Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-06-12

LONDON, June 11.-Lieut Gen. Sil
Frederick Forestier-Walker, in com.
mand Of the lines of communication ii
South Africa, reports that in the dis
aster to the British troops, June Z, a.
Roodeval, where the Beers cut Lore
Roberts line of communication, the
fourth battalion of the Derbyshire reg.
iment were all killed, wounded or made
prisoners, except six enlisted men. Two
officers and fifteen men were killed and
five officers and ~ men wounded
many of them severely.
The Beers returned the wounded tc
the British. The officers killed were
Lieut.. Col. Baird-Douglas and Lieut.
Hawley. The wounded include Col
Wilkinson and Lieut. Blanchard, of the
Canadian infantry.
Gen. Forestier-WaIker,. Dtspatcb
in full is as follows:
CAPE TOWN, June 1O.-(Sunday)
The following telegram has been re-
ceiyed from Chas. Knox:
hroonstad-The following casual
ties, reported from Roodeval, June 7
received from Stonham, COMMANDING
me imperial Yoemanry hospital, dated
Rnenoster River, June s, received here
py nag OF truce June 10: The fourth
battalion of the Derbyshire regiment
tine Sherwood Foresters) killed, Lien.
Col. Balrd-Douglas and Lieut.. Hawlev
and fifteen of the rank and file: wound
ed: Col. Wilkinson, Captain Bailey
Lleuts. Hall Lawder and Blanchard
ana % of the rank and file; the Shron-
sire light infantry, one; Cape Pioneer
railway regiment, seven; ammunition
park. Royal Marines and Imperial Tel
egraphs, one each; post office CORPS
one.
Stonham reports that MANY were
severely wounded and the remainin q
OF the Fourth Derbyshire and the de-
talls or prisoners. except six of the
rank and file, are in his camp. All the
wounded are in his camp. lately occu.
pied by the Fourth Derbyshire. En-
ouiries are being made as to the
Names
1t Is inferred that the Beers captured
over 900 men, and as late as June 1C
held positions cutting off the British
forces north of Kroonstad from rein
forcements.
Another Dispatch
from Gen. Forester Walker SAYS Gen
Methuen was fighting within ten miles
of Hebron June 6, as follows:
CAPE TOWN, June 10, Sunday
helly-kenny reports from Bloemfon-
TEN this morning that Methuen, with
the greater part of his division, was
lighting early in the morning of June S
ten miles south of Hebron. where Col
Vile was reported to be with the High
land brigade. Methuen left Lindley
June 8 with ample supplies for himself
and Colville, leaving Paget to hold
L1ndley with a sufficient force and sup
plies
"Kelly-Kenny has ordered Knox to
press in the enemy's outpost, believing
the enemy's strength to be exagger-
ated
"All is quiet and there is no anxiety
rs regards the district to the south.
Communications north of Kroonstad
have been cut since June g."
The news that the shutting off of
Lord Roberts's Communication
with the outer world was accompanied
with such serious loss came like a
bolt from a comparatively clear sky
In London, until the news came. il
was thought that the destruction OF
the railroad was accomplished by Free
Staters, who were avoiding rather than
stimulating the British detachments
stationed at the points attacked. MOI
are Gen. Forester Walkers vague
statement regarding Methuen and the
situation at Hebron looked upon as
reassuring. The Beers appear to be in
sufficient strength to completely sep
arate all the British forces north and
south of a line stretching some fifty
miles between Roodeval and Hebron
Methuen's march upon the latter place
seems somewhat in the nature of a
movement for the relief of Colville
The only British officer left at Roodeval
appears TO be the doctor in charge OF
The hospital, which is full of wounded
What happened to the troops imme-
diately north of Roodeval is still a
matter for conjecture.
All in all. to-day's dispatches reveal
that the situation is far more serious
Than any one imagined.
The ministerial caucus at Cape Town
has resulted unfarvorably to Premier
Schreiner. only ten supporting him
and Mr. Schreiner has given notice OF
His Intention TO Resign
The question at issue is Mr.. Schrein.
er's desire to introduce Immediately
bills Furnishing the colonial rebels and
indemnifying the governments for acts
committed under martial law
A Cape Town dispatch to the Times
says:
1T is impossible to say whether Mr.
Schreiner will manage to form coali-
ton ministry with the cooperation OF
Mr.. Rose-Innes and. possibly. even
Gordon Sprigg, or whether Sir Alfred
Miner will entrust the task to Sprigg.
Reports from Maseru, Basutoland
June 9, say the Beers around Ficksburs
refuse to surrender and severe fight.
ing is expected, though dispatch Of
June from Hammonia. which is only
a few miles from Ficksburg, says the
situation in the southeast corner of the
Grange River colony is unchanged, tina,