The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-05-18
ENGLAND IS ANXIOUS
Long Expected News From
Mafeking Comes Not.
THE BOER BESIEGERS SUFFER LOSS.
President Steyn Fugitive and Free
Staters SurreVdering-Bulle Ii
Pushing Ahead without OPP
pOsitiOn-Dayitt's Advice.

position-Davitt's Advice.
LONDON, May 1s.-England still
waits with intense and almost breathless
interest for news of the relief OF Mafe
king. A crowd remarkable for the mum
Der Of men in evening dress and including
many ladies fingered around the war Of.
fee even after midnight, hoping for somt
announcement. Only reluctantly did the
people disperse when the lobbies Of the
war Office were finally cleared with the
word that nothing had been received.
One thing seems clear. The town still
holds out. Were it otherwise the BoeI
wires laid to the camps of the beleagueH
would have flashed the news.
Skeleton messages from Lourencd
Marques, based upon information that
leaked out at the Pretoria war office.
show that the Boer stormers Saturday
fell into a trap. Colonel BadenPowell
permitted them to seize one fort, and he
then surrounded and overbore them be-
fore the large forces near at hand per-
ceive1 the stratagem. 1t was thus that
Sarel Eloff, President Kruger's grandson
and part Of his commando were taken
and so Beers killed.
The Canadian artillery contingent OF
the Rhodesan force Is now reported tc
have reached Bulawayo May q The dis
lance from Bulawayo to Mafeking is 40G
miles. As the railway is open all the way
to Pitsani, 20 miles from Mafeking,
where Colonel Plumer is, the Canadians
may yet take part in the relief.
General French, scouting northward
found the Beers in strong force at Rhe.
noster spruit, 30 miles from Kroonstadt
Generals Botha, Delarey and Olivier
with artillery, were holding the position.
President steyn, according to one dis.
patch, has gone to Pretoria. Another
says he is a fugitive at Lindley. The
Free Staters are surrendering on all
sides. A dispatch from Cape Town says
that proclamations are being printed
there, to be published on the queens
birthday, May a, annexing the Free
State.
One of President Steyn's brothers, wig
is prisoner Of General Brabant, says
that the Free Skaters will accept annex.
alton. Those who took up arms the sec
ond time, he explains, had to do so under
threats of instant death if they refused.
Five hundred rifles have been surren
dered at Kroonstadt in excess Of the
number of Beers who have taken the
oath of allegiance. Lord Roberts has d.
rected the British commanders to receive
all Corners in good spirit and to issue to
them passes to 60 to their farms.
General Butler is pushing straight
ahead without opposition. He has only
lost five wounded during the movement.
Apparently he is aiming at Laingsnek,
which Is the direct road to the Transyaal,
although he may diverge to Botha's pass.
General Hunters movements in the
western Transvaal are rather puzzing.
He has returned to Fourteen Streams
with one brigade, leaving another, Gen
eral Bartons, at Christiania. Lord Me-
thuen Is said to be advancing along the
south bank of the Vaal Colonel Keke-
witch Is with him. The loop railway line
across the Vaal is fast nearing compile
ton. The probability is that General
Hunter took back brigade to Fourteen
Streams owing to the scarcity of trans
port
General Rumble has captured 10000
bags of corn. He is marching slowly
through district which is described as
literally teeming with cattle, sheep and
horses"
Mr.. Michael Davitt, according to dis
patch from Lourenco Marques, is said to
have advised the Beers while he was in
Pretoria that il they could hold out until
the presidential election in the United
States they might feel pretty sure of in
tervention."
At Johannesburg the women are form
ing police corps so as to release every
man for fighting purposes at the front.
Dr.. Archer, who was at Dundee during
the Boer occupation, asserts that there
are several hundred Englshmen serving
in the Boer forces who would desert il
assured of pardon from the British.