The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-13

| LONDON, May 12-The war Office has
received the following dispatch from Gen.
Roberts,
"Kroonstad. May FL entered Kroon-
stad at 1:30 without opposition, today,
when the Union Jack was hoisted amidst
cheers from the few British residents.
President Steyn fed last evening, after
vainly endeavoring to persuade the
burghers to continue opposing us The
| Transvaalers said they would no longer
fight on Orange Free State soil, and made
| off for the Vaal river. Free Staters ac-
cused the Transvaalers Of having made
use Of them and then deserting. Many
of the Free Staters have gone to their
homes.
| THE procession entering the town was
headed by my bodyguard, all of whom
were colonies, and after my staff and for
eign officers came the North Somerset
Imperial yeomanry, followed by Pole-Ca-
rew's division, consisting of the guards
and the Eighteenth brigade navals, the
Eighty-third, Eighty-fourth and Eighty
fifth batteries, two five-inch guns, man
ned by the Royal artillery company, and
| the Twelfth engineers. The rest Of the
force encamped around the town. Before
| leaving Kroonstad President Steyn issued
a proclamation making Lindley the seat
of government of the. Free State
Gems. Botha and De Wet accompanied
the Transvaalers."
| BRITISH IN CONTROL.
| LONDON May 13.-The situation at the
seat of war in South Africa Is as salts
factory from the British view point as
the most sanguine friend could have
| hoped week ago. The occupation of
Kroonstad practically leaves the Orange
| Free State in British possession. 1t is
evident from Lord Roberts latest dis
| patch that the disintegration has com
rnenced, that the Free Staters are scat
| tering to their homes. while the Trans
| vaalers have gone northward, declining to
| fight longer, in the Orange Free State
| What little resistance the former still are
/ likely to make seems to be centering at
Lindley whittier President Steyn has
! transferred his government
| 1t is evident that the strategy Of Lord
| Roberts, and the rapidity of his advance
have bewildered and disheartened the
| Beers. as their resistance recently has
been very slight The only point where
| they seriously attempted to check the ad-
| vance seems to have been on the British
| right, where they defended with vigor
| two kopjes which eventually were carried
| by the East Lancashires and Sussexs, the
| Beers finally retreating, leaving a group
| of Beers dead on the top of one of the
| hills.
The only point in the Free State where
the Beers seem in any force, except in
| Lord Roberts front, seems to be in the
! southeast, where Gems Rumble and Bra.
bant are holding them in check west CT
! Ficksburg and Ladybrand, and are grad
| ually pushing them back, as well as de-
| feating all other efforts to break through
|
| ton.
There IS no further news regarding the
advance of the relief column toward
Mafeking, but It IS possible that Lord
Roberts success will result in forcing
the Beers to raise the siege.
Pretoria advices, via Lourenzo Marques.
state that the Beers supply of smoke
less powder is exhausted and that all at
| tempts to manufacture a fresh supply
| have been unsuccessful
| A dispatch from Cape Town dated May
| L says that Lord Strathcona's horse
have gone to the front and that Lord
Castletown has been appointed command
er of the Wepener district
LORD ROBERTS REPORTS.
LONDON, May 12-The war office has
received the following dispatch from Lord
Roberts:
"Boshrand, May 12-I am eight miles
south of Kroonstad; the enemy evacu-
ated the last line of entrenchntents during
the night. We are now recOnnoiteriug
towards Kroonstad. Gen. Frenchs cav
airy seized the drift over the Vaal
river at 4:3O last evening, just in time to
prevent passage being opposed by the
enemy"
PLEA FOR MAFEKING
Lady Georgiana Curzon has issued an
urgent appeal for help for Mafeking She
says:
Nothing but absolute knowledge Of the
sufferings of the people of Mafeking
prompts me to inaJgurate another fund:
the heartrending accounts received from
my sister, Lady Sarah Wilson, must be
my excuse. She writes with authority,
having shared equally with them the
anxieties and privations of the long Siege.
She describes the destitution of the in
habitants and. the absolute ruin OF all
the small tradespeople whose homes, In
many cases, have been demolished. The
nuns convent has been rendered roofIess
| by Boer guns, yet the sisters are unremic-
| ting the cheerful attendance upon wound
| ed and sick. For months the inhabitants
have rot slept in their beds. They have
given lives and property, and stood by the
gallant Baden-Powell until their courage
and endurance have thrilled the whole
world"
The appeal concludes with hoping the
day the relief OF Mafeking is announced
the writer will be able tC write congratu-
lations accompanied by a substantial sum
of money.
BOERS EXPEL IRISH PRIEST.
A dispatch from Lourenzo Marques
says:
''So-called ambulance men arrive on
every steamer and they are hurried TO
Pretoria and sent to join commanders
IN the field. There has been further
trouble with the Irish brigade at Jo-
hannesburg. The Boer government re-
Gently expelled an Irish priest named
Delacey, who was accused OF having
British sympathies. The brigade pro-
tested vainly and sixty men resigned
from the service in disgust"
MOBILITY OF BOERS.
EDEN, May 1.-THE Beers returned
somewhat today. but it IS impossible TO
say where they may turn up next owing
to their great mobility. Gen. Grenfel
succeeded in pushing them back near
Rapuishop, while Gen. Brabant pushed
forward in the direction of Brad's Drift
along with Gen. Campbell and the Six,