Iron County register., 1900-02-22
QUIET AS TO ROBERTS.
Speculation as to the Whereabouts
of Gen. Cronie.

of Gen. Crouje.
London, Feb. ALPHABETICALLY moth
ing is known of the progress Of Lord
Roberts column during the last day
or two. and speculation as to the uiti-
mate gain from the recent movements
is necessarily unsatisfactory when
based on belated kilograms, evidently
vigorously censored. Many important
points remain obscure. What has be-
come of Gen. Cronje's heavy artillery? Z?
One correspondent, it is true, says it
was left behind at MagersfCntein and
Kimberley, but it is difficult to believe
Lord Roberts would not have men
toned detail of such Importance
Matter of Uncertainty.
Again, the statement that large
Boer force was massing northward of
Kimberley once more raises in the
minds OF some experts the question
whether Gen. Cronje is really with the
force retreating on Bloemfontein. 1t
is suggested that the latter is really
the Free State main army, under Gen.
Prinsloo, supplemented by a por-
ton of the Magersfontein command,
while the main body of the latter,
under Gen. Cronje is trying to secure
the Vaal bridge, at Fourteen Streams,
thus barring the way to Mafeking.
BugIer Dunn and the Queen.
Bulger Dunn, the 15-year-old MEM
Der of the First Royal Dublin fusileers,
who was the first to cross the Tugela
river, and who was shot in the right
arm, while running with the soldiers
and sounding the advance" saw the
queen at Osborne. Her majesty pre-
sented him with a handsome silver
mounted bugle, suitably inscribed.
The queen gave the lad motherly
welcome, and expressed her hopes that
he would have a successful career in
the army.
Cronje's Army Reported Surrounded.
London, Feb. 20, 1890 a. m.-The
war office, at midnight, ANNOUNCED that
it had nothing further for publication
from South Africa.
In the lobbies of the house of COM
mons, last evening, however, it was
rumored that Gen. Cronje's army was
surrounded; that Gen. French had got
between the Boer forces and Bloem-
1tein, and that he was only await
ing reinforcements to close in on the
enemy.
No confirmation of this rumor is OBJ
tainable, although the general idea is
th;t; the government has received inn
pcrtant dispatches.
Mr. Wyndham was beset by anxious
members of the house, but would only
reply that the government news was
So,
planstion why the government should
withhold good news is that confirma-
tion and more details are awaited.
The situation as disclosed by CORE
spondents over the Free States border
is tantalizing to the public expecta-
ton. The elementary facts are that
the Beers are trekking eastward to-
ward Bloemfontein. with slow-moving
baggage trains, and that they are pnr-
sued by Lord Kitchener with Gen. Kel-
l,-Kenny's division.
Gen. Macdonald, with the Highland
ers, made a forced march to Koodoos
rand ford, and on Sunday pushed 20
miles eastward.
Lord Kitchener is trying to out
march and to outfiank the Beers, thus
checking their retreat, if possible, and
driving them back into the hands ot
Macdonald and French.
The war office message communicat-
ed to Mr.. Lucy seems to indicate that
Lord Kitchener has either got ahead
of the Beers or is about to realize his
plan, and the war Office waits to an
nounce a decisive result.