The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-08
FATE OF LADYSMITH
Now Keeps the British Public inl
..--.-. Suspense. 1 "a
TIE BoERs ON TIE OFFENSIVE.
General Frank Reports a "serio"s
Accident" as a Result of Lieuten-i
ant watsOn's Attack ON the Enemy.
Seventy Drit0ua CaDtured.

ant watson's Attack on the Enemy
Seventy Dritons Captured.
London, Jan. S.--The British publ,
is at last face to face with critica
moment In the campaign. 1t may
safely be said that at no previous time
have there been such anxious hours ol
suspense as will be passed through un-
til the arrival of further news regard.
ing the fate of Ladysmith.
The week opens with only fresh ad'
ditions to the disasters that have be-
fallen British arms, and there is nc
longer any sustaining confidence Il
buoy up public opinion. The editorials
this morning fully reflect the extreme
gravity of the situation, with pain
full undercurrent Of ominous foreb0d-
ing, mainly caused by the fact that,
while the Beers have now changed
their taHics and assumed the offen-
siye, General Butler is apparently un-
able to do more TO assist General
White than in making demOnstra-
ton.
Apparently on Saturday General
Butler was not ready to attack. Pos
sibly General Joubert anticipated that
General Butler would shortly deliver
an attack, and in that case General
Butler may have actually opened bat
tie yesterday.
Great Britain has to face the terrible
possibility that the next news will be
the fall of Ladysmith. The disquiet-
ing feature is that the Beers seem to
have had sufficient forces to deter Cen
| eral Butler from attacking, while
themselves making strenuous efforts
| to reduce the town. 4
In the presence OF this ominous sit.
uation, even General French.s disaster.
of which apparently the worst has not
yet been heard assumes quite minor
Importance in the eyes of the public.
This disaster TO General French ia
told of In dispatch from General
Forester Walker. as follows:
General French reports, under date
Of Jan. 6: The situation is much the
same as yesterday. but regret to re-
port that a serious accident has hap
pened to the First battalion Of the
Suffolk regiment
From news just come to hand froaaf
them gather that, with the authority
and with the knowledge of General
French, four companies of the First
battalion advanced by night against
low hill one mile from their camp.
They attacked at dawn Lieutenant
Colonel Watson, commanding, gave
orders to charge He was at once
wounded. Orders for retirement were
given.
"Three-quarters of the force retreat
ed to the camp. The remainder held
their ground until they were overpow-
cred by greater numbers, when they
surrendered. Seventy were taken pris-
oners, including seven officers.
General French reports that the
Boer commando which made the at.
tack on Jan. lost so killed, beside
wounded and prisoners. The com.
mando was dispersed"
The Daily News has the following
dated JAN 6, from Frere Camp: At s.
o'clock this morning very heavy firing.
began at Ladysmith. 1t lasted fully
four hours and must have meant
either a sortle by the British or de-,
Beers. Our shells could be seen fall
ing on Umbulwhua hill and the enemy
were replying. Beside the cannon re-
ports there were sounds indicating
smaller pieces of artillery in action.
The fighting must have been at closer
range than has been the case up to
now. Our naval guns at Chieveley sent
their usual fire into the Boer trenches,
but there has been no further move
ment here.
A dispatch to The Daily Mail from
Durham says: H. M. S. Widgeon
brings from Delagoa bay a number Of
British ambulance men who were cap
tured at Dundee and subsequently re.
leased. They accuse the Beers OF
harshly treating prisoners taken from
the British irregular corps. Several
Americans among the civilians COM
plain bitterly that their consul at Pre-
toria ignored their representations, al
though no charge had been prefer
red against them"
A dispatch to The Daily Chronicle
from Frere Camp says: Saturdays
bombardment of Ladysmith was the
heaviest yet recorded. All the heavy
guns were working and the Beers
seemed to be pouring in shells from
every available lighter gun"
Philadelphia Boer Sympathixers,
Philadelphia, Jan. S-A pro-Boer
meeting WAS held in Industrial Hall
asst night by the United Irish society
If Philadelphia. Nearly thousand
delegates were present, and Michael
]. Ryan, the president OF the united
organization, presided A resolution
vas unanimously adopted pledging the
'arious societies to use their utmost
'ndeavors to make successful the pro-
,osed pro-Boer mass meeting which In
o be held at the Academy of Music !.
lext Saturday night. A resolution was
.lso unanimously adopted declaring
hat no public act of ours will yio-
ate the neutrality laws of the nation
4 which we are citizens"
NUGGETS OF NEWS.
A new cotton mill, with a capital OF
0,000. is to be located at Honea
nth. S. c.
The clothing Of Mrs. Catharine Rip
ard. of Wilkesbarre, caught fire from
stove, and she was burned to death.
In quarrel over the ownership of
nife, Willie Daggs, 8 years old, shot
is l2-year-old sister Lena dead at
Ills.
Near Uniontown, Pa, the home OF
William Scott was destroyed by fro
nd his three sons, aged IL to is, burn
d to death.
The trustees of the estate of the late
ornelius Vanderbilt have paid to Yale
,llege the $1,000 bequest left to that
lstitution.
James Gray nurse in Philadelphia
ital coll Lotk
NTH, patient, with carbolic acid
lstead OF tincture of larkspur. Smith
led, fatally burned.
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