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- Te Call, VOLUME LXXXVII-NO. 81 SAN FRANCISCO, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1900. PRICE FIVE CENTS. KELLY-KENNY'S FORCE PURSUES THE ARMY OF CRONJE WHILE BULLER ENGAGES THE BOERS ON TUGELA RIVER British Capture More Than One Hundred Wagons Laden With Boer Supphes Federals Make a Stand at Each Kopje to Coverthe Movement of Their Convoy in the Re- treat From Kimberley. ACOBSDAL, I g the wa 1 12 Febr 17.—~General Kelly-Kenny is still captured more than 100 1ary Boe He has now with supplies. The Highland Brigade re- forced hin a forced march. General French has left mberley to join in the pursuit of the Boer army. The guards ve occupied the Boer position at Magersfontein. ails of the Boer retreat show that the enemy s been fighting a good rear guard action and occupying successive kopjes in order to ow the moving of the convoy, which, however, has been going at a very slow pace, the ani- | being dead beat. The latest reports show that | the neigh Kraals drift are un- march is still the subject of in view he duststorms and thunder- verienced ‘f the Boers proceeds vigorously. Ow to the style of the action, the Boers are bound to show open whenever they are obliged to leave the kopjes. BIRDS RIVE Feb. 17.—The position near s occupy a strong hill north of r Gatacre hold a commanding the Boer 1at the British un to the south. Both are n taining a brisk exchange of shells over Dordre: Ge I“»‘ s horse, 2000 strong, commenced the mar : rsday mnrmng over a trackless Early they were fired upon, and the firing commucd all day Iritish clearing the Boers out of | ions under a terrific rifle fire lasting eight hours. midnight on Friday the British forced the Boers int of “'(' bayonet out of their last position, an impor- ng Dordrecht. The artillery duel was con- | into the night, the ward casualties were eight killed, including Captain eutenant !hanz!!m. and eight wounded. The some prisoners and a quantity of forage and lesome dread of 10,00 cavalry, moving more quickly than they do themsel hope to be in Bloemfontein shortly. Mail has another dispatch GENERAL CRONJE ' HAS ESCAPED Daily der River milita camp, morning, which says: HIS PURSUERS e rved moving wagons along the kopjes toward Koffyfontein. Our mounted i ntry was sent out from Klip Drift, but driven back, and the enemy’s wagons General Knox's Twelfth Brigade, »wever, quickly attacked the enemy’ main body, and severe fighting went on all day over a line which was very ex- The enemy, making a desperate npt, finally escaped, owing to the ser- ne bend of the river. The mounted May Lose Some cf His Bag- gage. but His Army Is Safe From Canture. assed 9.1t i& now amply con 1 Cronje escaped. Every | infantry suffered from the trying flank i R, Broves how movement. Our force has now been re- 3 Roberts’ pl e i e s o "y e The correspondent of the Times at Mod- ceived and were succeeding. But for the | gor River, wiring yesterday, | unexpected delay at Dekiels Drift, which | “General Cronje's army of 10,00 men, | ns, the | with 1000 wagons, is in full retreat toward | Bloemfontein, hotly pursued by General Kelly-Kenny. It will probably be a rear- guard fight all the way to Bloemfontein. Our cavalry has already returned from Kimberley to join in the pursuit.” A dispatch to the Times from Naauw- movements uted exactly as to t 185944 ere exe ently the main army, and e poort, describing the retirement from | togett e probably w Arundel, draws attention to the devotion | € of twenty men of the Victoria Mounted T il abont | Rifies, who were caught in a trap and Ac- | died to a man, fighting to the last. Mall correspondent which consisted 5t 20 ROBERTS’ PROCLAMATION aded with 6000 pounds of T0 THE FREE STATERS xt it was qu s T '”";m".,’-’;:;' e CAPE TOWN, Feb. 18.