Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-02-22
TRANSvAAL WAR ITEMS.

lOrIS 10 OutUdnk tine DrltlSn lelL. Inc
Beers occupies strong positions from
Achtertang, through Potfontein to a
point five miles south of Jasfontein.
The fighting at the outpost camps has
been very severe during the last few
days. On the 18th the Beers attacked
the position of the Worcesters, TO tho
southeast of Colesburg. Fighting CON
tinued all day, and after dark it was
considered necessary to Withdraw to
Rensburg. Our losses are. not yet
known.
The British army, for the first timo
since the war began, is inside the Boer
frontier. Lord, Roberts, with at least
10000 infantry, 1000 cavalry and 100
guns, has turned the Magersfontein
lines, before which the British forces
have been encamped for 10 weeks, and,
with half of his corps, he is already
operating on Free State territory. A
battle has not yet been fought, but
large tactical advantages have been
gained. The relief of Kimberley is
within measurable reach, and the way
TO Bloemfontein is appreciably easier.
The besieged diamond city, Kimber-
ley, which has been shut up for the
past l22 days. was relieved by Gen.
French's forces on the evening of the
18th. One of the principal reasons for
the siege of Kimberley by the Beers
was to effect a capture of Cecil Rhodes,
who was held to be responsible for the
jameson raid into the Boer territory,
and also for bringing on the present
war. If Mr.. Rhodes was still at Kim
berley when Gen. French reached
there he was doubtless overjoyed at his
presence.
Dispatches from Maseru say that
large forces are being sent from the
Transvaal TO the Free State, under
prominent generals 1t is also said
the Free State is making desperate
efforts TO collect an army to face the
British at Koffyfontein. An official
proclamation orders out all males be-
tween the ages of 16 and 60, and en-
thusiasts declare that everyone up to
the age of 100 must go.
The British embassy, upon inquiry
being made authorized the statement
that there was no truth whatever in
the story contained in the Paris dis
patches that President Mckinley had
sounded Lord Pauncefote the British
ambassador at Washington, TO ascer-
tain how an offer of mediation in the
Transvaal difficulty on the part of the
United States would be received by
Great Britain.
"A dispatch from Chieveley dated the
10th says the Beers line of fortresses
is broken. The British have achieved
a decided success in capturing the
enemy's position on Monte Cristo. The
Beers, however, effectively executed a
retreat, removing their guns and con-
voy wagons The British had compar-
atively few casualties.
During the fight at Rensburg the
British had one entire company killed
and two companies cut off. Col. Conyn-
ham was shot through the heart at the
outset of the engagement. Nine
wounded officers and 80 men were re-
ceived at the Naauwpoort field hospi-
tai, but the mum Der OF dead is not given.
1t appears from advices received at
Lourenzo Marques that the loot cap
tured by the burghers on the 18th near
Kotfyfontein included over 1900 head
of cattle and number of wagons. Is
of which were loaded with provisions
intended for the relief of Kimberley.
A number of prisoners were also taken.
On the 18th Gen. Botha, Boer com
mander. with small force. crossed the
Tugela river TO deserted British camp
where he encountered 80 Lancers, of
whom 10 were killed, five wounded and
nine taken prisoners. One of the pris-
oners was sent to tell the British to
fetch their wounded.
Fifty-seven young and stalwart
men sailed from New York on the
French line steamship La Gascogne on
their way TO Beers lines in South Africa
on the 18th. The corps was recruited
in Chicago by the United Irish societies
there and will aid the Boer sick and
wouded.
"a London dispatch dated the Goth
says that Gen. Cronje of the Boer forces
is hopelessly surrounded. and that the
sole purpose of the British government
withholding good news is that confirm
alton and more details are awaited.
Lord Roberts has issued proclama-
ton to the burghers of the Orange
Free State in which he warns them to
desist from further acts of hostility to-
ward her majesty's government and
troops, or suffer the consequences.
The British forces on the 18th at
tackled Fort Eloff. south of Gaberones,
but the Johannesburg men under Van
delweig forced the British to retire
leaving six dead and four wounded on
the field. There was no Boer loss
Three hundred mounted volunteers
for service in south Africa, the third
section of the second Canadian contin-
gent will sail from Halifax for Cape
Town on the 2lst.
Roland b. Molineux of New York,
who poisoned Mrs. Katherine J. Adams.
has been sentenced to be electrocuted
at the Sing Sing prison on March 20.
The British army agents have let an
~ har oopfract fn,. D sOO mules 70 ha