The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-05-18
BBSIEGERS
Fall Into a Trap and are Re.
pulsed

LONDON, MAY lS.-0.0O a. M Spe-
ciaI )-England still waits with intense
and almost breathless interest for news
Of the relief Of Mafeking. \ crowd re
markable for the number Of men in
evening dress, and including many
ladies', fingered around the war ofTic,
even after midnight, hoping for some
announcement. only reluctantly did
the people dispense when the lobbies
Of the war office were finally cleared
with the word that nothing had oeen
received.
one thing seems clear. The town
still holds out. Were it otherwise the
Boes's wires laid to the camps Of the
beleagured would have flashed the
news.
Skeleton messages from Lorenzo
Marques, based on information that
leaked out at the Pretoria war Office
show that the Boer stormers Saturday
fell into a trap. Col. Baden-Powel
permitted them to seize one fort and
he then surrounded and overbore them
before the large forces near at hand
perceived the situation.
Generals Botha, darcy, and Olivier,
with artillery, were holding the posi-
tion.
President Steyn, according to one dis
patch has gone to Pretoria Another
says he is a fugitive at Lindley. The
Free Staters are surrendering on all
sides. A dispatch from Cape Town
says that proclamation are being
printed there, to be published on the
Queens birthday, May "a, annexing
the Free State.
One of President Steyn's brothers,
who is a prisoner of Gen. Brabant. says
that the Free Staters will accept an
nexation. Those who took up arms the
second time, he explains, had to 10 so
under threats of instant death if hey
refused.
Five hundred rifles have been sur
rendered at Kroonstad in excess of the
number of Beers who have taken the
oath of allegiance. Lord Roberts has
directed the British commanders to re-
ceive all comers in good spirit and TO
issue to them passes to go to their
farms. Gen. Butler is pushing straight
ahead without opposition. He has only
lost five wounded during the move
ment. Apparently he is aiming at
Laing's Neck, which is the direct read
to the Transvaal, although he may di-
verge to BOthas pass.
Gen Hunters movements in the
Western Transvaal are rather puzzl-
ing He has returned to Fourteen
! Streams with one brigade, leaving
another Gen. Bartons, at Christiana.
| Lord Methuen is said to be advancing
along the south bank of the VaaI,
Col Kekewich is with him. The loop
railway line across the Vaal is fast
| nearing completion. The probability i
that Gen. Hunter took a brigade back
to Fourteen Streams owing to the scar
city of transport
Gen. Rumble has captured 10000 bags
of corn. He is marching very slowly
through a district which is described
as literally teeming with cattle, sheep
and horses
Michael Davitt, according to a DIS
! patch from Lorenzo Marques, is said
to have advised the Beers, while he was
in Pretoria, that if they could hold out
until the presidential election in the
United States they might feel pretty
sure Of intervention"
At Johannesburg the women are
forming a police corps so as to release
every man for fighting purposes at the
front
DR.. Archer, who was at Dundee dur,
ing the Boer occupation, asserts that
! there are several hundred Englishmen
serving in the Boer forces who would
desert if assured of pardon from the
British. The Pretoria official list of
foreigners shows 100 Englishmen who
are not fighting. but hold their resi-
dence in the Transvaal by special per-
mission. They are bank clerks, engi-
neers and shopkepers.
Durham reports the receipt of a tele-
gram from Lorenzo Marques saying
that a Boer plot to blow up the British
| cruiser Forte was discovered and that
in consequence thet warship steams
out seven miles nightly.
President Steyn saw the fight at Zand
river. The impression he got there was
that his burghers could not face Lord
Roberts in a pitched battle, and this
resulted, according TO advices from Lo-
renzo Marques, in his decision to evac-
uate the Kroonstad works without a
battle.
The Standard says: From pro-Boei
sources we learn that the first great
stand by the federals will be on the
ridges near johannesburg. This posi-
tion has been strongly intrenched and
the burghers believe they can hold 4
for some time. If driven from tha
point part of the force will be thrown
into Pretoria to withstand a siege, anC
the main body will retreat to the Ly
denburg district, with the intention o.
keeping up a guerilla warfare from