Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-05-08
ARE PUSHING FORWARD.
Lord Roberts Reports the Advance
of British Troops.
MOVING NORTHWARD.
of Policeman Who
May Have Been Mistaken for
Premier Schreiner.

ITchtcT
london, May 5.-Lord Roberts reports
to the war office, under date of Brand
fort, May 4, as follows:
Hamilton advanced today to Noelwel-
ket. He was engaged with the enemy
throughout the march. He speaks III
terms of praise Of the behavior Of the
troops, especially Broadwood's brigade
of cavalry and the mounted infantry"
schreiner's Policeman Shot.
Cape Town, May 5.-Thc South Afr-
can News says that a policeman who
was guarding Premier Schreiners house
has been shot, adding that the policeman
was smoking 4 cigar at the time, upon
which fact is based an assertion that the
bullet was evidently intended for the pre-
mier, who is an inveterate smoker.
The African bund papers are making
sensation out Of the affair, declaring an
anti-Dutch plot is on foot.
Roberts Movlnx Northward-
London. May 5.-Lord Roberts is evil
IDENTIFY losing no time i'll following up the
substantial advantage gained by the oc-
cupation of BrandfOrt and his whole
force is apparently moving on Winburg.
The place mentioned in Lord Roberts
dispatch to the war office this morning
as "NealWclkot' cannot be found on the
maps and il is likely that it is a cable
error for Near Yet Kop," in which Gen.
Dan Hamilton seems to be midway be-
tween Houtnek and Winburg, and has
thus got between Winburg and Gen. Oil
viers command from Wepener, which is
occupying Thaba Patchoa. Between
Ihaba NChu, Ladybrand and Winburg
the country is rough and suited for the
Beer tactics, SO the British are liable to
be considerably harassed before they cap
turc the stronghold. Experts differ as to
whether Lord Roberts is bound towards
kroonstadt or in the direction of Beth
lehem. The latter place is the terminus
of the line joining with the Natal at Van
Retnens Pass, and the capture Of that
place would probably compel the Beers
to leave the Drakensburg range and thus
open the way for Gen. Buffers advance.
The British will have to repair the
bridge over the Vet before the railroad
between Brandfort and Winburg be-
comes available.
FRANKFORT Capture Not Important.
New York, May "a dispatch to the
Tribune from London says: Some mill
tary writer's refer TO Brandfort as Gen.
Roberts objective in the operations of
the last ten days, and describe Ian
HamlltOn'S advance at Houtnek as Il
feint to draw off these Boer forces from
the railway. This theory is hardly in ac-
cord with the facts, since the fighting al
Houtnek and Thaba N'Chu has been too
serious and protracted to be regarded as
q fe.nt and as Brandfort has not been
held by the Beers in sufficient strength to
render its capture a difficult operation at
any time. Gen. Roberts chief object
during the remainder of the campaign
cannot be anything less than a continu-
Gus advance across the Vet and the Naal
and over the Witwatersrand to Pretoria,
and in accomplishing his purpose he will
l. ~ T,Nll hI
least resistance.
Keep Near the Railway.
His operations cannot be conducted at
great distances from the railway, upon
which he must depend for supplies, and
naturally the course of the army will be
q series of curves and ZigZags, crossing
and recrosSing the Observation-Disclosures
single-track line. During the last few
days force has been alternately applied
at Karee and at Houtnek, at each end
Of Roberts lire of advance, and the
Beers have been driven back at points
thirty miles apart. Resistance having
been overcome at both ends, there Is the
advance upon Brandfort, and the turning
movement toward Winburg is continued
with the natural effect of driving the
Beers away from Thaba NChu and
breaking up their plan of drawing the
British after them to Ladybrand and the
mountainous district.
Beers Driven from Shelter.
Warrenton. Cape Colony, May A.
British 6-inch wire gun opened uneX-
pectedly on the Boer laager yesterday at
a distance of seven and One-half miles,
throwing 10O-pound shells with wonder
full accuracy and causing Il hasty re-
treat of the burghers The lombard
ment continued today at all points by
howitzers and field guns, supported by
two companies of the Munster regiment,
the Beers being driven from shelter and
their guns being put out of action.
Bridges Blown Up.
Cape Town, May At is reported
that Gems. Louis Botha and Schalk-
burgher have large armies at Winburg
with which to oppose the expected adj
vance of the British along the Brand
fort-Kroonstad railway. 1t is also de-
clared that the Beers have blown up ev-
cry one of the half-dozen bridges be-
tween Brandfort and Kroonstad even
removing the debris SO as to make more
difficult the work of effecting q crossing.