The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-24
GEN. ROBERTS
IS ALMOST ON
THE BORDER
=, rrpnsvaal Territory = Thousands
,y His Cavalry Force Already
Across the RhonOster River.
1HE BoERS IN RAPID RETREAT
r,vsgd the vaal-Engineers Assert
Tr.sOria is Able to Stand Over
Years Siege.

royDoN. May "a, S:4O a. m.-Lord
r,r.-ts Is drawing near TO the frontier
~ r,. Transvaal. His infantry masses
,w.nty-three miles north Of Hroon-
s,,5 at the Rhonoster river. Some
,bogmnds Of cavalry are already across
the r.rer
nh. Boers are retiring toward the
vgar with their heavy baggage. They
ar, repor,ad from Pretoria as already
arr.ss that river. Twelve thousand
mon and fourteen guns compose the re-
trgatag army. Trains continue to run
from yeronniglng, at the vaal' to Pre-
t0rIa.
r.eryr engineers assert that Pre-
,or,a is able to stand a years siegs.
The Transvaal government papers and
tFc war chest have been removed to
Lylenhurg.
The Boer forces continue to dwindle.
Some Of the correspondents assert that
rrob7bly only about twenty-four thous-
and az the hardest fighters yet remain.
otbourh there are detached parties in
various parts of the Transvaal.
Women Tried to Assault Kruger.
One Of the curious pieces OF gossip
con, from Lourenzo Marques is that
several women tried to assault PresI-
don, Kruger, who was rescued by his
b,5y guard. He rarely leaves the pres
dency now, but works tncessnntly,
holding councils at daybreak and dur
Ing The night.
MaicMng dispatches continue to pour
into London relating the events imme-
dlataly preceding the relief and the en-
try Of the troops.
Lady Sarah Wilson has managed to
get through a message from Mafeling.
dated Thursday. and announcing the
entry of the relief column. She says:
The lighting before the relief was very
hard. A severe struggle proceeded yes.
.erday (May 16) from 2 p. m. until
dusk. The Beers were forced slowly to
retreat, contesting every inch. AT sun
se, they stlll held the last position.
Colonel Mahon entered the town in
the brilliant moonlight. The Beers were
as tired out as we were and they never
guessed that an attempt would be made
10 force an entry before morning.
Therefore their surprise was complete.
They deserted their laagers, leaving q
IA, NJ food. which was divided up
among the people OF Mafeking."
Bethune's Alnbuscade,
The cnsnaring of the squadron Of Bet
huue,s Horse appears to have baen quite
as bad as was as first reported. General
Be,hune. thinking there were no Beers
at vryheli. determined to so that way
toward New Castle, as a short cut. He
left the main body behind and trotted
into the ambush. The Beers had Max
Inns and the British. seeing they had no
chance to retire, dashed forward TO n
point within twenty yards of the Boer
Ha.s Five officers and slxty-three men
were Killed or wounded. Bathune ex-
pae,ad hls four other squadrons to re-
tire.
Dr.. LeyIs according to the Brussels
correspondent, of the Daily Express, has
Quarralai with the Transvaal govern
ment.
Inquiries made by representatives Of
the Associated Press to-day confirm the
announcement made yesterday that no
peace proposals or communication OF
any Kind from President Kruger have
been received, as reported in press dis
patches here.