The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-10
offered Conditional Surrender.

Offered Conditional Surrender.
London, June "a special dispatch
from Durham, Natal, says the Beers at
Laing's Mex, after an action fought
Thursday June T. offered to surrender
cOnditiOnally, but General Butler re-
piled that their surrender must be IN
conditional
General Forester Walker cables to
the war Office from Cape Town, under
date of June s, as follows:
"Kelly-Kenny, at Bloemfontein, re-
ports that the telegraph has been cut
az ROOdeval, north of Kroonstad, by a
body of Beers, estimated to be 1000
strong, with six field guns. He is send
ing strong reinforcements to KroOn-
stad, and [ am reinforcing from Cape
Colony. ] hope the interruption will
be only temporary"
A belated dispatch from Mount Pros
pect, via Newcastle, Natal, dated
Thursday, June Z, throws light on the
armistice agreed upon by the British
and the Beers recently 1t appears that
General Butler met General Christian
BOtha June at O'Neil's farm, between
Umguela and Majuba, and summoned
Botha 10 surrender. Botha said he was
not empowered to accept the demand.
Botha Asks a Proposal.
General Butler replied: Very well. !"
and turned to go away, when General
BOtha pressed him to make a proposal.
General Butler said he had no proposal
to make, but pointed out that the
Beers were surrounded and referred
to the uselessness Of shedding unneceS-
sary blood.
What do you want us to do?" asked
General BOtha, beseechingly.
Return to VOUr farms leave VOIIr
/ big guns and await Lord Roberts de-
ciSiOn," replied General Butler.
The federal commander said he would
refer the question to the burghers. Gen
eral Butler then acceded to his Gen
eral BOtha's) appeal for an armistice
until daybreak, June 8, showing the
BOer report of General Butler having
requested an armistice to have been in
correct.
The dispatch adds that the federaIs
are understood TO have twenty three
guns in position, but it is doubtful if
they can remove them. Their only line
of retreat is in the direction of Lyden-
burg.
General Buffers dispatch of yesterday
shows that the burghers ultimately de-
cided not TO surrender
Roberts Communication Cut.
London is somewhat disguised at the
'disag reeable activity manifested by
the Beers in the Orange River Colony
in cutting Lord Roberts Geographic
communication at ROodeval, north of
KroOnstad. AS yet there is no indica-
ton whence came the strong body of
1000 Beers that has arrived at RoodeI
val, unless it is the force mentioned in
a recent Boer dispatch as having start
ed from Standerton with this very OBJ
ject in view. Apparently the authori-
ties on the spot regard the situation
at least as temporal ~ serious, as they
are not only reinforcing the garrison
at KroOnstad, but are sending up troops
from the lines of communication in
Cape Colony.
Roodeval Is Strong.
Roodeval is a fairly strong position,
thirty-fiye miles north of Kroonstad,
capable Of giving General Kelly Kenny
trouble, should the federals elect to dis
pute its possession, as General Kelly
Kenny cannot be Overburdened with
cavalry with which to threaten the
burgher line of retreat
The news somewhat discounts the
f1attering deductions the Britishers
have been extracting from Lord Rob-
ertS' silence, as it indicates that the
menace of the Beers to carry on pro-
loA6Cu BuEIIllld MdIldIG Is uO empty
threat, and that President Steyn is still
capable of creating serious, if only tenn
pOrary, trouble.
Advices from Cape Town say the
opinion prevails there that the BOer
supplies of ammunition and food will
not suffice to enable them to prolong
the struggle in the Lydenburg district
for more than eight weeks. Cape Town
also anticipates that the Beers will be
serious harassed by the Kaffirs.