Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1900-05-31
BRITISH ENTER
JOHANNESBURG
British Occupied johannesburg
Today; State Entry will
Take Place Tomorrow.
FRENCH SURROUNDING TOWN
Roberts Is at EIandsfonteIn juno
tlon-Boers are Still Obsti-
nately Resisting.
FIGHT EXPECTED At PRETORIA

| AOhuoAi may O1-1 ue WtAf OI1ce re
ceived the following from Lord Rob
erts under date of Germiston, May
SOth: In answer to a flag of truce
sent to johannesburg this morning
the cOmmandant came to see me. He
begged me to defer entering the town
for twenty-four hours as there were
many armed burghers stiIl inside. !
agreed to this, as | ann most anxious
to avert the possibility of anything like
a disturbance inside the town, and as
bodies of the enemy are still holding
the hills In the immediate neighbor-
hood from which they will have to
be cleared of beforehand.
"Rundle reports he attacked a large
party of Beers, near Senekal, May
2Sth. He said his casualties were not
heavy. The brunt of the fighting yes
terday fell upon Ian Hamiltons COL
umn. l sent him, as already mention
ed, to work around west of Johannes
burg, in support of Frenchs cavalry,
which was directed to go north, near
the road leading to Pretoria. / have
not heard from French yet but Hamil-
ton. In report which has just reach
ed me, states that about 1 o'clock in
the afternoon he found his way block
ed by the enemy strongly posted on
some k0Diea end ridges three miles
south OF Rand They had two heavy
guns, several field gums and pom poms.
Hamilton forthwith attacked. The
right was led by the Gordons, who ,af-
ter capturing one extremity of the
ridge, wheeled around and worked
along 1t until after dark, clearing IT of
the enemy who fought most obstinate
". The hundred and fourth led on
The other flank. would not be denied
the chief share Of the action. Hamil-
ton is now at Florida, due west of 10
barnesburg, French is few miles fur
ther northeast Gordon's cavalry.
mounted infantry and seventh divis-
lon are holding the heights of the
town. The eleventh division with bat
teries H" and c. and heavy artil-.
lery are south Of johannesburg.
Germiston. Trahsvaal, May 30
1926 p. m.-Johannesburg is practical
ly In the British possession. The
mines are uniniured.
Remnants of the Boer guard fought
In the streets Of Germiston, but were
easily cleared by the Grenaaiers. Gen
Rrai French is not at Elandslaagte.
The guards hold Elandsfontein and
Germiston. The state entry into Jo-
hannesburg will take place tomorrow.
The Beers have gone to Pretoria. The
railroad 20 the vaal river is uninjured.
London, May 31-Lord Roberts lat
est dispatches show that Pretoria Is
not yet in the hands of the British,
though there Is no reason to doubt
the authenticity of the report. that
Kruger has vacated the place, and the
municipality is ready to surrender
when confronted by superior numbers.
At . o'clock last night the final for
ward movement to the Transvaal capi-
tai had apparently not commenced.
All Lord Roberts dispositions of
troops appear to apply to johannes
burg and though the British seem GER
tain OF reaching Pretoria within day
or SO. they will not occupy it without
fighting, II the opposition Of the Beers
around johannesburg is any criterion.
General French's movement appears
not 50 much an immediate advance on
Pretoria as part OF plan to surround