The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-03-13
WAR NOTYET OVER
LONDON EXCITED OVER LATEST
NEWS.
General Kitchener Reports That Msthuen end
His Command Have Been Captured BY
Boers-About Forty British Killed and
Nearly Z Hundred Wounded Methuen
Shot In the Thigh.

London, March 11.-General De arey,
the Boer leader, has captured the entire
force of General Methuen in South Africa,
and London is downcast., This last ter.
rible reverse to British arms was an
nounced in the house of commons and
created intense excitement. 1t was fol-
lowed by still greater excitement on the
street, where work was largely stopped
and crowds gathered in front of the bull
letin boards.
The news came in q dispatch from
General Kitchener, which says: 81
greatly regret to send you bad news
about General Methuen. With 900
mounted men under Major Paris and 800
infantry, four guns and one pompom, he
had started from Wyndburg to Lichten-
burg.
"He was to meet Greenfield with 300
mounted troops, but Friday morning
early was attacked by DeLarey between
Twebesch and Pametnill. The Beers
charged on three sides. Five hundred
and fifty troops have come in at Maribo-
90. They were pursued four miles.
They report that General Methuen,
when last seen, was prisoner. l have
no further details, and suggest you delay
publication until more definite news can
be obtained"
The news came like thunderbolt to
London. The extra editions of the even
ing papers giving an account of the dis
aster were eagerly bought up. The
readers hurried through the streets with
anxious faces, and bitter remarks were
passed on the subject of the govern
ment's declaration that the war in South
Africa was over. The news came too
late to effect business on the stock ex-
change, but excited curb dealings quick
ly followed the closing, in which South
Africans slumped heavily.
A Second Disptch.
Kitchener, in second dispatch, sent
Sunday, says: "Major Paris with the
remainder of his men have arrived at
Krasipan. He reports that the forces
were moving in two columns, those with
OK wagons moving an hour ahead of
those with the mules.
1.-The mules stampeded. In the rush
which followed, the mules attached to
the baggage and ammunition wagons,
with a terrible mixture of mounted
troops who could not extricate them
selves from the stampede, rushed past
the guns. All efforts to check this ter
rife rout were unavailing.
"Major Paris collected 400 men and
gathered them into formation. A most
gallant defense was made in the attempt
to check the defeat, but it proved useless.
The enemy concentrated his attention on
this little force, vastly utnumbering the
men who rallied around Paris.
cat 10 o'clock in the forenoon, finding
himself surrounded in position where
his men were at the mercy of the Beer
rifles, with General Methuen seriously
wounded in the thigh and no hope of re-
lief, Paris surrendered. Three officers
and 38 men were killed. Five officers
and ~ men were wounded. At this time
there are 200 men missing. The Beers
having no means of OBTAINING the pris-
oners, were compelled to release the
greater portion of the troops, after strip
ping them of arms and ammunition"
In the House Of Commons.
After reading the bad news Secretary
Broderick added a word of apology for
the defeated British general.
"Methuen," he said, chad been con-
Quoting operations for two years in that
QlIuculC country. I1ls ldlluTo 10 relieve
Kimberly did not reflect to his discredit."
In the house of lords the under secre-
tary of war dramatically read the tele-
grams. Earl Roberts, commander-in-
chief of the army, made speech eulogiz-
ing Methuen's "success throughout the
war"
The scene of the battle is in the Trans
vaal, in the vicinity of Mafeking.
Methuen has long been credited with
being one of the best tacticians in the
British army. Early in the war he was
given the command of division of the
British army which started for the relief
of Kimberly in Mafeking. He met with
fair success until he struck the Modder
river, where Cronje was waiting for him.
The battle of Magersfontein followed,
resulting in the defeat of the British
with heavy loss. General Wauchope
was killed in this engagement. Roberts
then relieved Methuen.
tits an open secret that social influence
has kept Methuen in Africa, while Butler
and Gatacre have. been disgraced for