The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-02-26
EARnrER DErArhs OF FIGHTING.
CrOnje Willing to Surrender hut Young
 TrmmkYnnlers Are Not.

Trnnsvanlers Are Not
 Paardeberg, Orange Free State We'd
 nesday Feb. 21.-The fourth day of
 General Cronje's fine defense opened in startling fashion. Soon after dawn a
 most terrific rattle of rifle fire broke
 out waking the sleeping camp. It was
 the heaviest fire during the war and all
 awaited with forebodings the news of
 it's effect. It soon developed that the
 Gloucesters and Essexs has lost their
 way and had bivouacked in terror close
 to the Boer laager on the north side of i the river. As soon as they were per- ceived by the enemy the latter fusilad- | ed. Wonderful to tell, the British cas-
 ualties were practically none
 Capture of Il Kopje.
 There was desultory firing all day long on both the north and south banks,
 General Knoxs brigade holding and
 pushing forward the line south of the river, while General Smith-Dorrien on the north side worked toward the laa- ger. Meanwhile General French ad- vanced in far easterly direction near a kopje held by a strong force of Cron- je's men, reinforced by Ladysmith
 contingent. At the same time General Broadwood brigade, with a battery of horse artillery, took up positions to the left and rear of the same kopje. The front of the hill was thoroughly search ed by a raking fire. Suddenly the Boers bolted from every side toward General French, who headed towards the drift, shelling vigorously. A great number escaped, but many were killed by shrap- mel and about four hundred were cap tured.
 Defeat of fReinforcements.
 As soon as the kopje was evacuated this correspondent visited it. The posi- ton was found to be wonderfully strong naturally, and to form the real key to the position in the case of defense against Boer endorsements advancing from the east. Our first contact with the Ladysmith Boers was singularly un- fortunate for them. A great deal of forage, provisions and equipment was captured, and the kopje was frequently dotted with blood, showing that many wounded had been removed. The Boer method of removing their dead is to tie a couple of reins to the body, which is thus dragged off by two horsemen at full gallop.
 Cronje Willing to Surrender.
 There were seceral pourparlers to-day on the subject of short armistice. It seems that General Cronje is willing to +1, vaalers refuse. The other beleagured Boers are anxious to give up. A British doctor, who visited the Boer lines to see the wounded, found the trenches along i the river full of wounded and saw many | dead.
 An Appalling Bombnrdrnent.
 A deserter who came into camp last | night says that yesterdays lombard l ment was appalling in it's effects, espe- | cially in the case of the howitzer bat | teries enfilading the river. The position l to-day is practically the same. The | Boers are strengthening their entrench- nents around the laager, but the case is hopeless. The capture of the kopje to- day has given the British a splendid | position and will prevent a Boer reliev- ing force reaching Cronje. Everybody admires the splendid stand of the burg hers, but from humanitarian point of view it is considered that further resist lnce on the part of General Cronje will De criminal. Every shrapnel shell finds l victim and unless miracle occurs ls force must be wiped out or captured. The former result is terrible to contem- plate, but, although it would require lew days it would be easy to accom- plish. To-day Lord Roberts sent Gen. sral Cronje an offer of safe conduct Or the women and children, together with free pass to any point for them, md also an offer of doctors and medi- ,ine. Cronje's reply was curt refusal, md deeultory smelling was resumed.