Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-06-16
GENERAL BUTLER
IS ACTIVE AGAIN
Outnanks the Beers at Laing's Mex
and Secures a Strong
Position.
OF BRITISH PRISONERS
General Roberts Believed TO lave
Released About $500 OF the Cap
tives Held at Pretoria---Bocrs
Took About 1 200 Along.

London, June 11.0General Butler mas
at length taken the offensive, and by
m%aneuvering he has secured n posi-
ton west of Laing's mex, by which he
believes he can make the Boer posi-
ton untenable. Presumably he will
Immediately follow up his success.
Lord Roberts has communicated
nothing for three days, nor permitted
the correspondents to wire what Is
going on. London's inference is that
he is resting, although he is possibly
disposing his army for a reach after
Commandment General Botha.
A blockade of the wires, owing to
the crush of official correspondence,
may account for the scanty press dis
patches. Some kilograms filed a week
ago are only just now arriving. Among
these are spirited descriptions of the
fight at Elandsfontein. According to
one of them the streets were filled
with women and children. Rifle shots
could be heard everywhere. The Brit
ish soldiers would stop firing and join
in the chase after chickens. The
burghers surrendered to anyone.
Kafiirs went about looting the Jewish
stores, and mounted infantry galloped
hither and thither.
The Daily Express has the follow
ing from Pretoria, dated Wednesday:
''The one thousand prisoners who
were deported from Waterfall were
told that they were about to be given
up to Lord Roberts. They entrained
chccrfully, and were conveyed to
Nooit Gedache, instead of Pretoria.
General Louis Botha, with a rear
guard of 1000 left Pretoria during the
night. The British advance guard on
entering was upon the very heels OF
the retiring Beers. Botha has sworn
TO carry on the war IN II noun
tains."
At Lourenzo Marquee station a
crowd waited all Thursday night to
see President Kruger, as it was re-
ported he would arrive by a. special
train to gain an asylum on board h
Netherlands cruiser Friesland.
Middleburg is said OF be full of Boer
refugees and wounded.
The railway still delivers goods at
Brockhorst spruit, forty miles east OF
Pretoria.
A British column is at ~Bremensdorp,
Swaziland.
Eleven British prisoners have been
taken to Middleburg. The British at
Beira are moving into the interior in
detachments of 200 daily.
G. V. Fiddes, imperial secretary TIC
the high commissioner, with a part of
Sir Alfred Miners staff, left Cape
Town Tuesday evening for Pretoria,
possibly as the Cape Town correspond
ent of the Daily News thinks, to ar
range the annexation details.
LourenZo Marquee, June 11.-United
States Consul Hollis, who returned
here yesterday from the Transvaal by
special train, had n two hours inter
view In close confidence with Presi.
dent Kruger at M~achadorp. 1t is
stated that Hollis was the bearer of
friendly dispatches from the United
States government urging Kruger to
treat for peace.
London, June S.-The driblets OF
news fltering from the Transyaal fail
TO throw much light on the situation
in and around Pretoria. Public inter
est centers largely in the fate of the
British prisoners, but it seems prob
able that about $500 of them have
been released by Roberts, including
100 officers. The federals, therefore,
removed about 1000 as hostages.
The Lourenzo Marquee dispatch to
the effect that United States consul
Hollis has been comforting with Krue'
ger is creating some comment, but IN
view of a Washington dispatch which
asserts that Hollis has no official err
rand to the Transvaal, there is little
disposition to regard his movements
as at all significant. "A special dis
patch from Pretoria says the only
shell which took effect in the own the
day prior to the occupation of Preto-
toria hit the United States consulate.
A dispatch from Cape Town announces
that the work of organizing n govern.
ment for the Transvaal is proceeding.
A portion of Sir Alfred Miners staff
has gone to Pretoria to start the ma
chinery, so a proclamation of the an
nexation of the Transvaal may be
speedily expected.
Had No Omcinl Mission.
Washington, June 1.-THE state de-
DaTInenI mas not ulIctlcu thC ISpoiI
ed visit to Pretoria Of Mr.. Hollis,
United States consul at Lourenzo Mar
quez, and IL he went into the Trans
vaal he did so without instructions
and presumably upon his private bust
ness. He could not exercise any Of
fetal functions in the Transvaal nor
anywhere outside of his consular dis
trict of Lourenzo Marquee without
formal authorization of the depart
ment and this has not been extended.
Mr.. Hollis is an earnest sympathiZer
with the Boer cause, in fact, it has
been necessary TO admonish him to
be strictly impartial in the discharge
of his duties, so it is presumed that
his personal sympathies have led him
into the Transvaal.
Call on Mrs. Krucgcr.
London, June IA special from
Pretoria indicates that visits were
made by officers of Roberts staff to
the presidency Tuesday. 1t says:
"We were received by the Dutch
pastor and Mrs. Kruger. The latter
composedly exchanged greetings with
the visitors, who notified her of their
intention to replace the burgheI
guards by a guard of British troops.
The burghers t%hereupon laid down
their arms on the porch of the build.
ing near the lions guarding the en-
trance"
Driven Back by Rumble.
u-~- O.o~-o D;,ou ro1o-,.