The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-18
LORD KITCHENER AT THE HEAD
OF THE COLUMN PROCEEDING
TO RELIEF OF MAFEKING
HlY BIZ HEARD FROM MONDAY
ANXIOUS CROWDS AT THE LONDON
WAR OFFICE SENT AWAY
DISAPPOINTED
FUTURE PLANS OF BoERs
They Will Give the British Battle
on the Hills Just Outside of
JOhnnnesburg-Cap of
Kruger's Grandson.

LONDON, May 18.-England still waits
with intense and almost breathless in
terest for news of the relief of Mafeking.
A crowd, remarkable for the number of
men in evening dress, and including MANY
ladies', fingered around the war office even
after midnight hoping for some an
nouncement. Only reluctantly 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 otherwise the Boer
wires laid to the camp of the beleagured
would have flashed the news. Skeleton
dispatches from Lourenzo Marques, based
upon information that leaked out at the
Pretoria war office, show that the Boer
stormers Saturday fell into a trap. Col.
Baden-Poweu permitted them to seize one
fort, and he then surrounded and over
bore them before the large forces near al
hand had perceived the strategy. 1t was
thus that SareI Eloff, President Kruger's
grandson, and part OF his commando was
taken and fifty Beers killed.
Gen. French, scouting northward, found
the Boers in strong force at Rhenoster
Spruit, thirty miles from Kroonstad
Gems. Botha, Delarey and Oliver, with
artillery, were holding the position
President Steyn, according to one dis
patch, has gone to Pretoria Another
says he Is a fugitive at Iindley The
Free Staters are surrendering on all sides.
A dispatch from Cape Town says thai
proclamations are being printed there, to
be published on the queen S birthday, May
e. anneXing the Free State.
BULLER PUSHES ON.
Gen. Butler is pushing straight ahead
without opposition He has only lost five
wounded during the movement Appar-
emily he is aiming at Laings Mex, which
is the direct road to the Transvaal, al
though he may diverge to Botha's pass.
Gen. Hunters movements in the Western
TransVaal are rather puzzling. He has
returned to Fourteen Streams with one
brigade, leaving another, Gen. Rarton'c
at Christiana
Lord Methuen is said TO be advancing |
along the south bank of the Vaal. Col |
l[ekewich is with him. The Loop rail. |
ways line across the Vaal is fast nearing |
The probability is that Gen. !
Hunter took back a brigade to Fourteen
Streams owing to the scarcity of trans
port
Gen. Rumble has captured 10000 bags of
corn. He is marching slowly through q
district which is described as literally
teeming with cattle, sheep and horses"
Michael DaVitt, according to a dispatch
from LourenZo Marques, is said to have
advised the Beers, while he was in Pre-
toTla, that If they could hold out until
the presidential election in the United
States they might feel ''pretty sure of
Intervention"
President Steyn saw the fight at Zand
river The impression he got there was
that his burghers could not face Lord
Roberts in pitched battle, and thus re-
solved, according to a message from
Lourenzo Marques, to evacuate the
Kroonstad works without a battle.
WHERE BOERS WILL FIGHT.
The Standard says: From pro-Boer
sources we learn that the first great
stand by the federals will be on the ridge
near Johannesburg. This position has
been strongly intrenched, and the burgh-
ers believe they can hold it for some
time. If driven from this point, part
of the force will be thrown into Pretoria
to withstand a siege, while the main body
will retreat to the Lydenburg district
with the intention of keeping up a guer-
rilla warfare from that mountainous re-
gion. They believe they can indefinitely
postpone a pacifcation of the country
This plan is partly supported by a dis
patch to the Times from Lourenzo Mar
Ques, which says:
There is general talk in Pretoria of
President Kruger contemplating an i'm
mediate departure from the capital. There
is no further doubt of the intention OF
the TransVaal to transfer the seat of gov
ernment to Lydenburg, and to make a
final stand there. The raad is said to
have indorsed the project"
The Times also says that a number of
the Transvaal officials are preparing for
flight and that State Secretary Reitz has
selected South America for his future
home.
1t is asserted that Lord Kitchener has
command of the Mafeking relief column
and news of the relief of the town can
not be received until Monday
REPORT FROM ROBERTS.
The war office has received the follow
ing dispatch from Lord Roberts:
"Kroonstad, May 1.-Hunter has occu-
pied Christiana without opposition, the
enemy having retired to Klerksdorp. un-
der the impression that the latter was
threatened by a portion Of this force from
Parys Rundles force was. clear to Cloco-
Ian yesterday evening. The country was
clear of the enemy. The resident commits
a
ber of Beers living in the Eicksburg and
Bethlehem districts have applied to him
for advice as to the conditions of surren-
der This is very satisfactory"
BOERs ABANDON BIGGARsBERG.
vOLKsRUsT, South African Republic.
Wednesday, May 16.-The federaIs have
abandoned Biggarsberg, and it IS be-
heved they also abandoned Newcastle
this morning, though their mounted men
are still on the other side of the border.
keeping the British at bay
KRUGER's GRANDSON CAPTURED.
CAPE TOWN, May IA dispatch from
Lourenzo Marques, dated today. saws that
Commandant EIoff grandson of Presi-
dent Kruger) with a patrol. entered
Mafehng, whereupon Col Baden-Poweu
opened fire on the burghers, Killing seven
teen Of them and taking Eloff and ninetv
of his men prisoners.
ARE WITH THE BOERs
TOLEDO, o.. May In letter
w. R. Holdridge, formerly of Lima. O
but for several years a resident OF ihe
Transvaal. says:
Until the presidents message reached
Cape Town with the assurance there
would be and could be no alliance with
ENGLAND