The sun., 1900-08-15
DE WET IS HOLDING STEYN.
Y0RNER 1REE STATE PRESIDENT
VIRTrALLY A PRISONER.

n,,,,.> nav, Not Yet CspssreA De wst-rwe
nere Cs,uuns Brought late the Chase
Plans Of the rransvaai Bosrs 60 Resist
RsAsrts1 Aavasee - Prisssers Escsp~
, s..rtai caA,s DsspaseNs to TnR SrS
Prom TEE sun 5 Correspondent 81 Pretoria.
PnxronlA. Aug is-ic q nght ysstsr-
day near Potchsfstroom. the British cap
tured one gun from Gen. De Wet.
Parties Of Boers continue snipins alons
/ the railway lines.
The tria Of the fifteen oonspirstors. who
were arrested IN connection with the plot TO
abduct Lord Robers and kill number OF
British ofncers. will take place Immediately.
LONDON. Aug. 1.-The War Otice has received
. long message from Lord Roberts at Pretoria
dated yesterday. which 10 principally devoted
70 details Of events that have previously been
reported. He says Kitchener and Methuen
on Aug II were at Modderfontein. ten miles
east Of ventersdorp.
Kitchener telegrsphed that at sohooplaats.
eight miles east Of ventersdorp. De Wet on
Aug II, blew up three wagons.
Sixty British prisoners have escaped from
De Vets camp.
They state that President Steyn 10 confined
In the camp under surveillance.
They also state that Methuen captured one
Of De Vets guns and sheed his main convoy
effectively. Unfortunately in doing % one
British prisoner was wounded
Gen. Ian Hamilton telegraphed on Aug. 10
that he hoped to arrive at Blaauwbank on that
day with his main body. Gen. Mahon with
his mounted men Ia pushing westward.
LONDON, Aug. A-The exciting chase OF
Gen De Wet by the British continues, but u
cannot be said whether his chances Of escape
are improving. .GenA Hamilton and Mahon
are moving west with . strong force TO assist
Gena Kitchener and Methuen In the pursuit
n the Pretoria correspondent Of the Mo-~rns
Post is well informed the recent abandonment
OF certain British positions II part Of a new
strategic policy aiming 10 checkmate the STRAIT
egy Of the 43osrs The correspondent does
not Give the grounds Of his belief but expresses
the opinion that Gen De Wet. who is apparently
trying 70 reach the Bushveldt will meet his match
very soon He adds that the Boers have been
dvertins men from Gen. Botha and radinS
pacific distr1cta, mainly near the railway. In
order 20 create q diversion IN Gen. Dewet's
favor. and that the British have been making
a new distribution Of troops 10 COPE with thess
tactics.
The Doilp Neus's Pretoria correspondent
makes the surprising statement that Col.
Hoares column and convoy. which was re-
ported TO have been captured by the Boers AZ
Elands River. are SAFE with tho exception OF
q few men who were wounded.
Two British oficers who were captured at
Klerksdorp made their escape and have reached
Pretoria after Ave days during which they
travelled at night and hid by day. becauss
the Beers were everywhere along their route.
A despatch TO the Telegraph. dated Mddel-
burg. describes q visit 70 the Boer headquarters
where the correspondent says he shook hands
with Gems. Botha and Vil!oen. He adds
that the main position Of the Boers Ia at Bothas-
berg north OF Belfast, where there are prob
ably 5000 men. with number OF cannon. Thers
are about three hundred men In Belfast mainly
mounted police and Irishmen- with several
guns. They all declare that they viii make
things lively when Gen. De Wet Joins them
Their avowed intention Is to make . stand .
little 10 the east OF Belfast. again at Machado-
dorp and eventually TO resist for . considerable
time in the Lydenbure Bills. The correspond.
ent declares. however. that II they are defeated
both at Belfast and Machadodorp many viii
abandon the war. He describes the Boers -
demora allied and bitter. and sayy that they are
burning and lootins by Wholesale. Hall the
bullets used By them are soft-noeed. This
fact was pointed out to Gen. ynjoen. who made
no reply.
The Boer women and children st johannes
burg and elsewhere are being constantly ssnt
by train TO the Boer lines.
The British in the Fouriesbus neishborhood
found 100 horses and cattle hidden tn Q gorge
The British have captured now 1000 Boer horsea,
1000 Of them In the pink Of condition. They
are being used against their former owner.