—Lord Roberts f eighty of the Gordon Hi has issued a proclamation to the burghers of the Orange Free State saying that he | t feels it his duty to make known to all the burghers the cause of the coming of the British as well as to do all in his power to terminate the devastation caused by the war, and that he issues the proclama- tion in order that if the burghers should continue fighting they may not do so ig- norantly, but with a full knowledge of their responsibility before God for the lives lost in the campaign. The procla- tion goes on to say: Britsh Government believes that the and unjustifiable invasion of British ry was not committed with the general approval of the people of the Free State, with whom the British Government has lived in complete amity for so many years. It be- lieves the responsibility rests wholly with the Government of the Free State, acting not in the interests of the country, but under mis- chievous influences from without Great Britain, therefore, wishes the people of the Free State to understand that it bears them no 11l will and that, so far as Is compati- ble with the successful conduct of the war and the re-establishment of peace, it fs anxious to preserve them from the evils brought upon them by the wrongful action of their of the army service corps ard hener's Horse, maintained a the arrival of reinforce- ing insignificant casualt dard’s correspondent at Jaco aphing Thursday, February 1 fes made yesterday upon our main body by a who were hurried up They succeeded In cap- ir wagons, but Lord y his march to retuke w casualties on our supply columns = est Kloof to-day, hav- shes the following morning, Febru- ance seems to have and thrown them r positions were hur- nd the big guns at Ma- 4 Kimberley were left be- ral Cronje moved his transport, ng of many hundreds of WAZODS, | Government. slong a bank of kopjes north of the Mod- Gyetpeeiip= der. toward Koffyfontein. It got past our | mounted infantry, but owing !n“enrl'\"!fl‘ FRENCH SPY EXPOSED bad to stop. Thereupon our artillery opened u t. The main body of (hei THROUGH DR. LEYDS rees kept up a running fight the | 2 PARIS, Feb. 18.—The sensational news- r Zach time thelr advance guard sought | papers of Paris publish a story with re- ainly trying to escape. to move off our mounted infantry gal-|gard to a sub-chief of one of the bureaus Joped around and checked them. We |of the Ministry of Marine named Philipp, never attempted to stop their main move- | who is said to have been discovered in an ment, contenting ourselves with trying to { offer to furnish Great Britain information check them. relating to the freighting of vessels for “Their position at Koffyfontein is said | the Transvaal in French ports. It is al- to be very strong. They entertaln a |leged that in the letter containing his pro- | O R S R U S SR A S 2 D e e T iCa SROSY SO S + ® 1 ® . ® * 2 gton’s Tigers,” so called from ¢ of colonial horsemen serving with Lord Methuen's column. . 4 4 titleof t s of the Army. ® own movements through to the enemy, raised strong ¢ weeks ago to order their disbandment. @ @i eoed ACOBSDAL, Roberts’ combinations for Orange Free State, the been foreseen had to be overcome. design began at 3a. m. on Sunday. into Kimberley on Thursda; according to the field marsha a half days marched ninety miles with two small engagements. The relief of Kimberley was accomplished with the loss of | base has solved one of the problems, only fifty men. Twenty thousand infantry made a splendid | lem of the war. march under a sub-tropical sun and through a dust storm to hold the positions which General French took. themselves so wonderfully mobile. Lord Kitchener was with General Tucker's division. In| consequence of his transport arrangement the four divisions moving over the sandy veldt are fed and watered. possible to apprecia with which every part worked, through the night, the adequately of the marching through the day, R e O O e e e ONLY FIFTY BRITISH FELL IN THE MARCH TO KIMBERLEY Lord Roberts’ Well-Laid Plans for the Relief of the Besieged Town Executed Without a Single Hitch. Feb. 16.—Lord | hour results from seeming chaos. expected of him cheerfully, though enduring frightful fatigues. Few slept more than three hours. hour toiled through the when now and then a man fell out of the ranks exhausted he would rejoin his company later after he had rested. fifty or sixty were overcome by the heat and had to be sent to the rear in the backward defile of empty wagons. The rapidity of Lord Roberts’ Friday, movem, dovetatled with precision, although obstacles that had not | The execution of his | General French rode afternoon, just when he was due, 's timetable, having in four and a mathematical transport toiling almost sleeplessly | victualing the army and | @*00-2-¢-o Hflfimww+@fl+www+o+flw RlMINGTON S SCOUTS WATCHING THE BOER MOVEMENTS (FROM “BLACK AND WHITE.") < Later, however, their good-fellowship with the people of the locality they operated, many