The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-06-05
ROBERTS MAY HAVE To FIGHT BEFORE
TAKING THIS CITY.
THE BOER FORCES IN HIS FRONT
A Probability That They Have Over
ruled the Pretoria Committee of
safety as to a Surrender Conflicting
Rumors as to- Occurrences Between
johannesburg and Pretoria-IIucky
stand by Boer T~roops-They Again
Enter the Orange Free Street

London June 1. 4:&s - Rob
erts continues silent regarding Preto-
ria, probably because he cannot wire
OF events from his own knowledge.
Lorenzo Marques. where all the news
from the Boer 4 is ~re-handied.
cables that communication with Pre-
toria is now suspended.
Some messages by courier have
reached Lourenzo Iarques. but none
OF later date than Wednesday. These
assert that the burghers are in a state
OF panic n that Pretoria Is being con-
trolled by a vigilance committee. Lou
reno Marques again sends a report
that President Kruger had been cap
tured.
The news blank gives rise u a sus-
picion that the citizens committee at
Pretoria may not have been able to
carry out their plans for securing the
peaceful entry OF Lord Roberts and
sparing the city the horrors 81 a
siege.
The peace party appeared to he in
MS ascendant: and. as soon a Prcsi-
dent Kruger and his cabinet left Pre-
toria TO organize a new capital. the
citizens committee persuaded the COM
OF the forts TO withdraw
some of the troops from the defences.
perhaps with the view Of keeping order
in the town
p 1t looks as though there was a Boer
force between Pretoria and Johannes
burg. These soldiers, trekking back to-
ward Pretoria, some of them fresh from
the fight with Genera Ian Hamilton.
would have brought q new elemei
to the situation and would proba-.v
nNQrr7lla fho rsaaRA rsnnN NIT an snlAn~
the direction OF affairs out OF their
hands.
The Beers. according To a special
dispatch from Lourenzo Marques. have
re-entered the northeastern territory
of the Free State and are engaged
Harrismith- enc Butler Is moving
slowly against the Boer TANKS.
A dispatch from Vryburg dated May
Both, says: During the occupation Of
this place by the Beers they logged
the natives for slight ~offenses. a whip
and several cords, knotted and sailed.
was found at the police station. A boy
who brought a letter % a woman re-
ceived twenty-five lashes and another
who s~ympathized with him received
fifteen.
Winburg. May 31.-After consider
able fighting the Beers, with two guns
and several Maxim and Nordenfeldt
$1,000
miles east of Senekal.
General Rumble has succeeded in
driving off the federals, thus permit
ting unopposed, the reoccupation Of
Lindley.
London, June IA dispatch receiv-
ed here from Cape Town says that a
number Of colonial rebels recently sur
prised a small body of British at Doug
lass, killing sixteen of them, including
their commander. Colonel Spence. So
far there is no official confirmation of
this dispatch, and the statements made
must be received with caution.
CONFLICTING REPORTS.
London. June $50 a. m--The
Times has the following from Lourenzo
Marques, dated Tune LIST: Reports OF
the most conflicting character are cur
rent here, due to the activity of the
Boer agents. While one section de-
clares that President Kruger has re-
turned to Pretoria for the purpose Of
arranging terms Of surrender, another
asserts that the British have been re-
pulsed outside of Pretoria. Nothing au-
thentic is known here regarding Mr..
Kruger's whereabouts or the situation
Of the Transvaal."
Lourenzo Marques, June DIR. Hey
mann, president Kruger's physician,
and Prichie Eloff. president Kruger's
son-in-law, arrived here today.