The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-06
The CAPITOL
OF TRANSVAAL
HAS FALLEN
And is Now Occupied by General
ROberts-The Beers Make But
Very Slight Resistance.
LONDON GROWS HYSrFRICAL
over the News-Disaster to British
Arms in the Capture Of 500 Of
the Imperial Yeomanry.

LONDON, June 5. 12:47 p. m.-Tho
war Office has Issued the following dis
patch from Lord Roberts:
pretoria, June 5.-we are now in
possession of Pretoria. The official en-
try will be made this afternoon at 2
o'clock"
The war office has received the fol-
lowing from Lord Roberts:
pretoria. June 8, 1856 p. m.-Just
before dark yesterday the enemy were
beaten back from nearly all the po-
sltions they had been hoding and Ian
Hamilton's mounted infantry followed
them to within two thousand yards Of
Pretoria, though they retreated has
tily.
DE List then sent an officer with q
flag of truce into the town, demanding
its surrender In my name. Shortly be-
fore midnight l was awakened by two
officials of the South African republic,
sandborg, military secretary to Com
mandant General Botha, and a general
officer of the Boer army, who brought
me letter from Botha, proposing an
armlstice for the purpose of settling
the terms of surrender.
81 replied that would gladly meet
the commandant general the next
morning, but that was not prepared
to discuss any terms, as the surrender
of the town must be unconditional. I
asked for reply by daybreak, as 1
had ordered the troops to march on
the town as soon as 1t was light.
in his reply Botha told me that he
had decided not to defend Pretoria and
that he trusted women, children and
property would be protected. At /
o'clock n. m. to-day, while on the line
of march, was met by three Of the
principal officials with flag of truce,
stating their wish to surrender the
town.
"It was arranged that Pretoria
should be taken possession of by her
majeaty's troops at O'Clock this aft
ernoon.
Mrs. Botha and Mrs. Kruger are
both in Pretoria. Some few of the Brit
lsh prisoners have been taken away,
but the majority are stlll at Waterfall.
Over hundred Of the officers are in
Pretoria. The few have seen are
looking we'll"
Victoria Rejoices.
LONDON, June 6, 4:15 a. m.-Queen
Victoria, surrounded by the Duke and
Duchess of York, Princess Christian,
Princess Victoria and many other nota-
bles Of her court. drank to the health
of Lord Roberts and the army at Bal
moral last evening. a great bonfire,
lighted at her majesty's command,
blazed on CraIggewan mountain, Illum-
mating the countryside for miles
around. The nation Joins in the toast,
glorifylng Lord Roberts and turbulent
ly rejoicing in his victory.
The dispatches OF Lord Roberts, tell
Ing of the incidents before the surren-
derlng of the capitol by three civilians,
stand alone, az the correspondents with
him have not yet had their turn with
the wires
Lord Roberts postscript announcing
the loss of the yeomanry battalion,
came too late for the public to know
it last evening. The newspaper COM
mentators consider the Incident deplor-
able, but as having no weight to speak
OF In the results. The battalion num-
bered between four hundred and five
hundred.
General Botha and most of his men
got away from Pretoria. This is in
ferred from Lord Roberts message. but
the presumption is that the Boer com
mandnnt general cannot escape the
British dispositions without fight.
Operations elsewhere seem to have
dwindled to nothing. General Baden
Powell joInet General Hunter on sun
day at LIchtenburg.
Sir RGdvers Buller has not moved.
Bennett Burleigh wiring from Jo-
hannesburg, says President Kruger
took e2,o00OOO in cash to Middleberg.
Mr.. Burlelgh and Guy II. Scull, an
American correspondent, entered Jo-
hnnnesburg the night before Lord Rob-
erts occupied the city, and made a
tour OF 1t unmolested by the armed
Burghers,