The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-27
RELIEF OF
MAFEKING.
Report Comes From Lorenzo
Marques, DelagOa Bay,
That the Siege of Mafeking Has
Been Raised.
WARREN LOST II GUNS
According to Reports Received
at Berlin.
London Thinks 1t Is Not So
Bad as That.
Rumor That Butler Is in Full
Retreat.
That the Siege of Mafeking Has
Been Raised.
WARREN LOST II GUNS
According to Reports Received
at Berlin.
London Thinks 1t Is Not So
Bad as That.
Rumor That Butler Is in Full
Retreat.

Lorenzo Marques, Delagoa Bay, Jan.
Pit is reported on good Transvaal
authority that Mafeking was relieved
Tuesday. January %.
WARREN LOST II GUNS.
Berlin, Jan. 27-Some of the papers
here claim to have a telegram from
Pretoria saying that Gen. Warren was,
enticed into Spion Kop where the Beers
fell upon him, that II Of his cannon
were captured and that Buffers hasty
retreat over the Tugela river alone can
save him.
LONDON DOESN'T BELIEVE IT.
London, Jan. 27.-1:15 p. m.-The war
office has no news of the catastrophe
to Gen. Buffers force reported from
Berlin and discredits the story. Neither
has the war office any explanation at
least for publication of the abandon
ment Of SpiOn Kop, and there are no
adVlceS in this connection from inde-
pendent sources. The disposition to-
day is to regard the evacuation as not
SO serious as at first thought, and COM
mentators are abusing the military au-
LhoI1tleS both at the front and at home
for publishing haSty accounts of an in
complete, half understood operation,
thus alternately thrilling and depres-
sing the nation.
The last detachment of the infantry
section of the London volunteers, num-
bering 134 men, were entrained this
morning for southampton, where they
will embark today for Africa. The
route from Wellington barracks to
Nine Elms station was thronged with
cheering spectators, but not in the
same degree as on previous occasions,
SO the order of march was undisturbed-
The lord mayor and Sheriffs accom-
panied the troops to Southampton.
The battery section and ammunition
column completing the regiment will
leave February 3,
A GLOOMY VIEW.
New York, Jan. 27-Dispatches from
London say that the military experts,
the newspapers and the people in the
street take a gloomy view of the situa-
tiOn on the Tugela, it being the gem
eral belief that Gen. Buffers f1anking
movement has failed as completely as
his frontal movement of last month.
The idea prevails that the war office
has had news which it is keeping from
the public and that the list of casual
ties which was given out yesterday
does not cover the losses of Gen. War
rem from the annoying fire. spoken of
by Gen. Butler.
Since the fianking movement began
on January 10 Gen. Butler has reported
go killed, $50 wounded and 60 missing.
1t is remembered how his casualty list
grew from day to day after the defeat
last month, and it is feared the losses
of the past few days have been fright
ful. Gen. Butler is criticised for the
form of his message, which reads as
though he were trying to saddle the
blame for the defeat upon Gen. War
rem.
The new British reverse is likely to
have a disheartening effect upon tho be-
leagured garrison of Ladysrnith but for
whom the campaign would have been
conducted on a different plan. Letters
written when the siege of Ladysmith
was begun were very Sanguine; a letter
written about the middle of December
ne ha -iy
weeks and according to all reports the
food question must be pressing. The
latest message from Ladysmith report
ed u deaths in one day from enteric
fever and dysentery.
Lord Roberts at ~ape Town has been
almost forgotten in the excitement over
the fighting at the Tugela. Roberts is
in no way responsible Tor the operations
for the relief of Ladysmith, for they
have been conducted under advice from
the war office in London. 1t was said
some time ago that Roberts favored
leaving Ladysmith to its fate and
marching on BloemfOntein, the cap
ital of the Free State. 1t is expected
that under Roberts direction there will
be fighting in the western district soon,
the British armies having been rein
forced and the plight of Kimberley be-
ing urgent. The suspense in London is
quite as trying as at any time in the
past fortnight
The Leader says:
Gen. Butler is very sorry to say that
the capture of Spion Kop has been
abandoned. So we dare say is Gen
Warren. for it knocks the bottom out of
his tactics.
His true tactics were to move by
Acton Homes with a weeks supply of
ammunition and food"
The Morning Post says:
The Beers appear TO have no lack
of men for it turns out that the affair
of Tuesday at Chieveley was not a Brit
ish but Boer reconnaissance and the
British efforts against Ladysmith have
increased" "
The affair of Tuesday at Chievelev
was the discovery of unidentified troops
moving around on the east of Lady
smith reported from Chieveley-troops
imagined to be British regulars detach-
ed from Gen. Buffers column to recon-
nOitre.
It is understood that the house of
commons will be asked to appropriate
$75,00O,O0O to cover the war expenses up
70 March 81. This in addition to. the
S5o,000.000 already appropriated.
Politicians talk of multiplying these
figures by two or four to cover the total
expenses of the war.
FROM THE BOER CA1P.
Boer Camp, Modder Spruit, Upper
Tugela River, Tuesday. Jan 23=Tbe
British are now endeavoring to force
with 10000 troops the SpiOn Kop route
to Ladysmith. The firing on Gen.
BOtha's position yesterday was terrific
The grass was fred. rocks dislodged
and trenches pierced, but the battle was
practically one sided, the federals only
firing thirty shots.
4 ball from shell landed in Gen.