Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-12
BRITISH LOSS
OVER 1000 MEN
Telling Work Of the Beers On Lord
Roberts Communications,
BRITISH ARE IN DISORDER.
Strategy Of Free state BOers ACCOM-
plishes Much Plenty OF Brit
ish Troops Near

New York, June ia dispatch to
the Tribune from London says:
Bad news from the Free state oozes
out slowly from the war Office The
line Of communications was cut on
Wednesday, the day after Lord Roberts
entered Pretoria, but the fact was not
admitted until Saturday nor the truth
revealed until yesterday that there mad
been severe fighting at Roodeyal ana
that the militia battalion Of the Derby
shire regiment aud other details had
been taken prisoners These delalls
were guarding the railway where the
Boer raiders struck the line OF coninu-
nitlons, and their casualties were Sc
we're. about a hundred being killed ana
wounded. So FAR as reported the de-
tense Of the militia was clearly vigorous
but the force was outnumbered ana the
Beers were enabled TO destroy the rall-
way for over twenty miles.
METHUENs WAY BLOCKED.
Lord Methuen. after reaching Lndley
By a forced march from the railway
left a garrison there and headed Tor
Hebron TO join General colvllle, but
was lighting with a Boer force on
Thursday within ten miles Of MS des-
tination. Whether this force was re-
turning from Roodeval with It's prls-
oners. or was an auxiliary column nov
ering about Hebron. is uncertain.
Apparently. the raidlng column re-
NAMED on the railway for several days,
for "a casualty list reached General
Knox at Kroonstad under a flag OF
truce. General Kelly-kenny has or
dered General Knox 90 go north, but
the direction taken by the raiding
forces, Whet'Ar east or south, Is not
known at Bloemf0ntein.
GARRISON IN DANGER.
General Pagets garrison at Llndley
would appear to be In imminent danger,
although no references are made TO 1t
In the dispatches.
This unfavorable news has caused
keen disappointment in military cir
Giles here. but there Is no disposition
on the part Of well-informed men to
censure Lord Roberts He took the risk
of having his line broken when he
pushed on 10 Pretoria by forced
marches. and the results obtained have
justified his course, even NJ his army be
compelled to live on the country until
order can be restored along the rail-
way.
OVER 1000 PRISONERS.
The Free state forces have delivered
an effective counter stroke and have
taken over q thousand prisoners at
IAndley and RoOdeval They have
thrown the British campaign into dis.
order by their brilliant strategy and
have learned by experience how much
mischief they can cause by harasslng
the British line OF communications,
Lord Roberts plan OF campaign
massed the mounted force at the front
for a series Of springs toward Pretoria,
and left Generals Rumble Brabant
Methuen and Colville on the eastern
flank 10 keep the Free State forces away
from the line Of communications. II
has carried him 10 Pretoria. but has
exposed the railway line 10 temporary
interruption, and has given 20 General
Dewet two successful hauls Of prison
ers In his net The British forces Will
be massed against the Free state COM
mandos as soon as Lord Roberts gets
control OF the wires.
PLENTY OF BRITISH TROOPS.
London. June Y. $3.50 a. NIFTY
thousand British troops are within half
a hundred miles Of the marauding
Beers north of Kroonstad and they are
expected. Of course. 10 make short work
! Of them. Nevertheless. outside Of the
war office kilograms, no one knows
what Is going on,
South OF Kroonstad there Is a wide
gap. The railway Is only partially de-
| Tended. and. as General Kelly Kenny
has hurried all the available troops
/ northward the assumption is that there
/ Is danger of a second raid The loss OF
the Derbyshlres is estimated at from
coo TO ZOO men