The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-25
General Chermside Occupies De
Vets DOrp This Morning.
Brabant and Hart in Contact
With the Beers.
SEVERELY ATTACKED.
Dalgetty Sustains a Rush Of the
Beers.
British Are Edging Up to the
BasutOland Border.

London, April 25.-2:55 p. m.-Lord
Roberts has telegraphed the following
message to the war office:
''Bloemfontein, April 25.-De Vets
Dorp was occupied by Chermside with
out opposition at $3.50 o'clock this morn
ing"
FIRING FEARED.
Aliwal North, April 24.-It is reported
that firing has been heard between ,
Zastron and Wepener and it is believed !
that Generals Brabant ana Hart are in {
contact with the enemy. The Beers are
SO numerous that it took them two days
to cross the Galedon river at Bartard's
Drift.
BOERS FELL BACK.
Maseru, Basutoland, April 24.-On the
breaking up of the bivouac this morn
ing. Generals Brabant and Hart dis
covered that the Beers who fell back
towards Wepener yesterday had ad-i
Vanced during the night several miles
nearer to Strauss farm, which is fav-l
Orable position for resistance Col.
Dalgetty was severly attacked with SIX
guns this morning, probably wAh a
view of preventing his assisting the re-.
lief column. 1t seemed yesterday that
Dalgetty had practically been relieved
but the offensive attitude assumed by
the Beers this morning shows this idea ,
to have been erroneous. Gen. Hart is
now few miles behind Gen. BrabantH 3
division which is waiting for the former
to come up.
Thirteen British wounded were re-
moved to Mafeking at midnight and
placed in the English church.
BRITISH EDGING UP.
Maseru, Basutoland, Tuesday, April
24.-Ev acknowledgements Hart and Bra
bant covered only a short distance to-
day and finding a strong force opposed
to them bivouacked on the ground they
had occupied. The firing has been desul-
tory and the casualties very slight.
The British are edging up towards the
BasutOland border.
Persistent rumors are in circulation
that Commandant Olivier with $500
men is preparing TO attack. Gen. Hart
rear. There is no sign Of the advance OF
/ Gen. Rumble from De Vets Dorp.
EFFORT TO-PEN THE BOERS-
/ London april 25.-The indecisive ac-
| ton and slow progress Of Generals Hart
and Brabant,ar relatively unimportanI;
when compared with the progress of
| Gen. French It is now evident Ihat
Lord Roberts wishes not only to defeat
| the Beers but to pen them in as at
| Paardeburg. To this end 4O,OOO BrlIlSh
troops are concentrating in the south
| eastern portion of the Orange Free
| State and are operating according 10
carefully devised plans in which the de-
lay may be as much due to strategy as
| to necessity. The success OF this I'M
| portant movement almost entirely de-
| pends on Gen. French. If he can sweep
| down from the north with the rapidity
of execution which he displayed at kim
| berley and Paardeburg he will affect the
| same swift sudden transformation
| which followed the cavalry evolutions
two months ago. According to last ac-
| counts he was pushing on successfully
| Every day the Beers remain at Wepener
| improve Gen. French's chance OF sue
To put a eirdIe round the 5000 Beers
| estimated to be in the southeastern part
| of the Orange Free State, Lord Roberts
has evidently taken large chances Ine
| British critics differ regarding the re-
/
| the Beers to escape from the net Whlie
| others reserve their opinion until more
definite news of Gen =French's progress
| is received. There is general impress
sion that the main advance upon Pre-
toria will be taken up without any re-
| concentration at BloemfOntein, as with
more than half the British army
stretched in echelon across the Orange
Free State such a change IN directions
would indefinitely delay the, accomplish
ment of Lord Roberts main objective.
POLE-CAREW HEARD FROM.
London, April 25.-4:57 p. m.-The war
office has received the following dis
patch from Lord Roberts.
s'Bloemfontein, April 25.-Pole-Carew' 5
division reached Roodekop yesterday
evening without casualties
Its advance was covered by cavalry
and horse artillery which drove back
the enemy with heavy loss, their dead
being left on the ground. The mounted
troops halted for the night at Groot-
fontein and at 7:30 this morning were
crossing the Modder river at NalSDaTlK,
in accordance with my instructions to
French to endeavor to place himself
astride the enemy's line of retreat.
French's arrival near the Modder evil
IDENTIFY however. alarmed the Beers who
evacuated their strong position near DE
Vets Dorp during the night and it was
occupied by Chermside's division this
morning The mounted infantry under
Ian Hamilton drove the enemy of the
2 kopjes in the neighborhood of the wa
terworks without casualties on our side
'sThe Highland brigade marched q
miles yesterday to support Gen Ham
( fIton and halted for the night at KliI
Kraal, four miles short of Sana's post
"Brabant and Hart are still a few
miles short of Wepener. and the mum
bers of the enemy appear to have some
| what increased during the last few
days. But it is not likely there viii b'
much trouble in the neighborhood oi
n Wepener once De Vets Dorp is Occu
d pied by our troops.
o ''I inspected the City Imperial Vol
unteer battalion yesterday on their ar
Il rival at BIoemfontein. They are in tint
: form and look very workmanlike-
= q also inspected the first company O.
i imperial yeomanry which has arrived
;. here.
! 1.-THE men turn out smart and thei
: horses are in an admirable condition
e TADGE g HIN EGNG