Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1900-03-15
ROBERTS ENTERS
BLOEMFONTEIN
Capital OF the Orange Free State
Is Moved From BIoemfonreIn
to Kroonstadt.
BRITISH MET NO OPPOSITION
Bioemfonteln VIII be the Base OF
Operations for the Advance
on Pretoria.
NOINTERvENTION FOR BRITAIN

General Clements brigade effected {
junction with General Gatacres
troops at Burgersd6rp. A patrol lef
today for Alwil North to join hand,
with General Brabant.
Pretoria, March 1S-Before return
ing to the front today General Joubert
said:
The courage of the British troops
is beyond question. They rushed the
kop1es and entrenchments in a fear.
less manner, but were no match for
the Mausers which simply moved
them down"
Pretoria, March 14-State secre.
tary Reitz this morning posted the
Following announcement:
Yesterday Bloemfontein was oc-
cupied by the British after the burgh-
ers had retired in northern direc-
ton. The seat of government of the
Free State had already been trans.
ferred to Kroonstadt."
London, March15-At 1:SO O'Clock
Tuesday afternoon, union lack
specially made for the purpose by
Lady Roberts, was hoisted over the
presidency at Bloemfontein amidst
the acclamations of the commander.
in-chief's batallions, in which the
Orange Free States burghers appear
to have Joined with remarkable hearth
ness.
Inc opposition to the entry of the
troops into the capital was insignif- |
cant. The troops were occupyins :.
few high places in the hills aise,,,t Az
at o'clock this morning. Newspa-
per correspondents entering the tow
found Mr.. Frazer and others and sdid-
ed them to where Lord Roberts stoou
on top of a hill. AS spokesman Fra
zer asked protection 10 life and prop
erty and sprrendered the keys. Rob |
erts. accompanied by his staff rode att
thS> head of cavalcade mile longi
to the presidency, receiving an ova-
tion throughout the route, culminat-
ing in a remarkable demonstration at
Market square. Reaching the gov
ernment buildings, Roberts took pos
session of the city in the name of the
queen, then repaired to the presi-
dency where the ceremony of hoisting
the union jack ended forever, ac-
cording to universal opinion here
Boer government in the Free State,
During his progress through the
town, Roberts ordered the instant re-
placement of the goods being looted
from the artillery barracks by the
Koffers. President Steyn fled to
Kroonstadt without replying to Rob
erts' demand for his surrender and
afterward, during a conversation,
while breakfasting at farm of Pres
ident Steyn's brother, said That the ex-
president had become a nonentity-
All British troops, with the exception
of those necessary to police the town
remain outside. Press dispatches,
giving the most interesting details,
also settle the point of cutting the rail-
road and telegraph communications
north of Bloemfontein, showing it a
plucky act of Major Hunt Weston oil
the Royal engineers. accompanied by
ten men, who traversed the Boer lines
. and succeeded in cutting the tele
graph lines and blowing up th'
/ tracks. Bloemfontein is now re-
' garded there as sort Of half-wa!
r house and base of operation for tn
} advance on Pretoria Military auth
!, critics here expect period of com
+ parative quiet while Roberts is estat
0 fishing railroad connection with MOI
e valspont and Bethulie, giving the me-
n and horses the rest necessary to fl
Y them for the severe struggles believe
to be still inevitable. 1t seems likel