The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-06
CAUGHT AGAIN.
Five Companies of British Cap
tured by Beers.
Roberts Sorry to Say He Could
Not Help Them.
ONE FOR THE BRITISH.
Methuen Wins a Small Victory
Over the Beers.
General Mareuil Was Among the
Federal Killed.
ONE FOR THE BRITISH.

London, April 6--Lord Roberts re-
ports that five companies of British
troops have been captured by the Beers
near Bethany
UNFORTUNATE OCCURRENCE"
London, April 6, 4:09 p. m.-The fol-
lowing is the text of Lord Roberts dis
patch to the war office announcing the
capture of five companies of his troops:
'BloemfOntein, Thursday, April s.
Another unfortunate occurrence has
taken place, resulting, fear, in the
capture OF party OF infantry consist
ing OF three companies of the Royal
Irish FuSilierS and two companies Of
the Ninth regiment Of mounted infan-
try, near Reddersburg, a little east
ward of Bethany railway station,
within few miles OF this place. They
were surrounded by a stronger force OF
the enemy with four or five guns
The detachment held out from noon,
April g. until April 4, a. m, and then
apparently surrendered. for it is re-
ported that the firing ceased at that
time. Immediately after I heard the
news, during the afternoon of April 3,
I ordered Gatacre to proceed from
Sprngfontein, his present headquarters
to RedderSburg with all possible speed,
and 1 dispatched the Cameron High
landers hence to Bethany He arrived
at Reddersburg at 1O:3O yesterday
morning without opposition. but could
get no news of the missing detachment.
There can be no doubt the whole
BOER HEROISM.
New York April "a correspondent
/ of the World writing from Pretoria,
/ March 1. says:
The World knows no finer example of
/ heroism than that exhibited by IA wo-
men on one of the five days fighting
around SpiOn's Kop. A strictly family
] party of Beers. II men and their wives,
| were intrenched in one position and
! held it with amazing bravery against a
J a long
| the men fought necessarily and kept
| their wives busy relOading their rifles
/ Finally so British soldiers with fixed
| DayOnets, charged on the lntrencnment.
/ AS they came closer. closer, the Boer
| men crept over the earthworks and
| while the women began shooting, tried
! with the butts of their rifles to ham,
| mer back the British. Before their
| wives eyes everyone of the Il Beers was
killed.
| London, April 6.-The war Office at 4
| p. m, posted a dispatch from Lord Rob
Il erts announcing Lord Methuen's cap
| ture of 81 Beers and the killing Of Gen.
Villebois Mareuil. the chief of staff Of
/ the Boer army. This news had been
judiciously started a few minutes when
a second telegram was bulletined, re
porting the loss of five companies of
British infantry. Both dispatches were
issued in time to be printed in the last
editions of all the evening newspapers.
The lost companies are probably part
| of the force guarding the railroad at
/ Bethany, so miles south of BlOemfOn-
tein. The Beers are evidently operat-
ing in force near the railroad and there
is a possibility of the line being inter-
/ rupted for brief period at any time.
In the death of Gen. VillebOiS Mareuil
the Beers lose their best instructed
soldier in continental methods of war
fare. AS the late Gen. JOubert's chief
of staff, his brain devised the Boer de-
fenseS against Gen. Buffers advance tic
the relief of Ladysmith. He is supposed
to have chosen the gun positions an
and TO have laid down the covered
trenches. He disposed the Beers at the
! centerS. from which they were sem
massed to the defense of any part of E
wide arc. Gen. Mareuil was the mos
: notable of the soldiers of fortune serv-
= ing with the Beers. He had written oc
! casiOnaI interesting letters to French
= correspondents.
AS the captured British soldiers wer,
in a position to defend themselves TO
: nearly q hours and were then forced t
l surrender the fighting must have beel
severe.
The Beers were also in force yester
I / day five miles from JagersfOntein. sit
: uated so miles south of Bloemfontein
! They had brush with the British pa
! / trolls.
Advices from Springfontein dated T
, m. April 5, announce that the BOer
have been sighted west of the railroad
II is officially announced that tn
British casualties in the Boer ambus
near Sannas post total up $50. includin
173 missing.
= MANY BOERS IN SIGHT.
BIoemfontein, April Small bodie
of Beers can be seen in the vicinity @
- this town and the Beers are still in tn
4 neighborhood of the waterworks. Lor
: Roberts is taking steps to meet the &C
{ tivity of the Beers
ONE FOR BRITISH.
+ London. April 6.-The war Office ha
received the following dispatch froI
Lord Roberts, dated 3loemfonteil
Thursday. April 5;
"Nethuen telegraphs from Boshof ii
e the Orange Free State, a little n0rtheas
e of Kimberley as follows:
: 50 Surrounded Gen Nillebois Mareu
= and body Of Beers today. Nor
= escaped. ViIlebois and seven BOel
= :. Our losses were: Kil1ed-Captair
Il Boyle and Williams, both of the YeC
e manry. and two men of the YeOmanr.
WOunded=AbOut seven men.
=. The attack lasted four hours Tt
corps behaved very we'll. Our force wa
= composed of Yeomanry, the Kimber1e
\ mounted corps and the Fourth batter
is of artillery
: Gen De Villebois Mareuil was Il
a chief of staff of the Boer army. He We
e about 80 years old. and is said to ha7
- - been responsible for many Boer su
II cesses IN Natal and later in Cape Color
= and the southern part of the Oran;
Free State. It is said that he enterS
the E3oer service merely because W;
D was his trade. He went through a nun
d Der Of campaigns in the French army.