Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-24
1uch Fighting Between Brit
s ish and Beers at Var
ious Places.
,KERsTRooM FIGHT.
Boel v to Turn British Right with
out tsuccess-Boers Thick Around
Wepener-BIs Battle Pres
dicted-Oth WarNews.


Walkerstroom, Sunday, April s..-
(By Associated Press.) after yester-
days shelling it was expected the
Beers would open again, but Colonel
Brabazon, with the Yeomanry, made
a thoro scout to the left. The Beers
endeavored to turn the British right
wing, but the movement was defeated
by the Yeomanry and mounted IN
fantry and the. guns opened fire and
drove them off, greatly extending
their position. None of the Boer guns
were in action. There were no British
casualties. Many Beers are moving
southwark.
Fighting at Wepener.
London, April 23.-The small scraps
of:asformation which have been per-
.mitted to pass the military censor all
indicate that small engagement is
in progress in the vicinity Of Wepener,
where Colonel Dalgety's garrison is
besieged by a strong force OF burghers.
General Brabant's advance guard
reached Bushman's Kop, twenty miles
from Wepener, on Saturday evening
and yesterday Sunday morning the
artillery opened on the Boer position.
The country between Bushman's
Kop and Wepener is open, and Braban5,
it is believed, will have little diff
Guilty in fighting his way thru to the
relief of the besieged garrison.
Beers Thick In Wepener Region.
& The Beers are doing their best to
take the place before the British re-
inforcements arrive under Rumble, who.
with two divisions, is. advancing from
the west.
Brabant, who has 1000 men, is NOV
ing from the north.
The Beers appear to be in great
force not only in the front of Wepener
but along the lines over which Rumble
and Brabant are advancing.
Predict Big Battle Soon.
All the war experts predict big
battle at any hour. Rumble has already
had a battle at Morlogsport, twenty
miles out Of Reddersberg, and Bra
bant has had one at Bushman's Kop.
At both engagements the fighting is
described as spirited, yet the reports
declare the British losses are small,
but the casualty lists which will drift
along in a few days will probably tell
a different story.
Skirmish at Ashbye Farm.
"A battle, or rather sllirnlish, was
fought between 500 Beers and some
of Buffers cavalry at Ashbye Farm,
near Elandslaagte, and again only
slight losses are reported.
Small parties of Beers were seen
yesterday ten miles out of Lady
smith and larger body at lintwa
Pass.
General Methuen has suffered an
other surprise, this time near ZWart-
kop. The reports declare his losses
are slight, but the press is asking why
it is that British scouts can be so cas-
ilv fooled, especially after the two re.
aent disasters.
Reports From Another Source.
A dispatch from Walkerstroom, near
Dewetsdorp, Saturday says: Fighting
WAS continued today, mainly with The
artillery. The Yeomanry and mounted
infantry pushed forward on the right
flank and were subjected to shelling
and a heavy rife fire.
The Royal Irish Rifles captured a
Free State flag. The Beers are well
intrenched. and hold their ground tena-
ciously. The British casualties have
been light"
Fighting Day aud Night.
Boer Camp, Thaban Chu, Orange
Free States, April 22.-(By Associated
Press. THE fighting continues day
and night at Johannesburg Drift. The
English trenches have been so full of
rain that the men were obliged every
now and then to Chamber to the banks,
only to be shot down.
Charges Death to Jews.
81 Berlin, April 23. The local authori
ties at Konitz, Prussia, have summoned
200 rsservists to preserve the peace Of
{ that district, which is threatened by
suspicion that the death of a bow