Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-01
NOT QUITE IN.
But Gen. Roberts Has Pretoria
at His Mercy.
Union Jack Now Flies over Government
Buildings at johannesburg.
A Rumor Reports Kruger's Capture but Con-
fi-mation Is Lacking.

London June Ia. b A. M.-Belated
! messages from Pretoria confirm the
reports Of the departure If President
Kruger with his cabinet and staff Of
fcials. Tuesday night, and the selec
| ton ~ q meeting Of citizens Of a com
m,ttee to administer the city provision
ally
Since these kilograms left, Wednes-
, day. nothing apparently has reached
LouTcnZ1 Marques by telegraph from
Pretoria. Possibly the wires have been
cut. Possibly the Boer censorship at
some immediate point intercept tele-
grams.
Although the war office has not re-
ceivCd a word about it, no one in Lon
don harbors the idea that the Boer cap
ital is not already in the hands Of the
British or about to be- The posses
sion Of johannesburg at all events, as
Lord Roberts has telegraphed. is n
fact. States Attorney SHUTS did not
depart with President Kruger, but re-
manned in Pretoria.
The present seat Of the Boer govern
mcnt, according to dispatch from
LOurcnzo Marques, dated yesterday, is
Middle berg. but it will probably be
shifted further east.
! The Beers lately confronting Lord
Roberts appear to have gone eastward
! also. toward the Lydenburg region
| The defenders If Laing's Mex, when
| their position becomes too perilous.
| Will probably trek straight northward
I toward Lydcnburg When this concen-
| tration takes place there will be posi-
| BY 1000 men, who may hold out for a
| time, with scattered bands Of guerillas
/ elsewhere.
The press dispatches from the head
! quarters Of Lord Roberts give no esti-
mate as to the number of Beers who
| were fighting Gen. French and Gen
| Ian Hamilton, Monday and Tuesday:
| but they will all agree that the Beers
retired ana that the British casualties
were slight.
! Bennett Burleigh. wiring to the Daily
! Tel graph from Elandsfontein. Tues
| day says: Much rolling stock and
| seven engines have been captured by
/ Lord Roberts column. The principal
| losses in the fighting has been sus-
| tanned by the mounted infantry. but
/ The casualties are trifling. Gen. French
and On. Hamilton were engaged to the
west If johannesburg. Since Sunday.
| the western column has been fighting.
but, although guns were used. the &C
| lions were never serious. In fact, they
! We're only big Skrmishes. The Beers
are rrtreatng to Pretoria
| Provost Battersby, in a dispatch to
the Morning Post from Garmston, dated
| May 80, says: The enemy fought
| rear guard action, retiring from the
| south tn the north town with their
pompoms ana artillery, in the morning,
ana Withdrawing their riflemen
| through the town. in the afternoon
| We captured nine engines and over 100
| wagons. We succeeded in cutting the
| line in three directions and imprison-
| ing all the rolling stock in Johannes
burg. 1t was a splendid piece of work
| The enemy We're astounded at the
rapjdiiy of our advance"
| Another correspondent telegraphing
| from Gcrmiston the same day says:
Il learn that the Beers are massing
/ miles south If Pretoria for a new and
| desperate stand with a front of Il
miles"
Other rumors in the camp If Lord
| Roberts are that President Kruger is
| i'll at Lydenburg ana that the ammuni-
| L. Vi.
II. Donohoe, a correspondent Of the
Daily Chronicle. was captured. yester-
| day.
! Some discussion is going on in Lon
/ don as to what will be done with
! President Kruger if he is captured.
! One idea is that he will be sent to
st. Helena. another that he will be
tried for treason. The Daily Express
! says: Mr.. Kruger's London agent has
! invested E15O0O0 of the Presidents
money in land and mines. This took
! place before the war broke out. and to
this fact may be ascribd the failure Of
the Transvaal authorities to blow up
the mines
The Times says: ANY further re-
sistance the Beers may offer will be
futile The collapse of the Transvaal
! as a militant state may be regarded as
complete. Threats of obstinate guerilla
warfare need not he taken more seri-
ously than the exploded menace Of re-
sistance at Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Continued on page 81