragmen-
tary details are arriving of the occupation
of Dundee by the Beers. 1t is alleged that
twenty men of the town guard occupied an
outpost a couple Of miles from the town,
when Boer shell dislodged them and the
men fed to a neighboring HILL where 300
Beers surrounded them and shot the ma
jority. The Beers then entered Dundee,
dragged several civilians out of their houses
and pistoled them in the streets.
Refuse to Use Dumdums.
AS pendant to the above comes a story
from Capetown to the effect that several
cases OF dumdum bullets were found by the
Beers at Dundee, which the British aban-
doned in their flight. Some Of the Beers
wanted to use the dumdums in the next bat
tie, but President Kruger vetoed this say
ing: mo, it n ust not be so. Whatever the
British are, we Beers are at least humane" "
The bullets were then destroyed.
Further details from Buuwayo, Rhodesia,
shows that the armored train from there on
October II, sent toward Mafeking under the
command Of Lieutenant Llewellyn, got
within seven miles of Lobatsi, when the
British found the railroad badly damaged.
Beers were visible on hills in the vicinity.
I.obatsi had been looted. The train encoun-
tered the Beers three miles south of Croco-
dile pools and the British opened fire with
their Maxims and drove the Beers back to
the hills, whence they had advanced. Be
sides eight men killed, the Beers lost eleven
horses.
Dispatches from Sydney and Melbourne
record the departure Of the Australian con-
tingents for the war amid wild scenes OF
enthusiasm.
Dutch ambulance corps has also started
from Amsterdam for Lourenzo Marquee
E. lesser Coopen of London has placed
his steam yacht Sunrise at the disposal o.
the government, and starts for South Africa
Monday with several women volunteer
nurses and doctors.
According to special dispatch from Cape.
| town, received here today, rumors of dis
sension at Bloemfontein, capital of tn,
| Orange Free State, have reached Capetown
! 1t is said a movement is on foot to deposs
President Steyn and install Mr.. Fraser a.
| president