The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-28
Fighting the Boer Leader. Who Hopes
an Break Through the British
Lines and Go south Again.
BoERs NEAR JOHANNESBURG
MINING MACHINERY IN VICINITY OF
DoKsBURG DAMAGED.
Utrecht Also Attackcd-Rumor that
steyn, De Wet and Haasbroeck
Have Asked Terms for Surrender.

LONDON. Dec. 2S.-Lord Kitchener is en-
deavoring TO make the capture of De Wet
a New Years greeting to the War Office.
His dispatches. received yesterday. indicate
that another trap has been set for the willy
Boer leader. but his lordship is not overly
confident 1t can be sprung at the right mo-
ment. De Wet is virtually surrounded by
four bodies of British troops led by Knox.
White, Pitcher and Barker, who were en-
gagged with the enemy when the last dis
patch was sent Ominous news comes from
Johannesburg Beers are raiding the Rand
district and destroying machinery.
Lord Kitchener has succeeded in holding
the invading Beers in check. But he has
not yet been successful in expelling them
from Cape Colony, while small COM
mandoes continue to display astonishing
daring and activity over an immensely
wide field. 1t is questionable whether his
proclamation will have much effect until
General De Wet has been captured. The
Beers ars likely To regard it as a sign of
weakness and to have wholesome dread
of De Vets vengeance If they surrender
The proclamation is approved by the party
at home that favors conciliatory terms to
Under date of Pretoria. Dec rs, Lord
Kitchener wires the War once: Knox,
with Barker. Pitcher and White, is engaged
with De Vets force. holding a position in
the neighborhood of Leuwkop. De Wet
hopes to break through and go south again.
THE Beers eastern column in Cape Col
ony Is apparently. headed by our troops
about Reitport spruit. The Beers western
column is reported to have gone north in
two portions. one towards Prieska and the
other through Strydenburg. They are being
followed up
The following dispatch from General
Kitchener was received from Pretoria un-
der Thursdays date: Yesterday 200 Beers
attacked small police post near Boks-
burg. The police gallantly drove them off
before reinforcements from Johannesburg
arrived. The Beers damaged the mining
machinery In the neighborhood.
'srhe Beers attacked Utrecht at 2 clock
this morning and were driven of.
The Beers held up a train three miles
west OF Pan and were driven or
THE eastern force of Beers in Cape Col
ony was headed yesterday and driven in
the direction of yenterstad. The western
lOfCt 10 Stil4 DciLS ulAfcn nOIIn
Strydenburg."
The Evening Standard to-day says 1t un-
derstalds that the squadron OF yeomanry,
which. announced in a dispatch from
Cape Town yesterday, was entrapped and
captured by the Beers. whom they were
following from Britstown, was released
after the men had been relieved of their
horses and other equipment. Ten of the
yeomanry, the paper adds, were wounded
Martial law has been proclaimed in the
districts of Bufort West and Carnovon
Cape Colony.
A dispatch from Vryberg, dated Dec 20,
says the Beers in considerable numbers
were then making an unexpected move
ment westward. They had $50 wagons The
dispatch suggests that they were trekking
10 Damaraland, although the Beers them
selves denied such an intention.
Queen Victoria, 1t Is said, has approved
the proposal TO institute a new order Of
knighthood TO reward officers who have
served in South Africa The order will
probably be called the Star of Africa.