The sun., 1900-06-12
DISASTER FOR BRITISH
Five Hundred Men Captured by Beers
In Free State.
ROBERTS is STILL CUT OFF.
Butler, According to n War Office
Dispatch, Seems to Have Forced
His Way Through the Drn-
kenberg Mountains.

London, June 11.-Lieutenant General
Sir Frederick Forester Walker, in com
mand of the lines Of communication in
South Africa, reports a disaster to the
British troops on June Z at Roodeval,
where the Beers cut Lord Roberts line
of communications.
The Fourth battalion of the Derby
shire regiment were all killed, wounded |
or made prisoners except six enlisted
men. Two officers and 10 men were kill |
ed, and officers and u men were wound
ed, many of them severely.
The Beers returned the wounded to
the British The officers killed were
Lieutenant Colonel Baird-Douglas and
Lieutenant Hawley. The wounded in
clude Colonel Wilkinson and Lieutenant
Blanchard of the Canadian infantry.
General Forestier-Walker's dispatch in
full follows:
Cape Town, June 10.-The following
telegram has been received from Charles
Knox:
.Kroonstadt. = The following casual
ties, reported from Roodeval June Z, re-
ccived from Stonhum, commanding the
| Imperial yeomanry hospital, dated ihe-
noSter River, June s, received here by
flag of truce June 10; The Fourth bat
TALON of the Derbyshire regiment dhe
Sherwood Forcstersl, killed-Lieutenant
Colonel Baird Douglas aud Lieutenant
Hawley and Is Of the rank and file.
'Wounded-Colonel Wilkinson, Cap
tain Bailey, Lieutenants Hall, Lawder
and Blanchard and 50 of the rank and
file; the Shropshire Light infantry, /;
Cape Pioneer Railway regiment, 4; AM
munition Park, Royal marines and I'M
,s,l Il ,I,e 1 nrh.
corps, L.
Many Badly wounded.
"Stonham reports that many were Sc
verely wounded, and the remaining of
the Fourth Derbyshire and details of
, prisoners, except six of the rank and
file, are in his camp. All the wounded
are in his camp, lately occupied by the
Fourth Derbyshire. Inquiries are being
made as to the Names"
/ 1t is inferred that the Beers captured
, over 500 men and as late as June 10 held
positions cutting off the British forces
: north of Kroonstadt from re-enforce-
: ments.
: Another dispatch from General For
estier- Walker says General Methuen was
fighting within ten miles Of Heilbron
Z June s as follows:
Cape Town, June 10.-Kelly- Kenny
reports from Bloemfontein this morning
that Methuen, with the greater part OF
his division, was fighting early in the
morning of June ten miles south OF
e Hebron, where Colville was reported
to be with the Highland brigade Me
thuen left Lindley June . with ample
supplies for himself and Colville, leaving
e Paget to hold Lindley with Il sufficient
o force and supplies.
G.ISaI1t- Il Ios 1pInpnJ tf
press in the enemy's outpost, believing
the cncmy's strength to be exaggerated.
d "All is quiet, and there is no anxiety
If as regards the district to the south
II Communications north of kroonstad
! haze been cut since June g."
y nuIlcr Making Progress.
~ General Butler, according to ii dispatcl
l. given ont 10y the war Office, seems t,
have forced his way through tn,
Drakcnbrrg mountains. The dspatcl
!, is as follows:
= ",lhe force concentrated on the Xiii
river at its junction with the Gansvlei
We anticipated at that dcfile a force o
the enemy about 5000 strong, who had
| think, intended to occupy it and VIII,
n retired as soon as our heavy guns opened
which were very smartly brought int,
action by Major May of the Royal artil
D. lcry and Captain Jones of the Roya
e. navy.
" "rhe South African Light horse am
IN the Second cavalry brigade were smart
,s ly engaged while covering our left front
lie Our casualties are about six killed an,
le seven wounded"
id y report from Brussels says:
Sc "The hearing in the famous Transvaa
ic railway affair will bring out telegraph
Is correspondence showing that Eugen Op
penheimer undertook to pay Presiden
r. Kruger $4,000 as soon as he signed tn
ce concession, ES0000 when the compan
h was formed and subsequently f125,00
I'd in shares"
he The correspondent alleges that Presi
s- dent Kruger had his portrait painted b.
to Schroeder and received 1900 francs
or Mrs. Kruger's portrait brought f1,00
is and Sarel Eleff, Mr.. Kruger's grandson
p, received 12,500 francs in specie and so
20 600 francs in shares, it is added.
ne The president of the volksraad, it
le alleged, received f125 and the late Ger
eral Joubert 5000. Many members o
IN the volksraad, it is said, were bribed.