The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-23

shouts of Bravo, Buller." 1t was
announced subsequently, however, in
| the house of commons In behalf of the
cabinet that no such news had been
| received.
TO PROTECT THE wOMENS
LAGER.
Lourenzo Marques. Tuesday. Febru-
airy 20.-The official report received
from Colonel Baden-Powell of the oc-
currences in Mafeking up to February
5th concludes as follows:
General Snyman, in reply to a let
ter complaining Of the deliberate she'll
ing of the women and childrens' laager,
oHefed no excuse or apology, and by a
| transparent falsehood admits that he
| ordered the shelling. / have told him
that have now established temporary
premises for Boer prisoners in the wo-
mems laager and hospital in order to
protect them from deliberate sheiling"
THE WATCH-DOGS GAVE THE
ALARM.
| London. February 21.-Further de-
| tails Of the attack made by Colonel
| PlumerS forcer on the Boer position
! defended by a 12-pounder, near Croco-
| die pools, not far from Gaberones,
| show that as the British were strug-
| Cling up the hill in the dark, through
L
| Boer watch dogs. who gave tongue.
| The Beers opened fire and the British
! charged, but the Beers exploded dyna-
mite mines, doing much damage, and
! the British retreated.
| a curious dispatch from Pretoria dat
| ed Tuesday, February Goth, announces
| that Commandant Ferreira was killed
February 18th, adding that his death
was believed to be the result of an ac-
| cident.
! THE BRITISH PUBLIC ANXIOUS.
Public interest, expectation and
| anxiety sway increasingly and impa-
| tiently between Ladysmith and Bloem-
| fontein. The possible relief of the
| former place is expected more from
! Field Marshal Lord Roberts brilliant
strategy in drawing off the Beers than
| to General Buffers numerous assaults,
] and news of the result of the battle be-
tween General Kitchener and General
| Cronje, reinforced by the forces thus
| drawR/of from Ladysmith, is expected
| to almost synchronize with the an
! nouncement that General Butler has
| reached his objective.
| The accomplishment Of the latter
| event, however, is regarded with great
er confidence than is the ability of
| General Kitchener to thoroughly Grip
| pie General Cronje. for the Boer gen.
| eral has proved himself SO clever and
| daring in slipping through the British
| lines that, even if Lord Roberts quick
| ly occupied Bloemfontein, there are
| many fears expressed that General
| Cronje might still preserve the effec-
| tiveness of his mobile force.
Arundel dispatches, dated Tuesday,
| show that the Beers, in force, made a
! determined attempt to invest Arundel,
but were baffled by the smart maneu-
vering of the British mounted troops.
Mr.. Cecil Rhodes is expected to ar
rive in Cape Town February 24th.
CRONJES REPORT.
Pretoria, Monday, February ia
portion of an official report from Gen
eral Cronje dated Sunday, February
18th, has been given out as follows:
Yesterday morning about o'clock
while removing the laager near Scholtz
mex we were attacked by the British
The fight lasted until 7:30 o'clock in
the evening. Although. on the whole
the British were driven back, they
each time renewed the attack The loss
to the British must have been consid-
cradle. Thus far the Boer loss has
been eight killed and twelve wounded
This morning the British shelled us
with cannon. Chief Commandant Fer
riera's force was too small to stop the
! cavalry from entering Kimberley.
BRITISH BEATEN BACK.
Pretoria, Tuesday, February 20.-Of-
| fetal reports have been received a.
follows:
Commandant Steyn says that Satur-
day, February 18th, and Sunday
February 18th, near Foodeosrand, he
fought the British, who tried to en-,
compass General Cronje's laager, anc
drove them off. They fought until late
Sunday evening. The Beers had one
man killed and one wounded and cap
| fu n l(
| mules.
General Dewitt says that on Sunday
| afternoon he arrived before PardetS-
berg and FoodOosrand, In which ci
rection there has been heavy firing
since morning. He Stormed severa
kopjes which the British vacated, leaV'
ing their dead and wounded and forty
prisoners in the hands OF the Boers
who captured the kopjes. The Boel
| loss was two men killed and foul
wounded. The tight lasted until late il
| the evening.
JOUEERT CONCENTRATING ALI
HIS FORCES.
. Berlin, February 21-The Tageblat
publishes a special dispatch from
Brussels which says the Transvaal le
cation there announces that all the
Beers are evacuating Natal, their po
sitions in that colony being no longe
tenable. General Joubert, it is added
has ordered the concentration of al
the available forces to oppose Lore
| Roberts. The siege of LadySmith, \
! is further announced, will be raised
and it is expected that General BulleI
will entsr the town at the end of th'
Z week.
! John D;rr, Poseyville, InG.. says: -
, never used anything as good as On
Y