The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-17
BOERS ABANDON UNDERTAKING
AND ARE TREKKING AWAY
FROM THE BRITISH
REALIZE THEIR new Danger
TRAP SET BY LORD ROBERTS is
ABOUT READY TO BE SPRUNG
UPON THEM
EXCITING EVENTS At HAND
Beers Are Fully Posted, and Arc
Now Retreating From the Points
Where the British Hope
to Corner Them.

LONDON, April 17.-Lord Roberts has
spread his net far and wide to catch the
adventurous commanders that have been
making mischief in the southeastern part
OF the state. The net has not yet been
drawn in, but at the headquarters Of LORD |
Roberts the impression exists that the
power Of the Beers is decreasing. Al
Daily News correspondent has them fee-i
ing TO the southeast; a Standard corre- /
spondent has them fleeing northward; a |
Daily Telegraph correspondent says that
some are going north and others south, |
while Morning Post representative saysl
1t Is not known what the Beers are doing. 1
Evidently the feeling at BloemfonteIn !
is that the dispositions Of Lord Roberts
are such as to enable him to concentrate
large force rapidly at any point The
| Beers, being aware of this, are presumed |
to be thinking now chiefly of retreat |
The investment of Wepener, according to !
| special dispatch from Bloemfontein, has |
absolutely been abandoned According to
Bethany dispatch the Beers are unable |
to retreat northward, because the British
| strongly hold all roads.
Diverse reports come from Natal, ono
asserting that the Beers have retired be- |
yond the Biggarsburg range, and another
saying that some of them are close to (
Ladysmith.
London waits confidently for almost i'm.
mediate announcement of news favorable
to the British Distrust exists as to
any rapid, continuous advance toward
Pretoria, chiefly on account of the lack OF
horses, many Of which die in the case Of
| long voyages. Letters from the Cape say
| that three days journey is made in open
trucks; that arrangements for feeding
and watering them are inadequate, and
the unfortunate animals break down con-
stantly in consequence of these hardships,
Despite the energy of its buyers abroad,
the war office foresees much difficulty in
supplying the enormous number OF horses
now required.
WEPENER SIEGE RAISED.
The Bloemfontein correspondent Of the
Daily Telegraph, in dispatch dated yes-
terday, says:
''The Beers have raised the siege of
Wepener and have left RouxvilIe A ma
jority of them has undoubtedly returned
north, with the exception Of a body of
about 5000, now reported to be going to-
wards Bethulie."
The Daily News has the following from
Reddersburg, dated Friday:
Gen. Chermsde saw the rear guard OF
the Beers disappear southeast in full re-
treat. The enemy appears to be in strong
force fourteen miles east of Reddersburg.
They are falling back before our advance
guard"
The Bloemfontein correspondent of the
Standard, telegraphing Monday, says:
a In I'll raf~
Wepener, hugging the Basutoland border.
The Basutos are marching parallel with
them along the frontier watching eagerly
for the slightest encroachment."
The Bloemfontein correspondent of the
Times, telegraphing Monday, says:
The Beers, who have been investing
Wepener, are reported to be moving in a
southerly direction, but the object of the
movement is uncertain"
BoERs ARE BOLD
The Bloemfontein correspondent Of the
Morning Post, telegraphing Monday,
says:
Small bodies of Beers are prowling
around, and are even coming in within
eight or ten miles of Bloemfontein
Three johannesburg 'zarps" actually en-
tered the town one night and escaped
without being discovered. The Boer dem
onstration yesterday at Karee siding
was designed to cover the withdrawal Of
an immense convoy of provisions. There
is TO doubt that the Boer incursion into
the southwestern part Of the Free State
was largely due to the need of replen-
ishing victuals in the most fertile part
of the country. This explains why the
enemy marched south with empty wag-
| ons Various important movements are
| occurring which, naturally, it is not de-
sirable to specify"
BOBRS RETIRING.
A special dispatch from Ladysmith,
dated April Is. 9:45 a. M, says:
Native scouts have just reported that
the Beers in the Elandslaagte district have
retired beyond the Biggarsberg. Other in
formation tends to confirm the report that
the Beers have succeeded in blowing up
three important ccllieries near Vessels
Mex, completely destroying the engine
house and plants
LOSSES EXAGGERATED.
A dispatch to the Times from Mafeklng.
dated April 6, confirming earlier reports,
saps
After Col. Plumers repulse, Command
ant Snyman sent message inviting Col.
| BadenPowell to collect the dead and
wounded, but when the ambulances ap-
peared the Boer commando declined to al
low them to be taken. 1t was discovered,
| however, that the Boer reports of the
extent of the British casualties have been
greatly exaggerated"
BRABANT KEPT BUSY.
FRANKFORT, Friday, April 1S. (via
| Lourenzo Marques) IF Fighting with Bra
bant's horse at Jammerberg Drift cor
! tinues. Commandant Petrus De Wet IS
reported tc have engaged the troops sent
| from Bloemfontein to Brabants as
| sistance. There was also a brush with Il
! British column advancing toward Bull
| fontein, without decisive result. All for
| eign attaches are now here.
ALL WELL AT MAFEKING.
| LOURENZO MARQUES, April Is =
Lieut.. Smith -Eman, a Rhodesian scout,
who entered Mafeking through the Boer
| lines, has returned to Col, Plumer's camp
with dispatches from Mafeking, saying
that all was we'll there April 8.
BOERS AT ST HELENA
! JAMESTOWN, st. Helena April 16.--
The remainder of the Boer prisoners were
landed today and sent to Deadwood.
! Col .Achiel and the two others who had
been confined at the citadel, after their
attempt to escape, have been released
| and they also have gone to Deadwood