The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-05-18
ALL EYES 0NMAFBKING
British Eager for News From
Beleaguered Garrison.

British Eager for News From
Beleaguered Garrison.
RELIEF COLUMN is ADVANCING.
Reports From Pretoria Tell of Latest Ex-
ploit Of the Garrison-Kruger's Grand
son Caught in British Trap-Buller ID
Pressing Forward without Opposition.
7 LONDON, May 1S-England still waits
with intense and almost breathless in
terest for news of the relief of Mafe-
king. A crowd remarkable for the
number Of men in evening dress and in
Guiding many ladies were around the
war Office, even after midnight, hoping
for some announcement. Only reluc.
family did the people disperse when the
lobbies Of the war Office were finally
cleared with the word that nothing had
been received. One thing seems clear.
The town still holds out. Were it not
SO the Boer wires laid to the camps of
the beleaguered would have passed the
news.
Reports that leaked out from the
Pretoria war Office show that the Boer
I stormers Saturday fell into trap. Col
onel Baden Powell permitted them to
seize one fort and he then surrounded
and overbore them before the large forces
near at hand perceived the stratagem.
1t was thus that Sarel Eloff, President
! Kruger's grandson, and part Of his
command. were taken and so killed.
| The Canadian force with the Rhodesia
force is now reported to have reached
Buluwayo May 2. The distance from
Buluwayo to Mafeking is 400 miles. As
the railway is open all the way to Pit
sani, 28 miles from Mafelzing, where
| Colonel Plumer is, the Canadians may
| yet take part in the relief.
General French, scouting northward,
found the Beers in strong force at
Rhenoster Spruit, 30 miles from Kroon-
stadt. Generals Botha, Delarey and
| Olivier with artillery were holding the
position.
| President Steyn, according to one
dispatch. has gone to Pretoria. Another
says he is a fugitive at Lindley. The
| Free Staters are surrendering on all
sides.
General Butler is pressing straight
ahead without opposition. He has only
lost five wounded during the movement
Apparently he is aiming at Laing's
| Mex, which is the direct road to the
Transvaal, although he may diverge to
Botha's pass.
General Hunters movements in the
western Transvaal are rather puzzling.
He has returned to Fourteen Streams
with one brigade, leaving another, Gen
eral Barton's, at Christiana. Lord Me-
thuen is said to be advancing along the
south bank of the Vaal. Colonel Kek-
ewich is with him. The bridge across
the Vaal is fast nearing completion.
The probability is that General Hunter
took back q brigade to Fourteen Streams
/ owing to the scarcity of transport
General Rumble has captured 10000
bags of corn. He is marching slowly
/ through district which is described as
'iterally teeming with cattle, sheep
and horses"
Michael Davitt. according to dis
patch from Lourenzo Marquee, is said
to have advised the Beers while he was
in Pretoria that if they could hold out
until the presidential election in the
United States they might ''feel pretty
sure of intervention"
At johannesburg the women are
forming a police corps so as to release
every man for fighting purposes at the
frry N. Avail =
during the Boer occupation, asserts that
there are several hundred Englishmen
serving in the Boer ferces who would
desert if assured of pardon from the
British.
i Durham reports the receipt of tele-
gram from Lourenzo Marquee saying
that the Boer plot to blow up the Brit
ish cruiser Forte was discovered and
that in consequence the warship steams
out seven miles nightly. The Standard
says: "Erem pro- Boer sources we learn
that the first great stand by the FEEDER.
ais will be on the ridges near Johannes.
burg. This position has been strongly
intrenched and the burghers believe
they can hold it for some time. II
driven from that point, part Of the Boe1
force will be thrown into Pretoria tc
Withstand a siege, while the main body
via retreat to the Leydenburg district
with the intention of keeping up a
guerrilla warfare from the mountainous
! region. They believe they can indef.
nitely postpone a pacifcation of the
country"
This is partly supported by dis
patch to the Times from Lourenzo Mar
quez, which says: "There is general
talk in Pretoria of President Kruger
contemplating an Immediate departure
from the capital. There seems nc
longer any doubt of the intention of the
Transvaal to transfer the seat of govern.
ment to the Leydenburg district and to
endeavor to make a final stand there
The raad is reported to have endorsed
the proposal. .
The Times also saws that a. nnmba,. of