Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-03-21
THINK MAFEKING FREE
Belief That Colonel PIumer Has
Relieved the Place.
THE LATEST NEWS INDICATES 1T.

Sharp Engagement at Fourteen Streams
in Which the Beers Are Driven or
Two Thousand Women of Pretoria Take
\ UP Arms and Are Ready to Give Battle
to Lord Roberts Forces--Guns Surren-
dered to the British by Deserters.
London, March 19.-The news from
South Africa rs entirely satisfactory
10 the British public. The relief of
Iafeking is not yet announced. but 1t
Is extremely probable that this is al
ready accomplished by Colonel Plum.
PRS advance. Lady Charles Bentinck,
eat Cape Town. has received a tele.
z gram from her husband in Mafeking,
dated March IL, saying that he ex-
pected to join her shortly.
The actual relief movements have
not been publicly developed In detail,
but 1t seems that Lord Methuen only
started recently and is rather engaged
In dispensing the Beers of the district
than aiming at actual relief. COlone!
Peakman has dispersed 500 Beers at
Fourteen Streams.
right at Fourteen Streams.
A Cape Town dispatch of Sunday
says, 1.-The Mafeking relief column,
Colonies Drummond and Peakman
commanding, had a sharp engagement
at Fourteen Streams. The British sue.
ceeded In driving the Beers off, They
had only few casualties.
ut Is reported that the rebels who
refused to accompany the Transvaalers
when the latter vacated Taung and
Vryburg are preparing to trek into
Damaraland on the approach Of the
British. but that the Hottentot chiefs
are getting ready to bar their escape"
1t Is believed that the Dutch forces
will make a great effort to capture the
town because of the effect it would
have on the dissatisfied soldiers. The
dispatches show that commands have
been sent from interior towns in the
Transyaal to the vicinity of Mafeking.
Women Take Up Arms.
The women at Pretoria have taken
up arms, and force of 1000 Of them.
all uniformed and we'll trained, are In.
3 readiness to give battle to the invad.
iers. AS the women OF the Transyaai
are experts with the rifle their enter
Ing the ranks as fighters will add mate.
rally to the Boer strength.
A dispatch to The Times from Lady.
,.
"Our advance camp is on Sundays
river, two miles north of Elandslaagte.
The Beers hold two positions on the
Biggarsberg range, about ten miles
north The strongest Is on the New.
castle road. where several guns have
already been mounted and where they
are digging extensive trenches. The
second position, which is ON the Dun.
dee road. Is not 40 strong"
Roberts Reports Guns Surrendered.
The war office has received the fol
lowing dispatch from Field Marshal
Lord Roberts. dated Bloemfontein,
Sunday, March 49,.
"The guards brigade returned yes.
terday from Norval's pont. Several
burghers have laid down their arms to
General Pole-Carew at Edenburg and
elsewhere The officer commanding at
BelmcAt reports that some deserters
have come ia with Maxim, a nine.
FOUNDER and another gun Another
nine-pounders has been brought into
Colesberg The cavalry brigade has
gone to Thaha Nchu in order to reas-
sure the inhabitants Of that district and
to distribute copies of the proclama.
ton to the people of the Free State
These pr0ciamations are being eager.
~ sought after. Lord Methuen reached
Warrenton on March 16. He was in
time to prevent the deviation bridge
from being completely destroyed and to
secure the pont on the vaal."
Prisoners Will Re In Danger.
London, March 19.-The British Off.
GERS now In Pretoria have been re-
q. -