The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-04
scots Guards and Grenadiers suffered
Very Heavily I'm the Fight
ing at SenekaI.
CHAOS RULES AT PRETORIA
FOREIGNERS AND 3URGHERs ALIKE
SEEKING NEUTRAL TERRITORY.
Many Contradictory stories from
Lourenxo Marques-"Beau- Blake
Writes of the Irish Brigade.

LONDON, June 4, ( a. m.-There Is no
direct news from Pretoria CT later date
than Thursday evening. General French's
cavalry were then at Irene. eight miles
south of Pretoria, and firing was heard
there. Lord Robertss messages about Sec
ondary operations elsewhere and the situa-
ton at johannesburg. dated at Orange
Grove, a farm four miles northeast of
johannesburg, show that on Saturday, at
s:lo p. m, he was twenty-five miles from
Pretoria.
The correspondents with Lord Roberts
have not got through a line about the
operations after the occupation Of johann
nesburg. Official messages continue to come
through; but press kilograms are held up.
probably TO avoid their giving even a hint
as to what may be the pending operations.
From the other side there filters through
Lourenzo MARQUES a mass OF statements.
some contradictory. others obviously Inn
probable. but all purporting to be facts.
Passengers arriving at Lourenzo Mar
ques, Saturday. direct from Pretoria. say
that the capital was preparing TO sur
render when they left Thursday. The forts
Komatipoort searched all trains and
turned back most of the fugitives. among
them deserting foreigners, who were fee-
ing to reach neutral soil.
Immense Boer conveys Of provisions are
between Pretoria and Middleburg. Fifteen
trains are sent daily TO Machadodorp with
supplies for Lydenburg. Pretoria is pic
tured by the refugees as In stste Of Ia
a. ,t~r<>
populace are dismayed. and the British are
expected hourly.
ATTACHES ARE LEAVING.
Some foreign attaches have arrived at
Lourenzo Marques to communicate with
their governments for orders to leave. as
they consider that organized war on the
Transvaal side is at an end.
Flying among the Beers are reports that
the British have been beaten back at Lind
ley. with heavy loss. that the main attack
on Elandsfontein failed. and Lord Roberts
was forced to retire: that the railway has
been cut behind him south OF vereeniging,
and that provision train has been cap
tured. Without crediting any OF the Boer
bulletins. everything from the neId of war,
behind Lord Roberts. points to a great eff
fort last week to paralyze his advance by
bold stroke from the eastward at the rail.
way north Of Bloemfontein. Unless four
Boer columns were In a movement, SEEM
ingly with this objective, there was a COM
mando in front OF General Brabant, near
Ficksburg: another faced General Rumble.
near Senekal: a third occupied Lindley and
pressed towards the railway, and a fourth
seized Heilbron and pushed toward Kroon-
stad. These operations. assuming them to
have been independent. all appear to have
failed.
revival OF the Beers fighting power
east Of Lord Robertss advance although
fruitless. is symptom that the Beers are
not yet crushed In General Rundle's at
| tack on the intrenched Beers, seven miles
east Of Senakel. May q, the British did
| not see a Boer all day. so completely were
| they screened. The British infantry did
| not get within one thousand yards of their
rifemen The 1S2 losses wired by Lord Rob-
erts were suffered by the Grenadiers and
Scots Guards while advaning over a level
| from which the grass had been burned.
The Britishers, in khaki. were a conspicu-
| Gus target against the black background
| General Rumble withdrew his whole force
at sundown TO Senekal, having succeeded
| In drawing the Beers from LindIey. allow
| ing the threatened force 10 get away safe
| ly. The Beers sent to the British for medi-
| cal help, saying that Commandant De
| villiers was seriously wounded. General
/ Rumble sent a doctor, with a bottle OF
champagne and his compliments. as well
as r message that he would release all the
| Boer prisoners at Senekal
| BURGHERS ARE DESERVING.
| The Lourenzo Marques correspondent Of
the Times. telegraphing June ?. says: An
| Austrian who has seen seven months ac-
tive service in the Transvaai declared that
large proportion OF the burghers are de-
serting TO their homes. The arrangement
| whereby the British prisoners at Pretoria
have been placed under an armed guard.
| with British officers in command. pending
| the formal occupation OF the town, IL
ascribed TO the good sense and humane
| disposition OF General Louis Botha. and the
Transvaai war secretary. both OF whom
have earned the profound respect OF all
| classes"
II is interesting TO note that Lord Rob-
erts's soldierly qualities are admired great
ly by both Beers and foreigners. II seems
that the Boer attack upon Irene was In
tended TO cover the withdrawal from Pre-
| toria OF all the supplies procurable- The
last consignment was six hundred loads.