of whom were of Boer blood and sympathies, coupled with the fact of a continual leakage as to his suspicion as to their fidelity, and caused General Methuen some three ents of the corps rtillery and fought | It is hardly | precision | department has | evolving the broad band of leopard skin worn around their hats, were a picked body They were raised by Major M. F. Rimington, Sixth Inniskil- lins, from among the residents of the country, and their fine work in the earlier part of the campaign earned for them the B e e R o He and Lord Kitchener have created a mobile force, able to move in exterfor lines and to outflank the Boers, The position of the Boer army at Spytfontein being un- tenable, General Cronje ordered a retreat. this dispatch is written it I8 uncertain whether his whole force or only a portion has gone toward Bloemfontein. that a part is going north of Kimberley. 29-ton gun is still in the neighborhood of Kimberley. every | road from Jacobsdal to Modder Station is now open. B R e e A At A 4 in which Q¢ v eoeo Everybody did what was The battalions hour after heavy sand uncomplainingly, and Some movement away from h perhaps the chief prob- At the moment It is possible It is supposed that a The posal he asked 25,000 francs in return for the information. It is also alleged that the letter was seized on the strength of information given through Dr. Leyds, whereupon M. Philipp absconded. The Nationalist journals fnsinuate that he re- celved timely warning from the French Government and was thus enabled to es- cape to England. Dr. Leyds, however, denies the part at- tributed to him in the affair, and the British Embassy has issued a formal re- pudiation of any relations direct or indi- rect with Philipp. According to the Journel des Debats, Philipp has gone to the United States, where he formerly lived, and where, it 18 sald, he became a bankrupt as the result of his unfortunate management of his business as a plcture dealer, The method by which he was trapped recalls the Dreyfus affair. He received a letter Inviting him to meet a veiled lady, as In the notorious case of Lieutenant Colonel da Paty de Clam, at a well known cafe. Here, according to this story, he indiscreetly revealed his designs to the velled lady, who immediately informed the departmental commission, which promptly proceeded to investigate. Be- fore action could be taken, however, the bird had flown. e KINDNESS OF BOERS TO WOUNDED AUSTRALIANS ARUNDEL, Saturday, Feb. 17 (received by dispatch rider).—Captain Longhurst of the British medical corps spent a night at Hobkirk's farm attending the wounded Australians. He says that the enemy were remarkably kind to the wounded, providing them with mattresses and giv- ing them all the eggs they had. The Boer commander and Captain Longhurst found that they had mutual friends in London, and were soon on the best of terms. The Boers and the British wound- ed fraternized. Noticing that the bando- llers of the enemy were filled with soft- nosed bullets, one of our men said: “You ought not to bring such things to fire at : “We must use whatever we can get This particular Boer contingent had come from the northern district of the Transvaal, where the Boers are used to hunting big game along the Limpopo. The men had obtained their ammunition for that purpose. One Briton, whose thigh had been shattered, replied to this ex- planation: “Well, I wish you had been kind enough to shoot me lower down.” After the retirement of the British forces the Boers held a prayer-meeting and thanked heaven for thelr success. They separated into small parties and moved to their various outposts, chanting hymns as they went. Captain Longhurst says that he was much Impressed by thelr considerate treatment of the British wounded. S A LADYSMITH GARRISON IN EXCELLENT SPIRITS LADYSMITH, Saturday, Feb. 17 (by heliograph via Wenan).—The Boers have been very active here during the last few days and are evidently making a move somewhere. The garrison, greatly de- lighted to learn of the relief of Kimberley, is in excellent spirits and fit for anything. LADYSMITH, Thursday, Feb. 15 (by heliograph and native runner via Chieve- ley).—Dr. Jameson has the fever. The heat is tremendous, but the morale of the camp Is excellent. Burgher’s Stubbornly Contest the Adwvance of Imperial Troops Toward Ladysmith. Buller With Slight Occupies Hill an Hussar IL.oss After Artillery Duel Lasting From W ednesday Until Friday. CHIEVELEY, Feb. 18.