The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-23
MAHoN HAD A SHARP FIGHT.
Lost Thirty Men Before Accomplishing
Relief Of Mafeking.

HeI1e1 Oh m0Iek1n8s
LONDON, May 22.-Lord Roberts reports
to the War Office in dispatch dated Kroon-
stad, May q, as follows: "Mahon reports
that the flying column entered Mafeking
at a. M. May IS. He was stubbornly op-
posed by $500 men on May IL. nine miles
from Mafeking, but the Beers were driven
from their strong positions after five hours
of fighting, thanks, he says, to the magnif-
cent qualities of his troops. A detachment
of Canadian artillery, by series of forced
marches, reached him the morning Of the
fighting and rendered very valuable assist
ance. Mahon's casualties were about thirty.
The Boer losses were heavy
Further details of the fighting at Mafe-
king say that Commandant Sarel Eloff's
followers. deserted him. whereupon Elofr
fired on them himself and then surrendered
with eighty followers. The dispatch also
says that one party of Beers was driven
out of the Staat and allowed to escape as
1--WE had sufficient prisoners. The capture
of Eloff and his followers cost Baden-Powell
three men killed and seven wounded.
A dispatch to the Daily Mail, dated Mafe-
king, May 13, says: Among the prisoners
captured with Commandant Sarel Eloff are
Count De Fremont, Frenchman. and
Count Won Weiss. a German. 1t is found
that the Beers were guided by two deser-
ters named Hay and Bolton. At the
enemy's request we have handed over their
dead. To-day one of our men was asked to
surrender and replied: Never The Beers
at once shot him through the head"
The second edition of the Daily Mail this
morning contains dispatch from Janmi-
dis, under date of May 15 which sys: "The
British left Salagal, on Sunday at sunrise,
making a detour to the westward in order
to avoid Koodoos rand. where there was
strong force of Beers. The maneuver
was successful. but large force of Beers
in ambush was encountered. A column OF
Light Horse dslodged the Beers, who en-
deavored to enfilade the convoy, but were
prevented by the artillery, and the enemy
fled, our rear guard, composed of the Kim
berley Horse. enfilading their retreat. Cap
tain Hands was wounded, sustaining a
compound fracture of the thigh. The Beers
left thirty dead"
dispatch to the Daily Mail from Majan-
amabili, dated May IL. says: Lieutenant
Moorsome, with the Protectorate Regiment
from Mafeking, joined us. They went first
to Colonel Plume, making wide, western
circuit and got through the Boer lines with
many hairbreadth escapes, reaching us
after a daring ride of nearly 800 miles
through country scourged with a de-
structive fever similar to the influenza
There was hardly Boer house a Natal
hut without case and hundreds died. The
column is continually moving and is
healthy, active and clean. The troops en-
tirely escaped. Many concealed arms have
been discovered and their owners arrested.
They inform on their neighbors. The ma
tives render every assistance"
Details of the meeting between the
columns commanded by Colonel Plumer
and Colonel Mahon show that the
former rode into Masibistad, at sunrise,
May Is. the Hon. Maurice Clifford. Colonel
Rhodes, Prince Adolphus of Teck, Sir John
Willoughby and others rode In front with
the information that Colonel Mahon's
column was within two miles of the place.
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