Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-06-05
Hard Fighting by Colville.

Hard Fighting by COlville.
The war Office has received the fol-
lowing dispatch from Lord Roberts:
Johannesburg, June 1.-Sir Henry Col
vile, in reporting the arrival of the High
land brigade at TIeilbrun, May, 30, states
that he was opposed more or less the
whole OF the way from Ventersburg. Eight
men were killed and four officers and so men
were wounded. Colville says the Lam
cashfre battery of field artillery did excel
lent work: Grants naval guns were most
valuable and the troops behaved in a most
soldierly manner throughout the trying
march.
We're 32 killed and $50 men wounded"
Drabnnt Surrounds beers.
Maseru, Basutoland, May 31.-Gen.
Brabant has practically surrounded
the Beers five miles outside of Ficks-
burg. The only side open for the
Beers retreat is the Basutoland bor-
der, where thousands of Basutos, I'M
der Chief Jonathan, are awaiting
events.
The Grenadier guards were the
heaviest sufferers during Gen. Run
dies fighting. They lost 30 men killed
and IS men wounded.
British Comm un icntiOn Cut.
New York, June A dispatch to
the Tribune from London says: A
telegram from Lorenzo Marques says
that. communications of the main
British army have been cut near the
Naal, and it is possible that the alb
sence of news is due to interference
with the telegraph wire south of
Germiston
Gen. Hunter is making good prog
ress. The Express dispatch says his
main body has reached Barberspan,
20 miles ahead from the point of de-
parture, and his advance parties are
at Blejesvlei, % miles further on and
just 20 miles from Lichtenburg, where
junction will be effected with Gen.
Baden-Powell
Will Surrender.
Cape Town, June A dispatch to
the Argus of this city from Delagoa
Bay says: Pretoria will surrender.
President Kruger, according to this
correspondent, is said to be at Mid
dleburg, and, he adds, it is expected
thar the last stand of the-Boers will
-.
Whereabouts of Kruger.
Lorenzo Marques, June 4.-Presi-
dent Kruger Friday was still at Ma
chadodorp (about half way between
Pretoria and the Portuguese frontier,
on the railroad between the Transvaal'
capital and Delagoa bay). Boer COM
mands, totaling about 10000 men, held
Thursday all the positions and hills
around Pretoria. Another large COM
mand was at Bronkhurst's spruit
(about 40 miles from Pretoria, on the
railroad leading to Defagoa bay).
Telegra .,hic communication with
the Transvaal is closed to the public.
Feverish excitement prevails here ow-
ing to the almost total absence of
news from either side.
The object of the trip here of
Frichie Eloff, President Krugers SON
in-law, and DIR. Heyman, the presi-
dents physician, appears to have been
to place a large amount of gold in
safety.
Rather MysterlouA.
London, June 4.-Lord Roberts last
report of the movement of the British
troops in the Transvaal is somewhat
mysterious. From the fact that Gen.
French's report took two days to reach
the Communicated at Johannes
burg it is believed that either French
must be many miles north of that city
or that he is having trouble with his
communications. The former is gener-
ally accepted as the most probable, and
it is surmised that Lord Roberts
vague phra sessetting forth that French
sis now holding the place which di-
rected him to do, north of Johannes
burg" means that his position is quite
close to Pretoria. The additional fact
that Lord Roberts dispatch published
Saturday is dated four hours earlier
than the one given out Friday and that
it takes the proceedings no further
than May 81, leads to the conclusion
that some important movement is on
foot or that Lord Roberts himself has
not been able to keep his lines clear be-
hind him. Possibly the next place Lord
Roberts will be heard from will be
Pretoria. 1t seems that French should
certainly be within striking distance
of the capital Saturday.
Gen. Rumble appears to have returned
to Senekal after fighting eastward and
contemplates an early forward move.
ment. Boer prisoners say that SO men
were killed and many wounded in the
recent fight.
Letter from Reitx.
The Cologne Gazette publishes a let
ter from State Secretary Reitz dated
April &C. saying:
The British government promised the
British nation that the cost of the war
will be betrayed by the Beers But as
the latter will not be in position to pay.
Great Britain must obtain money from
the gold mines which will thereby be
mulcted of half the net profits whereas the
Transyaal never levied special tax on gold
The irstigators of the war. Rhodes, Wern-
her, Belt and others, will suffer most. In adj
dition, the British will have to maintain a
garrison. of $4,000 men, the cost of which
the mines will also have to pay. AS soon
as the British troops are withdrawn wars
and rebellions Will break out, not for years,
but for centuries. For England this means
constant source of trouble. annoyance
and bloodshed.
AGAINST ANNEXATION.