The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-24
Great Demonstration I'm the Little
Town When the Rescuers
Marched Into the Place.
CAPTURE OF SAREL EL0F1
COL. BADEN-POWELL'S MEETING
WITH THE BOER OFFICER.
Incident Tint Adds Luster to the Re-
nown of the Hero of Mafek-
fng-Omcial Dispatch.

LONDON, May "a, 3 a. m.-Mafeking dis
patches continue to pour into London re-
Iating to events Immediately preceding the
relief and the entry of the troops. A dis
patch from Mafeking, dated May IL. one of
the first messages forwarded after Colonel
Baden-Powells dispatch announcing the
relief of the town, says the place was wild
with JOY. that many people wept as they
greeted their deliverers, and that the scene
as the troops traversed the streets baffied
description.
The correspondents agree that the Ca
madam artillery. Major Endon's seven guns.
did splendid work. Some of them assert
that the Canadians did absolutely essen
tial work In the fighting" About Z o'clock
in the evening of the day before the relief,
after Colonel Mahon and Colonel Plumer
had defeated the Beers nine miles from
Mafeking, Major Karri Davies and nine
scouts entered the town. The Beers were
then retreating. At o'clock on the fol-
lowing morning 1000 men, including the Ca
nadians. arrived. With them were twenty
wagons loaded with food. which were re-
ceived with wild demonstrations. The ar
mored train and detachment then pushed
forward to Game Tree fort, the scene of the
unsuccessful sortie in December. The Beers
had evacuated it on the east They were
pursued and the correspondent telegraph
ing these facts on Thursday afternoon,
closed his dispatch thus: 1--WE caught up
with the retreating Beers and have them
now surrounded"
Lady Sarah Wilson has managed to get
through a message from Mafeking dated
Thursday, announcing the entry of the re-
lief column. She says: "The fighting be-
fore the relief was very hard. A very Sc
we're struggle preceded yesterday (May 16)
from D. m. and until dusk. The Beers
were forced slowly to retreat, contesting
every inch. AT sunset they still held the
last position. Colonel Mahon entered the
town in the brilliant moonlight. The Beers
were as tired out as we were, and they
never guessed that an attempt would be
made to force an entry before morning.
Therefore their surprise was complete.
They deserted their laagers, leaving lot
of food, which was divided up among the
people of Mafeking."
A Daily Telegraph correspondent, describ-
ing the march of the relief column, says:
ION the morning before the little force
wrote to Colonel Mahon: This is the most
dashing exploit of the war. Every man in
the column has been specially selected. /
wish you godspeed.' The action opened at
D. m. Wednesday with Maxim fire. and
this soon told upon the enemy, who sur
rounded us, but who had not hindered the
forward march The value of the Eoer
methods of warfare when used in a fiat
country may be estimated by this action.
Little cover was afforded the enemy with
the result that they fed as soon as our
guns were turned upon them. The fight
ragged most fiercely on the left but our
guns soon silenced the enemy, who were
seen flying in all directions. Those on the
left flank, finding that their comrades In
front had abandoned their positions. ran
helter-skelter Then ensued the finest Boer-
hunting witnessed during the war. The
dismounted British piled the enemy with
rifle fire, while the pompoms hustled them
until not single Boer was left in front of
us. The Canadians kept busy on the right.
replying with their seven-pounder to the
enemy's biggest gun until darkness fell up
on the scene"