The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-22

London, May is, $3.50 a. m.-England
still waits with intense anxiety for
news Of h relief Of Mafeking. Skel-
eton messages from Lourenzo Marques,
based upon information that leaked
out at the Pretoria war office, show
that the Boer stormers Saturday fell
into a trap. Colonel Baden-Powell
permitted them to seize one fort and
he then surrounded and overbore them
before the large forces near at hand
perceived the strategy. The Canadian
artillery contingent of the Rhodesian
force is now reported, May End, at
BulwayO, fOrty-nine miles from Mafek-
ing, and may yet participate in the
relief.
General French. scouting northward,
found the Beers in strong force at
RhenOster spruit, thirty miles from
KrOOnstad. Generals Botha, Delarey
and Olivier. with artillery, were hold
ing the position.
President Steyn, according to one
dispatch, has gone to Pretoria. Anoth-
er says he is a fugitive at indie
The Free StaterS are su~rrendering on
all sides. a dispatch from Cape Town
says that proclanations are being
printed there to be published on the
queens birth day, May oath, annexing
the Free State.
One of President Steyn's brothers,
who is a prisoner of General Brabant,
says that the Free Staters will accept
Those who took up arms
the second time, he explains, had to
" do so under threats of instant death
if they refused.
Five hundred rifles have been sur
rendered at KroOnStad in excess of
the number of Beers who rave taken
the oath Of allegiance. Lord Roberts
has directed the British commanders
to receive all corners in a good spirit
n to issue to them passes to go to
their farms.
BULLER PUSHING AHEAD.
General Butler is pushing ahead
without opposition. He has only lost
five wounded during the movement.
Apparently he is aiming at Laing's
mex, which is on the direct road to the
Transvaal, although he may diverge
to BOtha's pass.
General Hunters movements in the
western Transvaal are rather puZ-
cling. He has returned to Fourteen
Streams with one brigade, leaving an
other. General Barton's, at Christiana.
Lord Methuen is said to be van
ing along the southern bank of the
v S~As -oOAOAANA ANS1AN - L. L hAAAA-
The loop railway line across the "a
is fast nearing completion. The prob
ability is that General Hunter took
back a brigade to Fourteen Streams,
owing to the scarcity of transport.
General Rumble has captured $1,000
bags of corn. He is marching slowly
through a district which is described
as literally terming with cattle, sheep
and horses"
WOMEN FOR POLICEMEN AT 10
HANNESBURG.
At johannesburg the women are
forming a police corps, so as to release
every man for fighting purposes at the
front.
DR.. Archer, who was at Dundee dur
ing the BOer occupation, asserts sew
eral hundred Englishmen serving in
the Boer forces would desert if assured
of pardon from the British. The Pre-
toria official list of foreigners show
$50 Englishmen who are not fighting,
but hold their residence in the Trans
vaal by special permission. They are
bank clerks, engineers n shop-keep-
erS.
Durham reports the receipt of a tel
egram from LourenZo Marques say
ing that a Boer plot to blow up the
British cruiser Forte was discovered
and that in the warship
steams out seven miles nightly.
The Standard says: From pro-Boer
sources we learn hat the first great
stand by the federals will be on the
ridges near Johannesburg. This posi-
ton has been strongly i~ntrenched and
the burghers believe they can hold it
for some time. If driven from that
point part of the force will be thrown
into Pretoria to Withstand a siege,
while the main body will retreat to the
Luxembourg to maintain a guerilla war
fare from that mountainous region.
TTnu hnlinNra fhQU non indafnjtnlU
postpone a pacification of the country"
This view is partly supported by a
dispatch to The Times from L%ourenzo
Marques. which says: There is gen
eral talk in Pretoria Of President Kru-
ger contemplating an immediate de-
parture from the capital. There seems
no longer any doubt OF the intention
of the Transvaal to transfer the seat
OF government to the L~ydenburg dis
trict and to endeavOU to make a final
stand there. The Rad is reported to
have endorsed the proposal"
The Times also says hat q number
of the Transvaal officials are prepar-
ing for flight and that State Secretary
Reitz has selected South America as
his future home.
It is unofficially asserted that Lord
che is in of the
Mafeking relief column and that news
of the relief of the town cannot be re-
ceived until Monday.
London, May IL, 1888 p. m.-The war
office has received the following dis
patch from Lord Roberts:
"Kroonstad, May II has
occupied Christiana without opposi-
ton. the enemy having retired to
KIerksdorp, under the impression that
the latter was threatened by a portion
OF his force from Parys.
"RundIe's force was close to Cloco-
Ian yesterday evening The country
was clear of the enemy.
The resident commissions in Basu-
Joland reports that a NUMBER OF Boers
living in the Fisksburg and Bethle-
hem districts have applied to him fol
advice and as to the conditions OF sur
render"
Another dispatch from him dated a.
KrOonstad, May 18th, says: "Runoit
yesterday occupied Mequatlings neR
and Modder port without opposition
.sNethuan has raached a point twelve