Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-06-07
PANIC IN PRETORIA.
The City Said to Be Controlled by
a Vigilance Committee.
BRITISH NAY SEE HARD FIGHTING.
The Peace Party May BE Overrufed and
the Boers May Stand a Siege Reports
About President Kruger Conflicting
RumOrs at LOurenxO Marques.

London, June 2.-I.ord Roberts con-
tinnes silent regarding Pretoria, prob
ably because he cannot wire of events
from his own personal knowledge.
Lourenzo Marques, where all the news
from the Boer side is rehandled, ca
bles that communication with Pre-
toria is now suspended. Some mes
sage: by courier have reached Lou
renzo Marques, but none of later date
than Wednesday. These assert that
the burghers are In state of panic
and that Pretoria is being controlled
by vigilance committee. Lourenzo
Marques again sends the report chat
President Kruger has been captured.
The news blank gives rise to sus-
picion that the citizens committee at
Pretoria may not have been able to
carry out their plans for securing the
peaceful entry of Lord Roberts and
sparing the city horrors of seige. A
peace party appeared to be in the
ascendant and, as soon as President
Kruger and his cabinet left Pretoria
to organize new capital, the citi-
zens' committee persuaded the COM
mandants of the forts to withdraw
some of the troops from the defenses,
perhaps with view of keeping order
| IN the town. II messengers were sent
TO the British, or II the British, be-
ing two hours march from Pretoria
on Wednesday, entered it then or at
any time prior to Friday noon, Lord
Roberts would certainly have tele-
graphed this fact. Hence it looks as
though there was u Boer force be-
tween Pretoria and johannesburg.
These soldiers trekking back to-
ward Pretoria, some of them fresh
from the fight with Gen. Hamilton,
would have brought new element
into the situation and would probably
overrule the peace committee, taking
the direction of affairs out of their
hands. II this had happened, the
British may, as the Daily Chronicle
says, see some hard fighting" before
the British flag flies over Pretoria,
for even if the Beers held only three
forts standing close together on the
hills south of town, they would be in
q position to stand siege.
The Beers, according to special
dispatch from Lourenzo Marques, have
re-entered the northeastern territory
of the Free State and are engaged
with the British near Ventersburg
and Harrismith,
1t is reported from Amsterdam
that the best rooms at Het Haasie.
one of the principal hotels there,
have been engaged for President kru-
gers occupancy from June 2j.
Gen. Butler is moving slowly against
the Boer tanks.
The Times has the following from
Lourenzo Marques, dated June 1: Re-
ports of the most conflicting charac-
ter are current here, due to the activ-
ity of the Boer agents. While one
section declares that President Kru-
ger has returned to Pretoria for the
purpose of arranging terms of sur
render, another asserts that the Brit
ish have been repulsed outside of Pre-
toria. Nothing authentic is known
here regarding Mr.. Kruger's where
abouts of the situation in the Trans
vaal
.-.=A -.
London, June 4.-There is no direct
news from Pretoria of later date than
Thursday evening. Gen. French's cav
airy were then at Irene, eight miles
south of Pretoria, and firing was
heard there. Lord Roberts messages
about secondary operations elsewhere
and the situation at Johannesburg,
dated at Orange Grove, farm four
miles northwest of johannesburg,
show that on Saturday at 9:l0 p. IN.
he was % miles from Pretoria.
The correspondents with Lord Rob-
erts have not got through a line about
the operations after the occupation
of Johannesburg. Official messages
continue to come through; but press
kilograms are held up, probably to
avoid their giving even a hint as to
what may be the pending operations.
From the other side there filters
through Lourenzo Marques a mass
of statements, some contradictory,
others obviously improbable, but all
purportng TO be facts: Passengers
arriving at Lourenzo Marques Satur-
day, direct from Pretoria, say that
the capital was preparing to surren-
der when they left Thursday. The
forts were dismantled. The Boer
guard at Komati poort searched all
trains and turned back most of the
fugitives, among them deserving for
eigners who were striving to reach
neutral soil. Immense Boer conveys
of provisions are between Pretoria
and Middleburg. Fifteen trains are
sent daily to Machadasdoran with
supplies for Lydenburg. Pretoria is
pictured by the refugees as in state
of Undesirable confusion and chaos.
The populace are dismayed and the
British are expected hourly"
A revival of the Boer fighting power
east of Lord Roberts advance, al
though fruitless, is n symptom that