The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-03-19
.BOERS CAPTURE
GEN, METHUEN
BRITISH ARMS SUFFER A SEVERE
REPULSE IN SOUTH
AFRICA
DELAREY sTAMPEDEs A HEAVY
COLUMN.
Irish Members Cheer When Kitchener's
Dispatch is Read in the House of
Severe Disaster.

LONDON. March 1O.-General Meth
uen is a prisoner in the hands Of the
Beers. His force of 1900 men was rout-
ed by General Delarey last Friday near
Ltchtenburg and his four guns were
captured.
General Methuen was himself wound
ed in the thigh. Three British officers
and thirty-eight men We're killed. Five
British officers and seventy-two men
were wounded, one British officer and
200 men are said to be missing, though
there is a doubt of this. All the British
baggage was captured. The disaster
was announced in the House of Lords
today by Lord Roberts and I'm the
House of Commons by the War oecre-
tary, Broderick, who read the details in
two kilograms from Lord Kitchener.
The Irish members of the Commons
greeted the news with loud cheers.
They started a iubilatiOn on the spot
till Croes of shame. shame!" from the
Government benches made them think
better of their outbreak. Then there
was a sudden silence.
The service members of the House, re-
tired army officers, regard the news as
exceedingly serious and generally eX-
press the opinion that it will now be
necessary to send large re-enfOrCe-
ments to South Africa. They think that
Lord Methuen will be held as a hostage
for the safety of COmmandant Krit-
Finger and other Boer leaders who are
Z British prisoners.
South African stocks sumped heavily
I in the excited curb dealings as soon as
| the extra editions of the afternoon pa
pers carried the facts through the
streets.
The scene Of the fight in which Me-
! thuen was captured is in the south
! western part of the Transvaal in the
| vicinity of Mafeking. Methuen had
started from Wynburg in Orange Free
State and had nearly completed his 100
mile march to LiChtenburg when he was
attacked. The assault was a complete
surprise and came just before dawn, inn
mediately after the British had broken
camp. The Beers seem to have had
every thing their own way from the be-
ginning Of their attack.
! Lord Kitcheners first dispatch to the
/ Var ONCE making announcement of
| the disaster was dated at Pretoria
| Saturday. 1t reads as follows
| "PRETORIA, Saturday, March 81
greatly regret to have to send you bad
news of Methuen. He was moving
! with 900 mounted men, under Major
! Paris, and 800 infantry four guns and
! a pOm-pom, from Wynberg to Ltchten-
! berg, and was to meet Grenfel, with
! 1900 mounted men, at ROVierainsfOn-
tein today. Yesterday morning early
/ ne was attacked by Delarey's force, be-
! tween Tive Bosch and Palmieteknill.
| The Beers charged on three sides.
| Five hundred and fifty men have
| come in at MaribOgs and kraaipan.
! They were pursued by the Beers four
miles from the scene of the action.
! Ihey report that Methuen and Paris,
! with the guns, baggage, etc, We're cap
! tured by the Beers. Methuen, when
| last seen, was prisoner. l have no
ueIalis ,eI5I!s Oh lhe casualties, ana Suggest
| SVt"S ms PuplI@ uoH ulI!l L can SeHd
ueIlIiIIe news. IhlHk IhIs SUDDEN re-
! lI'"' u aCIINa aCy ol me part Vi DeI"Iey
10 10 70 uI@" OlL Ihe IooPs pressing De
wet
al, In Ine second Co,Hiu aISPaIGh' dated sun
""S' MaicH 'OH' LoIu NlICHeneI says
Paris has come in at kraaipan with
the remainder OF the men. lie reports
that the column was moving in two
pdfues. one, with the OK wagons, lett
IWe-Bosch at 3 a. m. The other, With
Jhe mule wagons, started an hour later
just before dawn the BOerS attacked.
Before re-enforcements could reach
them the rear guard broke. In the
meantime a large number of Beers gal
loped up on both Hanks. These at first
were checked by the flank parties, but
the panic and stampede of the mules
had begun, ana all the mule wagons,
'''N'A "a ~ / t'''N iA'i-N'NAN Z VI AAiNNAA ~
men, rushed past the OK wagons All
efforts to check them were unavatling.
MAYOR Paris collected forty men and
occupied position mile in front of
the OK wagons, which were then halted.
After a gallant but useless defense the
enemy rushed into the OK wagons and
Methuen was wounded in the thigh.
fafls, Delhg surrounded, surrendered
at 10 a. m. Methuen Is still in the
BOer camp.
LONDON, March 1.-THE news
paper correspondents in South Africa
have not yet been allowed to describe
the affair. The only additional de-
ther @ dispatch from Lord Kitchener