Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-06-14
gEAVY BLOW 70 BRITISH
Later Dispatches Show That the
Beers Captured Over 500
Men at Roodeval.
AETHUEA MAY BE IN A TIGHT PLACE.
Lord Roberts Cut on from Com
munication and Reenforcements-
The Situation in South Africa
Proves to Be Far More Serious
Than Was Realized

Frederick Forestier-Walker. in com
mand OF the lines of communication in
South Africa. reports that in the dis
aster to the British troops, June Z, at
Roodeval, where the Beers cut Lord
Roberts line of communications. the
Fourth battalion of the Derbyshire
regiment were all killed, wounded or
made prisoners. except six enlisted
men, Two officers and Is men were
killed and five officers and ~ men were
wounded, many of them severely.
The Beers returned the wounded to
the british. The officers killed were
Lieut.. Col. Baird-Douglas and Lieut..
Hawley.
The wounded include Col. Wilkinson
and Lieut.. Blanchard, of the Canadian
infantry.
Gen. Observation-Disclosures dispatch in
full is as follows:
cape Town. June 1o.-The following
telegram has been received from Charles
knox: kroonStad.-The following cas-
ualtlesa reported from RoodeyaI June {,
received from Stonham. commanding the
imperial yeomanry hospital dated Rhen-
oster River. June 8. received here by flag
of truce June 10:
ihC Z ouIlu OdtlduON OF the Leroy
Snlre regiment (the Sherwood Foresters).
Killed. Lieut. COL Baird-Douglas and
Lieut. HaWley and Is of the rank and
le:>,wounded- Col. Wilkinson. Capt Bal
ley. Lteuts. Hall. Lawder and Blanchard
ana 50 OF the rank and file: the Shrop-
shire light infantry, one: Cape Pioneer
rdllroad regiment, seven; ammunition
park. Royal marines and Imperial tele-
graphs, one each; post Office corps. one.
Stonham reports that many were Sc
verely wounded and the remaining of the
Fourth Derbyshire and details of prts-
oners. except six of the rank and file, are
in his camp. All the wounded are in his
camp, lately occupied by the Fourth
Derbyshire. Inquiries are being made
to the names ..-s.
1t is inferred that the Beers captured
over 500 men and as late as June 10
held positions cutting off the British
force north of Kroonstad from reen-
forcements-
Methuen Fighting.
dispatch from Gen. Forestier-
Walker says Gen. Methuen was fight
ing within ten miles OF Hebron June
6, as follows:
Cape Town. June 10.-KeIly-Kenny re-
ports from B1oemfontein this morning
that Methuen, with the greater part of
his division, was fighting early In the
morning of June s, ten miles south of
Hebron where Colville was reported to
be with the Highland brigade. Methuen
left Lindley June 5. with ample supplies
for himself and Colville, leaving Paget to
hold Lindley wit. sufficient force and
supplies.
.sKelIy-Kenny. has ordered Knox to
press in the enemy's outpost, believing
the enemy'S strength to be exaggerated.
.sAll is quiet and there is no anxiety
regards the district to the south. Com
nunications north of Kroonstad have
been cut since June g.
Like Bolt from Clear Sky.
The news that the shutting off of
Lord Roberts communication with the
outer world was accompanied by such
a serious loss came like bolt from
comparatively clear sky. In London.
until the news came. it was thought
that the destruction of the railroad
was accomplished by Free Staters,
who were avoiding rather than an
Initiating the British detachments
stationed at the point attacked.
Nor are Gen. Observation-Disclosures vague
statements regarding the situa-
ton at Hebron looked looked
upon as reassuring. The Beers
appear to be in sufficient strength to
completely separate all the British
forces north and south of line
stretching some so miles between
RoodevaI and Hebron. Methuen's
march upon the latter place seems
somewhat in the nature Of movement
for the relief of Colville. The only
British officer left at Roodeval appears
to be the doctor in charge of the hos
pital, which is full of wounded.
What has happened to the, troops
Immediately north of Roodeval is still
a matter for conjecture.
Far More Serious Than Imagined.
All in all, Mondays dispatches re-
veal that the situation is far more seri-
Gus than anyone imagined.
The ministerialist caucus at Cape
Town has resulted unfavorably to
Premier sSchdeiner. only ten support
ing him, and Mr.. Schreiner. has given
rotice of his intention to resign. The
question at issue is Mr.. Schreiner's de-.
sire to- int roduce Immediately bills
Furnishing the colonial rebels and in
IDENTIFYING the government for acts
committed under martial law.
A Cape Town dispatch tofthe Times
says: sS S5sas
ut is IMPOSSIBLE to say whether Mr.:
Schreiner will manage to form a coalf-
ton ministry with the cooperation of Mr..
Rose-Innes and. possibly. even Gordon
Sprigs, or whether Sir Alfred Miner will
Intrust the task to- Sprigg. Il
There is no further word of Gen.
pul1or,S r,rOprsSS.
Refuse to Surrender.
Reports from Maseru. Basutoland.
June 9, say the Beers around Ficks-
burg refuse to surrender. and severe
fighting is expected, though dispatch
Of June s. from Hammonia, which is
only a few miles from Ficksburg, says
me situation in the southeast corner
of the Orange River colony is I'M
changed, that Gen. Rumble has received
the Boer delegates sent to negotiate
neace terms. and that the result of the
repotiations is not known.
Dispatch from Bullcr.
Z