The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-07
A SURPRISE.
Two Hundred Insurgents Cap
tured by British.
BOer Prisoners Make Deter
mined Efforts to Escape.
LORD ROBERTS LOSSES
Not a Man Escaped of the Six
Hundred.
Col. PIumer Is Returning to the
NOrthWard.
LORD ROBERTS LOSSES

Carnavon, Cape Colony, April ct is |
reported that 200 insurgents, who were
not aware that Sir Charles Parsons had !
occupied Kenhardt. and who were on
their way to that place, have been cap !
tured by the British troops
The Canadian artillery has returned
here from Van Wyks Welt.
BOER PRISONERS ESCAPE
Cane Town. April Ga determined
attempt to escape was made today by
the Boer. prisoners at SimonstOwn, and
fourteen are missing. Sentries have
away.
In the confusion one of the prisoners
was killed and another was wounded
One man was recaptured but about
foruteen are missing. Sentries have
been placed at different parts Of the
town. and the station is under military
supervision.
LOSSES AT REDDERSBURG.
London, April 7.-1:O5 p. m--Lord
Roberts reports to the war Office as
follows:
BIoemfontein. Friday April 6-The
casualties at Reddersburg were; OHl-
GERS killed. Capt. L. G. CassOn and
Lieut.. C. r. Barclay both of the
Northumberlands. Wounded, two; cap
tured, eight NOncommissioned officers
and men killed, eight; wounded, 80; the
rest were captured.
Our strength was 167 mounted infan-
try and 424 infantry. The enemy is
said to be 300 strong, with five guns.
PLUMER RETURNS NORTH.
London, April The Pretoria CORE
spondent of the Daily Mail, telegraph
ing Thursday, says:
Colonel P1umer's column is return
ing north"
The Bloemfontein correspondent of
the Daily Telegraph, telegraphing
Thursday. says:
"A seditious meeting was summoned
by Transvaal emissacies for today at
lleouW berg, but nobody attended.
'Boer patrols from Brandfort have
cut the telegraph wires between here
and BOshof.
The British scouts reported yester-
day that force of from 1900 to $4,000
Beers had been seen beyond Bosman's
kop moving from Thaba NChu to the
south. The enemy, by appeals and
menace combined, are Vainly trying TO
induce the burghers to take the field
again. The farmers are more afraid
of the Transvaal men than of the Brit
ish."
The Daily Telegraph has the follow
ing from BoshOf, dated Thursday:
Lord Methuens MafeSing relief force
was concentrated here today. The
Boers are IN force few miles distant
on the Naal river. This town is COM
pletely deserted, all the men being with
the commando under COmmandant Du-
plesiss, who controls the district
Reddersburg has been allowed to come
through except the dispatch of Lord
Roberts. 1t is therefore impossible to
form any notion as to what has hap
pened- Meanwhile the British public is
beginning to realize the immense diff
hcultieS to be overcome even before
Pretoria is reached and is reViVing pre-
nature ideas with respect to the time
when the war viii be over. No one be-
heves now that it viii have ended by
the beginning of June
The latest disaster more particularly
illustrates the heavy task involved in
holding the railway This body of
some 500 British troops without guns
which disappeared so completely within
thirty-hve miles of the great British
army had for its business to guard a
section of nearly ninety miles of rail-
way between BlOemfOntein and Spring
fontein. If it could thus be spirited
away, how is Lord Roberts to ensure
MS continually extending operations
Other pertinent questions are being
asked of these successive unfortunate
occurrences The foremost is why dc
not the British troops entrench? Il is
argued that If this had been done even
300 men might have held out until rein
fOrcements arrived. 1t cannot be CON
cealed that the utmost alarm is be-
ginning to he felt
CONSERVATION IN DUBLIN.
Dublin, April 6.-Lord Roberts dis.
patch containing the disaster at Red
dersburg was printed in the Dublir
evening papers and created genera
conste-nation- 1t brought the populact
with quick turn from the rejoicing
over the queens visit to the great issue:
of the war and cast a sudden gloon
over the gaiety Of the party at the
castle
A prominent member OF the cabiDe
now in Dublin who was interviewed by
the correspondent of the Associated
Press did not conceal his modification
nor strive to minimize the evil effect
OF Such reNerses upon the prestige OF
the empire abroad. He attributed i
ana others like it of recent occurrence;
to a lack of horses and to the inabilit,
of the remounts sent forward to en-
dure the climate He appeared to hav,
no hope of an immediate advance il
force.
In the cabinet minister's statennen
there was no criticism of Lord Roberts
who appears TO be trusted implicitly
but intense irritation and chagrin a
felt that so many unfortunate circ11ro
stances" should retard the march t,
Pretoria.
BOERS APPEAR IN FORCE.
London, April z 2sS5 p. m.-The Boer
are in force at Wepener north O
threatening General Brabant's colo
NAL division, the main body of which
with the artillery. is at Wepener.
A telegram which left Meseru. Basu
toland, north of Wepener, at midnight
describes the Beers as being in "grea
force" and as afraid to make a fronts
attack, but it is added they We're en-
deaVoring to turn the British positio
by crossing the Basuto frontier by
road skirting Caledon.
UNFORTUNATE OCCURRENCES
London, April THE latest uneffici.
dispatch from Bloemfontein date
Thursday, says:
''The Beers continue to show great a,