The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-01
FLAG OVER JOHANNESBURG
BRITISH HAVE FORMALLY OCCU-
pied That city.

While the British Are Not Yet at
Pretoria There Is no Doubt That
Kruger Has Fled and the Citizens
Are Expecting Roberts Army--seat
of BOer Government at Middle
burg-HamiIton Had Some Hard
Fighting.
London. May 31.-The following dispatch
from Lord Roberts has been received at
the war office:
Johannesburg, May 81, 2 p. m.-Her
Majesty's forces are now In possession Of
johannesburg. and the British flag floats
over the government buildings"
London, June /, $3.50 a. m.-Belated mes
sages from Pretoria confirm the reports
of the departure of President Kruger with
his cabinet and staff officials Tuesday
night, and the selection at a meeting OF
citizens of committee to administer the
city Professionally.
Since these kilograms left on Wednes-
day. nothing apparently has reached Lo-
renzo Marques by telegraph from Pre-,
toria. Possibly the wires have been cut.
Possibly the Boer censorship at some in
termediate point intercepts kilograms.
Although the war office has not received
a word about it no one in London harbors
the idea that the Boer capital is not al
ready in the hands of the British or about
to be there. The possession of Johannes
burg. at all events, as Lord Roberts has
| telegraphed, is a fact. State Attorney
| SHUTS did not depart with President Kru-
ger but remained in Pretoria.
Seat of BOer Government.
The present seat of the Boer govern
ment, according to a dispatch from Loren
20 Marques, dated yesterday, is Middle
| burg, but 1t will probably he shifted fur
! ther east.
The Beers lately confronting Lord Rob-
erts appear to have gone eastward a so.
toward the Lyenburg region. The defend
ers of Laings Mex, when their position be-
comes TOO perilous will probably trek
| straight northward toward Lydenburg.
! When this concentration takes place, there
will be possibly 10000 men who may hold
! out for a time, with scattered bands og
! guerillas elsewhere.
NJ. Precost- -Battersby, in a dispatch to
the Morning Post from Germiston, dated
May 80, says:
"The enemy fought rear guard action,
| retiring. from the south TO the north or
the town with their poTnposiis and art!l-
| lery in the morning, and withdrawing
theip rifiamsu through the town in the
afternoon. We captured nine engines
and over hundred wagons Two trains
4 are leaving tonight fer the Vaal.
I'VE succeeded in cutting the line In
three directions and inprisoning all the
rolling stock in johannesburg 1t was a
splendid piece of work The enemy was
astounded at the rapidity of our ad-
vance"
Another correspondent, telegraphing
from Germiston the same day says:
1.-The Bores are massing six miles south
of Pretoria, for new and desperate stand
with front of twelve miles"
Farley at Johannesburg.
London, May S1.-The war office has re-
ceived the following dispatch from Lord
Roberts, under date of Germiston, May
90.
"In answer to a flag of truce / sent
to johannesburg this morning the COM
mandant came 10 see me. He begged me
to defer entering the town for twenty
four hours as there were many armed
burg hers S i'll inside. ] agreed to this,
as l am most anxious to avert the pos
sibilty of anything like disturbance in
side the town. and as body of the enemy
are still holding the hills in the imme-
ate neighborhood from which they will
have to be cleared off beforehand.
"Rundie reports that he attacked a
large party of Beers near Senekel on May
2S He said his casualties were not heavy.
"Brabant reports that on May 28 two
Of his patrols. consisting of two officers
and forty men, were cut eff by the enemy
and taken prisoners"
HamaIton's Hard Fighting.
The war Office has received from Lord
Roberts another dispatch, dated Germis-
ton, May SO, Q p M. saying:
'The brunt of the fighting yesterday fell
upon Hamiltons column. have sent him
as already mentioned, to work around 10
the west of Johannesburg In support Of
French's cavalry. which was directed 10
go north near the road leading 10 Pre-
toria | have not heard from French yet,
but Hamilton. In a report which has just
reached me- states that at about O'Clock
in the afternoon he found his way block
ed by the enemy strongly posted on 5 me
kopjes and ridges three miles south of
the Rand. They had TWO heavy guns end
several field guns and pompoms. Hamll-
ton forthwith attacked
work of Gallant GordOns.
"The right was led by the Gordons
who after capturing one extremity of the
ridge. wheeled around and worked along
II until after dark, clearing ii of the
enemy. who fought mos obstinately. The
One-hundred-and-Gourtf led on the other
flank and would not Sc denied. But the
chief share in the action, as In the caaual-
ties. fell to the Gordon's, whose gallant
advance excited the admiration Of all.
Hamilton is nov at Florida, due west
Of johannesburg, and French is a few
miles further to the northeast. The Cor
dons, the cavalry. the mounted infantry
and the seventh division are holding the
heights OF the town. The eleventh Division
with Batteries II and g. and the heavy
artillery. are south Of johannesburg.
Hamilton speaks in high terms Cf praise
of the manner in which Bruce Hamilton
and Col Spens. OF the Shropshire Light
Infantry. handed their men, under Smith
Dorrien's direction.