—General Buller’s casualties during th= last three days’ operations have been about 80. The British forces have now partly as- cended Monte Christo Hill. NEW YORK, Feb. from Lour:znzo Marquez: I18.—The Sun has the following Commandant Lucas Meyer wires to-day from Colenso that very heavy fighting is going on in the Blaaw Krantz Valley. The British are in overwhelming numbers, but all the Federal posi tions were maintained when the dispatch was sent. HIEVELEY, Sunday, tablished his headquarters lery firing was maintained Wednesday until Friday. Feb. 18. — General Buller has es- ar Hill. Heavy artil- by both sides from on Hu at intervals The British slowly pushed the ad- vance, and their infantry occupied new intrenched positions in front of Hussar Hill, with slight loss. It is believed the lyddite worked havoc in the Boer trenches. The Boers are supposed to have moved their big guns back over the Tugela on Friday afternoon. The whole country is thickly wooded. heavy at times. The rifle fire has been The British operations are directed to the capture of Hlang- wane Hill, where the Boers are strongly fortified, and from which they are shelling the British with The British infantry great accuracy. s now deployed along a line extending for seven miles to the small kopjes at the foot of Monte Cristo Hill. shelled Monte Cristo, with the Krantz Hill, on the right. From 6 o'clock Friday morning the British incessantly nek separating it from Blaauw The British infantry is making slow progress up the nek in the endeavor to occupy Meonte Cristo, which will enable it to enfilade the Boers on Hlangwane. CHIEVELEY, Wednesday Feb. 14 (delayed by censor). —The movement northeastward began this (Wednesday) morn- ing. intrenched the hill. right and Sir Charles Warren in Lord Dundonald, with cavalry, cupied Hussar Hill, five miles north of Chieveley. General Lyttelton worked around to the infantry and artillery, oc- The infantry the front and to the left. The Boers were heavily intrenched on Hlangwane and Monte Cristo hills. A steady, independent fire, with occasional volleys, was maintained for hours, and the enemys’ trenches were vigorously shelled. early part of the day, it across the river. Our casualties were few. FRERE CAMP, Feb. several laagers. General Buller but when The Boers had one gun in action during the we began shelling they moved They used one Nordenfeldt in the afternoon. 16.—The Boers have abandoned renewed the bombardment of the Boer position without eliciting a response. Another forward movement is regarded as imminent. HEAVY FIGHTING AHEAD OF THE BRITISH FORCES For the Frst Tlme Since the | War Began the S tuation | Favors Them. | Special Cable to The Call and New York Her- nld. Copyrighted, 1900, by the New York Herald Company. LONDON, Feb. 19.—With General Buller | about to attempt, if he has not already begun, for the fourth time to advance on Ladvsmith and General Kelly-Kenny pur- | suing the Boer forces toward Bloemfon- tein, theye is likely to be a week of heavy | fighting. While there is no confirmation at hand, | persistent reports indicate that Buller in- tends this time to move by way of Co- lenso. On Wednesday he ‘began his pre- | Major Doveton's wife, who was given a safe conduct through the Boer lines, has arrived here to nurse her husband, only to learn that he died on Wednesday, Feb- ruary 4. MACRUM ADHERES TO HIS CHARGES PITTSBURG, Pa., Feb. 18.—Charles E. Macrum, former Consul at Pretoria, South Africa, left for Washington to- night. Before leaving he said: “I do not withdraw a word of my charges against the British officials and stand ready to testify to them and fur- nish evidence of their truthfulness.” The ex-Consul says he Is not going to Washington on any special mission, but wants to be on the ground to give his tes- timony should it be needed. Briosess it Powder in Salt Sacks. LONDON, Feb. 15.—A dispatch from the Swaziland border, dated Friday, Febru- ary 16, says: The Boer agent at Bremersdorp, Swazi- land, has been maintaining regular com- munication with Delagoa Bay via Swazi- land. Two coolle carriers have been bearing sacks supposed to contain salt through Tongaland. On examination it was found the sacks contalned gunpowder. ———— Supplies for the British. NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 18.