The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-27
BOERS ATTACK
BURCHERSDORP
They We're Driven Back After
Heavy Fighting.
Dom Paul's Men Have Penetrat-
ed British Territory
Further Than the POintReached
a Year Ago.
KITCHENER A FAILURE
He Has Little Success in Re-
pelIing Invaders.
Government Is Urged to Send
Out More Troops.
Dom Paul's Men Have Penetrat-
ed British Territory
Further Than the POintReached
a Year Ago.
KITCHENER A FAILURE
He Has Little Success in Re-
peliing Invaders.
Government Is Urged to Send
Out More Troops.

Cape Town. Dec PA small party Of
Beers attacked Burghersdorp on Decem-
ber "A. They were repulsed after heavy
fighting. The Beers are active and
skirmishes in several places have been
reported.
IN TOUCH WITH KRUTTzINGER-
Burghersdorp, Dec 27.-Colonel Gren-
fell continues IN touch with Kruitzin-
gers command Of 700 men, who are car
rying off the British prisoners krult-
Finger has abandoned his maXlms ana
carts An attempt of the Ninth lancers
TO turn Kruitzanger's flank at Plaster
heuvel. December "A, resulted in eight
casualties among the lancerS including
Lord Frederick BlackwoOd, who was
wounded.
MERE RUMORS.
Bloemfontein, Orange River Colony,
"Wednesday. Dec. 26.-There are renewed
but uncOnfrmed rumors here that Cen
eral De Wet, President Steyn and Cen
eral HaasbrOOke have had conference
and decided to offer to surrender, pro
vided the colonial rebels are not punish
ed and the leaders, including themselves
are not deported.
RENEWED ANXIETY.
London, Dec. 27.-The paucity and OBJ
scurity OF the dispatches from South
Africa give rise to renewed anxiety Ap-
parently the disturbed area Of Cape
Colony extends farther south than it
did last December and Lord Kitchener
does not appear to have had much sue
cess as yet in driving back the invaders
The war Office had received no news
last evening Of the reported capture of
yeOmanry near BritstOwn.
A Burghersdorp dispatch has a mys-
teriOus reference to An unfortunate
mistaking of the enemy for Brabrant' s
horse in sounding OF Cease fire" which
enabled the Beers to occupy all the COM
manding positions, the British retiring
from a difficult predicameDt-
General Clements success against the
Beers in the Magaliesberg region is also
doubtful, the last dispatch reporting,
1T was considered advisable not to force
the Beers from their position"
The British press continues in the
main optimistic but the condition of af-
fairs brings home the enormous diff
culties that Will face Lord Kitchener in
patrolling and policing such immense
tracts Of country even when the Beers
be finally subdued.
The Daily Mail, which makes a strong
appeal to the government to face the
facts and send Lord Kitchener troops, -
says
There Is a real risk I'm being luIed
to sleep by carefully censored mes
Eages-
Lord Kitchener, according to a dis
patch from Johannesburg, has issued a.
proclamation, dated Pretoria, Dec. 20,
announcing that burghers who volun-
tarily surrendered viii ge allowed to live
with their families in the government
laagers until such time as guerrilla war
fare has sufficiently abated to admit Of
their returning in safety to their homes.
The proclamation also promises that all
property and stock brought in at the
time of the surrender will be respected
and paid for if requisitioned by the mill
itary authorities
LOST THEIR CHRISTMAS THINGS.
Zeerus. Transvaal. Dec. 27.-The Beers
captured two wagons containing Christ
mas luxuries destined for the camp of
Lord Methuen.
ENGAGED WITH DE WET
London. Dec. 27.@The following has
been received from Lord Kitchener:
Pretoria, Dec. 26.-knOx with Barker
Pitcher and White is engaged with De
Vets force holding a position in the
neighborhood Of LeukwOp.
De Wet hopes to break through and
go south again.
The Beers eastern column in Cape
Colony is apparently headed by our
troops about ReitpOrtspruit. The Beers
western column is reported to have gone
north in two portions, one towards
Frieska and the other through Striden-
burg They are being followed up
THROWN OUT OF GEAR
New York. Dec. PA dispatch to the
Tribune from London says:
Little light is thrown upon the mill
tary situation in Cape Colony by the
official and press dispatches. The sys-
tenn of railway and wire communications
has evidently been thrown out of gear
DS the BOer INVASION. DuL no important
town or station has been occupied and
the raiders are not in sufficient force
to accomplish any useful result There
IS the worst possible weather not only
for military opera tfons but also for or
Olnary railway traffic, for the rains are
incesSant, the rivers are at flood and the
drifts are impassable. one body of the
raiders is reported in Zuurberg, and an
othef Is moving toward PriesIza, after
cutting wide circuit. but there is no
evidence that all these rough riders in
the east and west number more than
1000 if they are SO many. The pursuit
of them is difficult when they are ready
to break up into small squads whenever
they are menaced with attack Lord
Kitchener needs Sinews of iron and
nerves Of steel in order to endure the
incessant strain of campaigning of this
kind, but the force of his will and en-
ergy is felt wherever he goes What
ever alarm there was in Cape Colony
was dispelled when it was known that
he was personally directing the opera
tions at De Aar- and NauwpOort
There is a tendency to credit the Cape
Town report that A squadron of yeo-
Inanry has been entrapped by the Beers
IN Cape Colony. Lord Kitchener, in re-
porting yesterday the reoccupation Of
BritstOwn BY Thornycrofts mounted in
fanIry. mentioned that the commanders
were being followed up. From today's
news It would seem that the Glamorgan
and Gloucester yeomanry were detailed
for that purpose. and after a smart ac-
tion they were captured.
Public interest here Is centered upon
Ehe final stage Of Lord Roberts journey