Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-01-11
ABILENE WEEKLY REFLECTOR ABILENE ANShS JANUARY 1900 TWELVE PAGES

ABILENE WEE
ing only on a rading expedition, ard
for military reasons being unable to
occupy Douglas permanently, has
evacuated the town, bringing off all
the loyalists. He has now returned
safely TO close proximity to Belmont.
When he announced the necessity of
evacuating the place the inhabitants
declared their lives were not worth
five minutes purchase after the
troops left. Col. Pitcher, therefore
invited them to accompany him to
Belmont.
| rr.s,dent steyn's Proclamation.
Cape Town, Jan. Intelligence
las been received here from the Free
state to the effect that President
Steyn has issued proclamation de-
caring that every white man, ire
spectiye of nationality, is to be cen
sidered a blrgher and is liable TO be
compelled to fight for the defense of
the country.
| B,-r Trenches She led
| Frere Camp, Jan. "a vigorous
Smelling of the Beers trenches on the
plain yesterday morning forced the
burghers to shift their position after
their horses had stampeded.
London, Jan. 6.-No decisive oper-
alton is reported from South Africa
] this morning, military activity being
confined to points of subsidiary i'm
portance. In the central theatre OF
operations the British apparently
have secured no substantial gains.
The only dispatch OF dramatic inter-
est is the narrative of useless gallan.
try At the sortie from Mafeking, where
the stormers threw themselves hope
lessly against Il strongly defended
Boer work.
The question OF contraband seizures
takes almost the paramount place in
the thoughts of the public, the vague
possibility that these may be made d
pretcXt for continental Intervention
disturbing official and private OBJ
servers. The governments 'indeyia-
ting purpose to enforce strictly the
right Of search has been set forth IN
detailed instructions, dispatched yes
terday BY the admiralty to the Brit
| ish naval commanders in South Alri-
can waters, giving them weighty
warnings, without exception, to up
hold the governmet measures for the
suppression of the importation Of
contraband by way of Delagoa bay.
The Daily Mail has the following
dispatch from Rensburg, dated Jan
uary 4: Some Free Staters sent n
petition to President Steyn asking to
return home. He replied that they
had crossed the border without per-
mission and, as they had no money
to pay the damage done, they must
pay for it with their blood"
The Boers Attacked vt Gsmetree.
London, Jan. 6.--The Times pub
fishes the following dispatch from
Mafeking, dated December 26:
AT dawn to-day COL Baden-Powell
organized an unsuccessful attack upon
a strong position of the enemy dt
Gametree, two miles from MafekinS,
from which the Beers have been main
tanning a desultory but annoying
shell and rife fire for several weeks
During the night the armored train,
with Maxim and IIotchkiss guns I'M
der Capt. Williams and troops, took
up positions for attack from two
sides. Emplacements were thrown
up during the night, the orders being
to attack at dawn and the artillery
fire to desist upon prolonged footing
from he armored train. At day
break the guns opened fire and rap
idly drew the reply of the enemy,
our shells bursting within effective
range. Capt. Vernon gave the signal
to ease firing and to advance, his
squadron leading of.
"As our men engaged the position
with the rifle fire II was soon found
! that the strength of the fort was
greater than we had supposed. The
enemy concentrated such an exceed
ingly hot fire that the advance OF
Capt, Vernon was almost impossible,
but with remarkable heroism and gal
lantry Capt Sanford and Vernon,
Lieut.. Patton and Scout Cooke. who
guided the squadrons and few men
actually reached the sandbags of the
fort within 800 yards of the area of
the fort. But nothing living could
exist there, since the ground was
swept by Mauser and Martini bullets.
The men who charged through the
zone Of fire suffered terribly, and IN
following their officers to capture
the fort 20 men lost their lives.
"When we retired under cover of
the armored train so many men had
been wounded that suspension of
hostiliIes occurred under the auspices
of the Red Cross. The veldt around
the Bocr position was at once dotted
with flags of mercy and 1t was seen
that our wounded We're scattered
within but a short radius of the fort,
"Some Of the British wounded fatty
accused the Beers of stealing their
money, rings and other valuables.
| We had preat difficulty in getting per-