Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1900-03-08
PItlable condl IonsPrevaIl OF the
Beleaeuered British PostARe-
lief Must Soon Come
PEACE PERCEPTIBLY NEARER
Experts Anticipate but Little
Fighting West of the Free
State Capital.
BURGHERsDORF is OCCUPIED

Mafeking, March S-What may be
typhoid malaria has broken out at the
Women's lager and dysentery, due
TO the absence of vegetables, is rife
among the garrison. All luxuries are
exhausted or commandeered for hos
pitfalls which are filled to overfiowing
The chidren's graveyard, close to the
womens laager, grows weekly as
young lives are cut short prematurely
by shell and fever. We look with
hope deferred for relief. The natives
are in the worst plight Those un-
able to obtain work are allowed a
small handful of meal daily. From
advanced posts, Beers rake the streets
and the market square. 1t Is impossi-
BILE to dodge the bullets. Two hun
dred-and-ninety-two persons have been
killed, wounded or have died of dis
ease. The garrison is so small it
would be criminal to make It's weak
ness public.
London, March S-A special from
Molteno says the British occupied
Burghersdorp, unopposed, last night
London, March S-Following is a
text of Lord Roberts dispatch:
Poplar Grove March S-Twoe bri-
gades OF cavalry with horse artillery
and Kelly-Kennys' division marched
today ten miles eastward The Beers
were quite taken by surprise yester-
day. They moved off so hurriedly
they left cooked dinners Behind. We
captured a Krupp gun, several tents
and wagons. Total casualties were:
Killed-Lieut. Keswick and Frisslisk
wounded-IAieut. Bailey, Twelfth Ian
GERS and De Crispigney, Second Life
Guards, both severely, Lieut.. Smith, OF
Shropshires who is believed have been
picked up by Boer ambulance. Two
men killed, forty-six wounded, one
man missing. Gatacre reports he in
tends occupying Burghersdorp today
Repairs to railroads towards both
Stormberg and Steynsberg are being
pushed. Clements now occupies Nor
valspont on the south bank of Orange
river The bridge was blown up
March 9Th, and the enemy are holding
the north bank of the river but not
it is believed, in any great strength.
London, 4:2S p. m.--Lord Roberts
telegraphs he has captured Krupp
gun, number of tents and wagons. He
also announces that General Clements
has occupied Norvalspont.
London, March S-The queens ar
rival in London today was marked by
scenes of enthusiasm unparalleled
since the jubilee celebration.
London, March S-The full extent of
Lord Roberts's success yesterday is
not clear, but the best informed ap
pear to be satisfied that it brings
peace perceptibly nearer. Experts an
ticipate that the Burghers will make
no further stand west of the Free State
capital. Some even deduce from the
fact that the Boer forces are divided
and retreated in different directions,
that decentralization has set in and the
Transvaal forces will next be found
carefully entrenched in positions north
of the vaal river, while the bulk OF
the Free-Staters will abandon the
contest and sue for peace.
Pretoria, March S-Secretary OF
State Reitz has issued war bulletin
saying that the Beers are not dis
couraged by reverses and will fight to
the death. General De Wet is in com.
mand of the Beers north of the Mod
der President Kruger has gone tc
Bloemfontein, presumably to settle the
differences between the Transvaalers
and the Free Staters.