The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-09
IN TIGHT PLACE
BoERs NOW TRYING To PEN UP ROB-
ERTs IN BLOEMFONTEIN.
wires Reported TO Have Been Cut and
Attempts Made to Destroy the
Railway to the south.
FIGHTING EXPECTED SOON
WOMEN AND OTHER NONC0MBAT-
ANTS ORDERED To LEAVE.
Report from Pretoria that Gen De
Wet Has Captured foO Britons
and Valuable stores.
FREE STATE IN ARMS AGAIN
RESULT OF RECENT REvERsEs TO
THE BRITISH INVADERS.
Beers Boosting that the StOrmberg
and CoIesberg Commanders
Have Escaped Capture.
NO TRACE OF IRISH FUSILIERS
Beers Boosting that the Stormberg
and CoIesberg Commanders
Have Escaped Capture.
NO TRACE OF IRISH FUSILIERS
GENERAL GATACRE ARRIVED At
REDDERsBURG TOO LATE.
Boer Account of the Water Works
AGair-Efforts to Arouse the Swazis
and Basutos Against British.

LONDON. April 9, 4:50 a. m.-When IL is
borne in mind that all the dispatches from
the front are severely censored there Is
little in the news to bring satisfaction TO
England Assurance that nothing need be
feared. even If the railways and telegraphs
are cut and Bloemfontein is isolated. to-
gether with the news that ladies and other
civilians are being ordered away. do not
augur well. There rumors from Cape
Town that the telegraph wires were al
ready cut yesterday Sunday, and also
that the troops who were sent to the relief
of the Royal Irish Rifles are also missing.
These. however. are thought to be the out
come of Boer exaggerations to encourage
the burghers.
A dispatch from Pretoria, dated April 6,
via Lourenzo Marques. says: 1T is report
ed that General Dewet attacked and de-
feated a large fore Of British cavalry at
Dewet's dorp, southeast of Bloemfontein,
capturing $50 prisoners and large quantity
OF ammunition and camp stores, and in
fiicting heavy loss. The federal loss was
two killed and four wounded. All is quiet
with the other commanders" This may
refer 10 the Reddersberg disaster.
The attempt of General Colville to catch
the Boer leaders in conference at Reitfon-
tein failed probably. usual, because Of
the lack of cavalry.
The result of these serious checks to the
British arms is that the whole Free State
Is up again. and that the Beers are full of
activity over the entire field
A belated Boer dispatch says that bayo-
nets were being made for the foreign Ie.
gion under the late General De Villebois
Mareuii.
The Beers are boasting that the Coles
berk and Stormberg commanders. number
ing 5000. with ten cannons and seventy
hve wagons, have got safely through
thus performing a magnificent strategic
feat"
Boer account of the BIoemfontein wa
ter-works affair says: Colonel Broadwood
evacuated Thaba Nchu. owing to the ad-
vance of Commandant Olivier from the
south The federal troops found the Brit
tsh camp in peaceful slumber. without
sentinel or an outpost to give the alarm
General De Wet Immediately placed guns
and the commanders in such positions as
to surround the British. who did not have
time to recover from their surprise"
The Cape Town correspondent of the
Times. discussing the affair, says: "All
the details only serve to bring out clearly
the marvellous cleverness of the Beers, no
less than the marvellous carelessness and
improvidence OF the British officers, whom,
IL would seem, no series of disasters will
ever teach 10 keep wide awake. The Beers
In Colonel Broadwoods rear drove his force
into the party at the drift exactly as par
tridges are driven to a gun. At the drift
itself. as each wagon descended the hol-
low, II was shown which way 20 drive so
as not to block the convoy. When the guns
arrived the trap all clear again for
their reception. AS one who was present
said. 1T was like cloakroom. The Beers
politely took your rifle and asked you
kindly TO step to one side There was
nothing else for you to do'''
The American scout, Burnham, testifies
20 the terrific pace with which the Boer
commanders cover the ground and the ease
with which they move their guns
The Bloemfontein correspondent of the
Times. telegraphing Friday. says: "The
Beers now stretch in a thin line from San
mas post. on the south. 10 a point east of
amply protected. but their defense neces-
states heavy patrolling work.
The question of protecting the surren-
dered Free Staters is being solved by their
reception into the military camps Many
are hocking here. but ii is reported that
the farms westward OF the capital are ten
anted by women only. the men having re-
joined the Boer commandoes."
The Beers are displaying increased activ-
ity In Natal. but there is no sign that Cen
eral Butler is moving.
Mateking was still besieged on April l.
The garrison was suffering severely from
lack OF bread, and mixture of oats. bran
and mealies was doing duty for that arti-
Gle, which Is described as coarse i'm sub
stance. OF the color of gingerbread. and OF
the consistency OF Norwegian pine"
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