The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-04-06
THE Beers AND ENGLISH
LATEST FROM THE SOUTH ARR.
CAN BORDER.
A Full Summary Of the TransVaal
War News-Progress Of the Con.
flict From Day to Day-Tha British
Encouraged.

1t is announced from Springfontein
that the censorship has again cur
tailed the dispatches. Therefore, i'm
portant developments must be pend
ing.
Mafeking was still besieged on
March 80, and there are rumors that
General Butler is preparing to ad-
vance to its relief
One British squadron of the Sixth
Dragons, which entered the recent
Free State fight lao strong, mustered
at the end only ten mounted men.
The Beers seem to be in great
strength throughout the Bloemfontein
district, and are signalling on all sides.
The British troops, under Lord Rob-
erts, are in urgent need of remounts.
General Cronje, Colonel Schiel anda
1000 Boer prisoners have sailed for
st. Helena from Cape Town.
A despatch from Lorenzo Marques,
announces the arrival there of Capt.
Haldane of the Gordon Highlanders
and Lieut.. LIE Mesurier of the Dublin
Fusiliers, who escaped from Pretoria,
after perilouS adventures.
1t appears after Winston Churchill's
escape the sentries were doubled.
electric light was installed, addition
al barricades were constructed, and
the officers were confined in the Mod
ell school after $3.50 P. NJ. Capt. Hal
dane says that after several unsuc-
cessful attempts they succeeded in
cutting off the electric light, but even
then the street lamps precluded an
attempt to escape, and they decided to
hide in the space beneath the building
to which a trapdoor had previously
been secretly constructed, as it had
been announced that the officers
would be removed elsewhere in a
few days, when it was hoped the two
men would be able to escape. But the
removal of the prisoners was post
poned and the two men, in the damp,
subteranean dwelling began to des-
pair, and commenced digging in diff
ferent directions, in the hope of find
ing a suitable exit. The work was
most arduous, as they had only a
screwdriver and a skewer with which
to dig the ground, which was as hard
as rock. The imprisoned officers on
March Is heard somebody above say
the officers would be removed the fol-
lowing day. After passing twenty
days underground, in cramped po-
sition, and subsisting on little food
and water supplied by some of their
fellow-prisoners who were in their
confidence. their delight at the good
news was indescribable.
The following morning they heard
the Beers about leaving, and all day
long the room was filled with curious
visitors looking at the clever carica-
lures on the walls drawn by the pris-
oners. When evening came the noise
ceased, and Haldrane and LIE Mesurier
crept to the trap door. They were so
weak that they could hardly walk.
But, gradually recovering they made
their way to the courtyard, got over
the ratings and reached the street.
The extraordinary run of success
which has attended Roberts opera
lions so long has been broken by a
British force walking blindly into a
Boer ambush. 1t was captured, with
six guns. Colonel Broadwood is in
command of the Tenth Hussars, the
Household Cavalry and two batteries
of force of mounted infantry, under
Colonel Pitcher garrisoning Thaban-
chu, due east of Bloemfontein, and
about half way between it and the
Basuto border.
President Kruger says that the last
expressed desire of the late Command.
ant General Joubert was that he
should be succeeded as Commandant
General by Louis Botha, who has been
chosen in his place.
There is as yet no confirmation Of
the death of Gen. Joubert, but the re-
port is generally credited in Europe.
The London Times publishes a de.
spatch from its Bloemfontein CORE
spondent, stating his belief that $780,.
600 foreign troops have been landed
to aid the Boer Republics.