—The steamer Montezuma with 1500 mules and a large f feedstuffs for the Brm.h arm; 3;:5.":1‘-’:; i South Africa ol coday parations by selzing Huzzar Hill, but the censor has again become active, and no | dispatches of a later date have been | recetved. | Ladysmith reports that the Boers are | moving from the neighborhood of Calenso | and that the investing force is di- minished. | Lord Roberts’ strategy up to the pres- | ent has been remarkably successful. At present the situation seems to be that | General Methuen Is at Magersfontein, General Tucker at Jacobsdal and Generals Kitchener and Kelly-Kenny, aided by the | Highland Brigade, holding the Boer army on its flight toward Emmaus and Patrus- berg. General French has come south- ward to join in this movement. | There are still many obscure points in this military operation. It is not known | whether the Boers from Spytfontein has gone, what kind of a force French | found northof Kimberley before he turned to join Kelly-Kenny, nor whether Cronje, | with his force, has been arrested in his | retreat on Bloemfontein or has retired | northeastward. The Boer commander was undoubtedly aware several days be- fore Roberts’ move of the meaning of the mobilization below Modder, and it is be- leved that one of his chief occupations was to remove the heavy guns which had been mounted around Kimberley and | Magersfontein, holding Jacobsdal with a few men and keeping a sparse body to line the Magersfontein trenches. He probably sent off the Creusots and Long Toms to the north. ‘The difficulties of transportation, which have gone, what kind of a force French against British mobility, appear to a large extent to have been overcome by | the head laager before | the Hercules and the Sultan to coal, the genius of Kitchener. As to the reports of Boers from Colese berg capturing a British convoy of 200 wagons, the Daily Mail's correspondent says that the Boers were held at bay until reinforcements arrived. For the first time since Ladysmith was invested the situation is regarded In Lo don as distinctly favorable to the British. In the west the British right wing is act- ing on the defensive south of Orange River, holding Its own, while the British left wing, beyond the Orange, has raised the siege of Kimberley, compelling the retreat of the Boer right, and undertaken its purs The primary objective of Roberts is still to cripple that force as the best preparation for his principal task. His movement eastward Into Orange Free State will also have for its object to disturb the Boer army In Natal by causing the Free State troops to wish to defend their own country. So long as Cronje could hold his own against the British and while the Boer invasion of ape Colony was making progress, there was no urgent reason for uneasiness in Ladysmith, but with an army which Cronje cannot resist pushing through the Free State the Boer commander must foresee a time when, if he remains in Natal, he will be between | the armies of Roberts and Buller. That Is the situation which, while the two British armles are several marches apart, may enable the Boers to throw the bulk of their force against ome of their opponents, while acting on the de- fensive with a smaller body against the other. But every day's march brings the British forces nearer together and in- creases the prospect of danger to the Boer army. There Is a message from Ladysmith re- porting that the Boers have some move- ment in preparation, and they may be sending off a contingent to reinforce Cronje or to make a new assault on the town. Buller's demonstration at Hussar Hill and his possible advance may have the effect of preventing either move, While the mobilization of the reserve squadron by the Admiralty Is meeting with unqualified approval, it has also served to direct attention to the fact that the British navy is not so strong actually as on paper. The fact that the Admiralty has ordered such vessels as the Nelson, that they may be ready for commissioning. is a striking {llustration of this. These battle-ships are out of date. They are all armed with obsolete muzzle-loaders and the Nelson is so slow and cumbersome that her name has long been a byword in every wardroom afloat. Pitted against modern ships, they would only prove death traps for the men in them. It 18 significant that the departure of the channel fleet to Gibraltar has been delayed until the reserve fleet is readw.