Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-02-24

A special cable to the Daily News
from Modder river says: "Cronjes Wife, /
prisoner of state is urging him To sur
render and save the lives of his men. |
The prisoners say that death blow has
been struck to the resistance of the
Free State
There Mas vague rumor current in
the neighborhood of the war office last
evening. and it was published i'll the
night editions of the London newspapers
that Gen. Cronje, with his 1000 men.
had surrendered No official confirma-
stion of the rumor can be had, but it is
believed such development, if not
already Il fact, can be but matter
of hours.
Lord Roberts is too busy guarding his
entrapped foe and fighting off the Boer
re-enforcements to communicate with
the war Office. Yet surely were the bat
tie won he would tina ,.,,ie to signal
tho vet--G 20 waiting England, 50 it
must be presumed that tho bloody,
obstructive fight is still in progress.
According to unofficial advices Gen.
Cronje is surrounded and his force is
torn and slaughtered by the encircling
steel fire. Yet holding out in grim de-
termination 10 do his best to verify
president Kruger's famous antebcllum
declaration that the Beers reception to
1.-the British would .'stagger humanity"
The lsoer general apparently has eX-
hausted his ingenuity in trying 10 Sc
cure all possible delay. He asked an
Iarmistice Of twenty-four hours. accord
ling TO the unofficial dispatches, in which
! to bury his dead. When this was re-
fused With a slur on British 'inhuman-
j tity,' he invited negotiations looking to
/ surrender. Then when visited by Gen.
lord Kitchener. he declared the whole
/ business was a mistake, that he never
1 thought of surrendering, that he in
& ,ltended to vanquish his imperialistic foe
or leave the lifeless bodies of himself
and his soldiers on the battlefield.
i These negotiations required time. and
meanwhile ii is thought Gen. Cronje
q was awaiting the arrival of reenforce-
= ments, Yet all the while the parts of
4 Gen. Joubert's army which are trying
10 reach him We're being beaten back
by the vigilant troops which Lord
Roberts had set on guard.
II * universally held that this Mod
der river battle is one Of the most des-
perate of history. Cronje's position in
itself is not of the best. but iie is sur
rounded by flat ground, across which
th- British must move To rush the
enemys force. 1t IS this unprotected
stretch Of country which caused Lore
Roberts to hesitate He knew that mer
& would fan there by hundreds if an at
Etempt were made 10 traverse it. .Ac-
lcordingly he planted guns on command
ing points ard from q distance he be
gan to iiur lyddite and shrapnel int,
the Beers iaager. In the face of thi:
!, beiching out Of suphurous dealt
$ 3Cronje's force holds on-an eNfraord.
inary exhibition of desperate pluck tina
: compeIls expressions Of admiration oil
= every hand in London. Vel it is de
II ciared that he is open To grave censur
= for uselesslv and wantonly sacrificin
e the lives of his men, some of whom ar
$ said to be in favor OF surrender.
1t is believed that Cronje stands n
\ human chance of escaping from th
2 wise that is crushing him. Fortunate
~. says the Pail Mall Gazette. 'tth
S Boerss Mater supply is abundant Th
/ food is scarce water is What the me
4 want i'll such a he'll as theirs. We us
Ii the word advisedly. We know thos
I. shells. and HON human nerves en-
stand the Strain is beyond comDrehen
e lsion. \ coupe OF guns dropping casu.l
II shells into an area as large as that Q
t Iadysmith Is one thing. fifty gun
shooting to kill at such Il targets quit
y anoth her. The actual destructive effee
s. is in strict proportion 10 the number Q
:, guns but the terrifying effect rise
J with enormous rapi,lity. o'ronjess me
hav. beaten the record for heroic en-
Il duranee Cronie once out Of action, W
II shall be III u position 10 take each com
mando Of Boers in detail TO crush ther
d before they can combine. All depend
/, upon the scouting. Our cavalry prob;
! bly, is patrolling the district for thlrl
d miles around.