Connecticut western news., 1900-03-29
.OE2 OLIVIER ESCAF ES.
Gets Away Northward to Join
 Main Army.
A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT.

Worn Out Condition of French's Cav
 airy Horses Probably Explains the
 British FaiIure-CIementsf in Faure-
 smith-EngIand's Heavy Casualties.
 London. March 2S. - With his army from the south of the Free State Com mandant Olivier is apparently eluding the British pursuit and making good his escape.
 All the evidence goes to show that the retreating invaders of Cape Colony have practically succeeded in getting away from the British columns which it was thought would encompass and capture them. They have accomplished a long. daring and difficult flank movement in the face of vastly superior force.
 Olivier is said to have already reached Clocolan, which is near the border of Ba- sutoland and on the road running from Ladybrand northeast to Ricksburg. This is north of the line on which French's cavalry has been operating, and the fact that the British general has returned to Bloemfontein seems to prove that his at- tempt to stop the progress of the Boer column was failure.
 The worn out condition of General French's horses probably had much to do with Olivier's escape.
 General Clements has reached Faure- smith.
 A small British force that entered La dybrand was forced to retreat hurriedly before a large number of Boers, who may have been part of Olivier's command. Firing has been heard at Modder pont, which would seem to be near Modder poort, to the southwest of Clocolan. Pos sibly the Boer rear guard has been en- gagged there.
 There have been cavalry skirmishes at Lord Roberts outposts in the Free State and General Buffers in Natal. General Butler reports that the Boers tried un- successfully to trap some men of the Thirteenth hussars.
 General Botha, who commands at Glencoe, declares, on the other hand, that he cut off an advance guard of lancers.
 British Casualties.
 The weekly casualty list as published today shows that the British losses will be very heavy. Mir. Wyndham's original roseate estimate that the war would be carried through at d cost of not more than 5000 lives is bound to be very much exceeded. Up to Saturday the British forces had lost 2.130 men killed. while 9,S0T were wounded and 3.51o missing or prisoners, making a total of 1o,453. To these must be added 1,200 deaths from disease, or a grand total of 16,652.
 These figures. however. do not make evident the actual weakening of the Brit ish army due to illness, hardships and long marches. General Macdonald. writ ing from PaardebeIg, states that the highland brigade had at the time only 24 officers and 1.GO0 men fit for duty out of a total of 3I officers and 5000 men Hard marching. bivouacs in the open an6 other trials of the severe campaign had reduced the brigade's strength nearly 50 per cent.
 The 5000 men that remained of the garrison at Ladysmith are recovering very slowly from the effects of the siege. It may be weeks before they are able to participate in any military movement.
 Letters are now arriving from Lady smith which show the desperate condi- tion to which the garrison had come when the city was relieved. Only 1000 men were physically fit to offer any de- termined resistance to the Boers at the time Lord Dundonald arrived. Mafeking's Fun With Boers.
 A dispatch to The Daily Mail from Mafeking, dated March 16, describes the humorous side of the siege. It appears that the colonials set up bottles. inviting the Boers to shoot at them and then chaff the enemy when the shots go wide. An other trick of the colonials is by persist ent concertina playing to lure the Boers. excited by curiosity, to raise their heads from the trenches. when they are prompt ly sniped.
 Il. manded by Mackenzie. advanced to Jack al Tree fort, the position originally oc- cup;ed by the siege gun on the southwest ern heights, but the Boers discovered the plans and evacuated it. Previously a de- 1 tachment of Baralong natives had been dispatched against q new fort threaten | ing our western position and succeeded | in creeping up to within q few yards of the sleeping Boers outside and in the rear of the fort. They fired three yolleys l and then retreated, in accordance with | their instructions.
 | Sunday, March Il, was observed as il | truce. The British troops sat on the par apets conversing with the Boers, and amiable relations were maintained until | dark.
 The Boers recommended the lombard ment March 12, a inch gun which had been comparatively silent for week fir | ing the shrapnel used against troops in the open. The projectiles were ineffect- ual against cover, but were dangerous to 1 pedestrians. One shell burst in the court house, killing several natives and wound | ing four persons. Several women were | also slightly wounded. The steel plate i of the shell passed through the hotel of. flee and spent itself beneath a table, where it was scrambled for by the em- ployees. Another shrapnel shell burst above the bombproof occupied by the Reuter- correspondent and sprinkled the l wall with bullets.
 | To Pay Philippine Army.
 New York, March 2S.-One million three hundred and three thousand dol