The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-03-11
METHUEN is
A PRISONER
ENGLISH GENERAL WOUNDED
ANR IN HANDS OF BoERs.
CAPTURED DY CEN. uELAREY
Other Prisoners and Four Guns Taken
BY the Victorious
8urghers.

London, March 10.-General Me-
thuen and four guns have been captur-
ed by General Delarey. Methucn was
wounded in the thigh. Three British
officers and SO men were killed Five
British officers and 70 men were
wounded One British officer and 200
men are missing.
The text of Lord Kitchener's dis
patch announcing the capture Of Gen
eral Methuen is as follows:
Pretoria, Saturday, March 81
greatly regret to have to send you
bad news of Methuen, he was moving
with 900 mounted, under Major Paris,
and 300 infantry, four guns and a
pompom, from Wynburg to Lichten-
burg and was to meet Grefell. with
1900 mounted men, at Roviraines-
fontein today, Yesterday morning
early he was attacked by Delarev's
force, between Twe-Bosch and Pal
meiteknilt. The Beers charged on
three sides.
give 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.
They report that Methuen and Paris.
with the guns, baggage, etc, were
captured by the Beers. Methuen,
when last seen, was a prisoner. l
have no details of the casualties, and
suggest delaying publication till I can
send more definite news. I think
this sudden revival Of activity on the
part of Delarey is to draw off the
troops pressing De Wet
In a second dispatch dated Sunday.
has come in at Kraaipan, with the re-
mainder of the men. He reports that
the column was moving in two par
ties. The one, with OK wagons, left
Twe-Bosch at 3 a. M, the other, with
mule wagons, started an hour later.
"Just before dawn the Beers attack
ed. Before reinforcements could
reach them, the rear guard broke. In
the meantime large number Of Beers
galloped on both TANKS. These at
first were checked by the flank parties
but the panic and stampede of the
mules had begun and all the mule
wagons with a terrible mixture of
mounted men rushed past the OK
wagons. All efforts to check them
were unavailing.
"Major Paris killed 40 and occupied
a position a mile in front of the OK
wagons, which were then halted. At
ter gallant but useless defense the
enemy rushed onto the OK wagons and
Methuen was wounded in the thigh.
Paris, being surrounded, surrendered
at 10 a. m. Methuen is still in the
Boer camp.
Then follows the number of casual
ties, as stated above
The news came like a thunder bolt
to London. The extra editions of the
evening papers giving an account of
the disaster were eagerly bought up
and their readers hurried through the
streets with anxious faces and bitter
remarks were passed on the govern
ment's declaration that the war in
South Africa was over.
The news came too late to affect
business on the stock exchange, but
excited curb dealings quickly allowed
the closing in which South Ar cans
slumped heavily. The news caused
great excitement in the money market.
Throgmoren street was thronged with
South African operators eagerly in
quiring for details of the British de-
feat and watching the effect of the
announcement. Shares were offered
freely at first, but by o'clock the ex-
citement had abated and the curb tone
hardened.
The news was received in the house
of commons amid great excitement.
The reading of Lord Kitchener's tele-
gram by War Secretary Broderick was
listened to in deep silence, which was
broken by loud Irish cheers. Instant
ly there were cries of SHAME shame"
from the government benches, then
the Irish members seemed to think
better of their outbreak and suddenly
subsided. The subsequent eulogistic
references to General Methuen were
received with cheers.