The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-01

PrecautiOn to Prevent an Insur-
rectdon There and Risings ELSE
where - A1ertness of the British
Has Rendered Concerted Pro-Boer
Action Difficult.
LONDON, Jan. 1.-The Daily Mail pub
fishes the following dispatch from Cape
Town:
''Ninety-fve per cent of the Bechuana
farmers, in the vryburg district, Joined
the Beers, helping them to loot the
stores through the country north of the
Orange river They also undertook to
invest Mafeking, while Gen. Cronje's
men went south to meet Methuen. The
ministered as II the Dutch had been in
possession ages"
ERITONS, DISCOURAGED.
LONDON, Jan. LIN the absence of
confirmation of the reported sortie from
Ladysnith that story Is discredited. No
such hopeful view can be taken as the
Boer account of the Mafeking sortie
seems designed to convey. No word re-
garding any such movement has yet ar
ing CT suspense Is deepening, as it is
feared Col. Baden-Powelrs silence indi-
Gates that his position Is becoming des-
perate. Tho dispatches from the front
breathe confoent spirit which is by no
means echoed here The latest Lady
smith advjces show that the Boer shelling
is becoming deadly while sickness and
.nnm must also be telling strongly upon
the garrison. The news of the spread of q
rebellion among the Dutch colonists and
Of the attempts Of Beers to cut the rail-
way at widely different points is very dis
quieting as bearing upon the safety of the
extended lines of communication.
GEN. .BULLER's DANGER.
All the correspondents are beginning to
hint of a forward movement OH the part
of Gen. Butler, the danger. Of which Is
indicated In a cispatcIf-to the Daily Teie-
graph from Frere, recording the unfortu-
nate failure of two recornoissances. IN
ono case the Boer lines at les
to have been bombarded b, rH at
ed men drew tiie Boer fl ailS
intended that the naval guns sa3l7 -
bard. This, hoy ever, the sftcf GAG -
do. owing to some misun ietaEdi
the reconnoiterirg party sss eosaGs}l
to founder back to can n l.1oaen the
wet and stormy night, marching In mud
and water. with the greatest discomfort. )
According to the same correspondent, a
similar fate awaited another reconnois-
sapce In the opposite direction.
lis roughly estimated that there ara
25.00o Beers between Ladysmith and Co
lenso, some 400 being on the south side
of the Tugela river. At all points the
enemy shows ceaseless activity. .- as
A large number Of Americans are said
to be finding their way into the various
volunteer regiments being raised in Capo
Colony. 1t Is also reported that many
Africans are arriving ct Delagoa bay,
having been expelled from The Rand De-
cause that they had refused to work the
johannesburg mines for the government.
PLUM PUDDING IN SHELLS.
The following heliograph message has
been received by way of Weenen from
Iadysmiih, dated Wednesday, Dec q:
The Beers are actively bonbardng the
town. One shell struck the Devonshire
mess tent killing Capt. Dalso and wound
ing seven ieutenants, Dent, rwiss Tring-
ham, -Cerrafin, Byrns, Sacafe and Kane"
A later dispatch from Ladysmith by
way of Weenen, dater Friday, Dec. 20.
says:
"All well. The Beers have been firing
plugged shells, containing plum pudding
and the compliments of the season. They
are still fortifying their position, and are
evidently determined to make hrin
stand"
NEWS FROM FRONT.
ha liC1a fo1Io
dispatch, dated yesterday, from the gem
eral officer commanding at Cape Town:
Methuens position Is unchanged
French reports that the Beers fear.
ing their communications would be cut
by our cavalry, have retired to Coles
burg.
Hear unofficially from Sterkstrom that
Blush reeoancissanc, seven miles north
of DorGrecht. engaged superior forces and
was obliged to retire on Dordrecnt."
TO MAKE A FINAL soRTIE.
A dispatch to the Daily Mail from Lou
renzo Marques, dated Dec. 20, says:
1T is reported from Ladysmith. by way
of Pretoria that the British are Destroy
ing their heavy cannon, prior to a final
sortie. The Transvaal agents here have
bought up all the available milk, sugar
and coffee"
FIGHTING INSURRECTION.
CAPE TOWN, Dec. 2S.-The colonial
authorities are using every precaution
to prevent an insurrection on the part
of disloyal Dutch in Cape Colony and
to prevent rising elsewhere. Every
where the British colonists are being or
ganized into home guards, drilled and
made ready to act in their respective To-
calities should armed Dutch coloniaIs
gather The theory is that the British
home-staying colonials should be fully
prepared to cope with the Dutch coll
onials without the aid of regulars
The alertness of the British renders
action on the part of the pro-Boer resi-
dents difficult. Unable to act openly,
they slip away singly or in small groups
to join the enemy's forces The author
tiles have been informed of many CEN
tiers of agitation where 1t Is considered
to particularize, but there Is
nothing like concerted action apparent
over wide districts.
The case of Mr.. Mihican, solicitor to
the De Beers company, who is accused
of treason, acquires increased importarce,
as he has been transferred from the Gus
tody Of the other authorities here to the
military authority at De Aar. His high
position causes the Dutch to watch his
case keenly.
BRUSHES ARE FREQUENT
Parties of Beers have been operating
some seventy miles south Of Lord Me-
Continued ON Third Page.