The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-04
WHITE DESTROYS HIS GUNS.
British Commando, at ladysmith
Said to Have Given Up Hope.
PREPARING FOR LAST FIGHT.

PREPARING FOR LAST FIGHT.
It Ii Believed the Garrison WIN Endeav-
OF to Cut Its Way Through tho Beers
Several Defeats Inaioted i'm Small
Parties.
London, Jan. 2-The following he
liograph message has been received by
way of Weenen from Ladysmith, dated
Wednesday, Dec. q:
The Beers are actively bombarding
the town. One shell struck the Devon
shire mess tent, killing Capt. Dalzel
and wounding seven lieutenants, Dent,
Twiss, Tringham. Caffyn. Byrne. Scale
and Kane"
A later dispatch from Ladysmith by
way of Weenen. dated Friday, Dec. 20,
says:
"All well. The Beers are still forth
flying their positions and are evidently
determined to make a firm stand. -
The report OF reconnaissance north
of Dordrecllt is believed to indicate a
serious reverse for the British. 1t is
admitted that the troops under Capt.
Montmorency were obliged to retire
after six hours battle. No details
of losses are given.
Frere Camp, Natal, Dec. Blowing
to the flooding of the Tugela river a
large party of Beers have been cut off
on the south side. They are reported
to be in the hills to the right of Chiev-
eley.
London, Jan. "A dispatch to the
Daily Mail from Lourenco Marques
dated Dec 20 says:
ut is reported from Ladysmith, by
way OF Pretoria, that the British are
destroying their heavy cannon prior to
final sortie.
1.-THE Transvaal agents here have
bought up all the available milk, SUI
gar and coffee. They have managed to
get large orders sent for shipment here
by French and German steamers.
Prices have advanced so per ceSs in
consequence and the stocks are very
short Something like q famine Is
threatened, as the British government
is stopping all goods consigned here
from coast ports.
Several members Of the volksraad
meet every steamer, doubtless to give
further orders. Portugal is doing her
best to maintain neutrality, but foreign
opinion in Lourenco Marques is gen.
orally in favor of actively assisting the
Beers to procure food supplies.
Herr Pott, the Transvaal consul
general here, is losing Lloyd's agency
and the agencies for the Castle, Union
and Bucknail steamship lines in con-
sequence of the position he holds"
The Daily Mail publishes the follow
ing dispatch from Cape Town:
"Ninety-five per cent of the Bechu-
ana farmers in the Vryburg district
Joined the Beers. helping them to loot
the stores throughout the country
north Of the Orange river. They also
undertook to invest Mafeking while
Gen. Cronje's men went south to meet
Lord Methuen. The government OF
Bechuanaland Is being administered as
II the Dutch had been in possession for
ages"
A dispatch to the Daily Mail from
Kimberley, dated Friday, Dec. %, says:
1--WE have food enough for three
months. Fresh fruits and vegetables
are obtainable daily from Kenilworth,
and water is plentiful and excellent"
No word regarding the Mafeking
sortie, reported from Pretoria, has yet
arrived from British sources, and the
feeling of suspense is deepening. as it
Is feared that Col. Baden-PowelPs 81
lence indicates that his position is be-
coming desperate.
The dispatches from the front
breathe a confident spirit which is by
no means echoed here.
All the correspondents are beginning
to hint of forward movement on the
part Of Gen. Butler, the danger OF
which is indicated In dispatch to the
Daily Telegraph from Frere, recording
the unfortunate failure Of two recon-
noissances. In one case the Boer lines
at Colenso were to have been bonn
barded by night. Mounted men drew
the Boer fire, and 1t was intended that
the naval guns should lombard. This.
however, the latter failed to do owing
to some misunderstanding, and the re-
connoitering party was compelled to
founder back to camp through the wet
and stormy night, marching in mud
and water and with the greatest dis
comfort.
According to the same correspondent
a similar fate awaited another recon-
noissance in the opposite direction.
It is roughly estimated that there
are $4,000 Beers between Ladysmith
and Colenso, some 400 being on the
south side of the Tugela river. At all
points the enemy shows ceaseless 40
tivity.
Con. French May Fight
London, Jan. 2.-The Boer force
confronting Gen. French for some time
In the vicinity Of Arundel began NOV
ing Its guns Thursday, and have since
retired to Colesburg, where 1t Is ex-
pccted they can better intrench. Gen.
French has moved his army within
three miles Of Colesburg, and it is
possible the two forces will come to-
gether within a day or two.
Americana Fight, in Africa.
London, Jan. 2.-According to Wins
ton Churchill large numbers of Ameri-
cc.> citizens are serving in the British