The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 21, 1900, Page 1

- The VOLUME LXXXVII-N 0. 83. SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1900. ROBERTS CONTINUES THE PURSUIT OF BOERS TOWARD BLOEMFONTEIN Free Staters Under Cronje to Unite Their Forces and Offer Desperate Battle to the Invading Britons. General Buller That ONDON, Feh. 21.—With 40,000 British troops in hot pursuit of Cronje, or already surrounding him, Lord Roberts’ campaign in the Free State has thus early reached a critical point, and Makes England is waiting the issue with marked impatience. Up to 2 o’clock this morning the War Office had issued no bulletin concerning the momen- tous operations between Kimberley and Bloemfontein other than an unimportant one, showing a Further Toward Ladysmith and May Yet Relieve Beleaguered Garrison—After Resistance Hart’s Men Occupy Colenso. Advance Slight that the commander-in-chief’s headguarters has been established at Paardeberg, thirty miles east of Jacobsdal, close to the main road to the Free State capital, from which it is forty miles distant. Nor had any dispatches come through to the newspapers from the scene of war. Lord Kitchener, who is in command of the pursuing army, has with him all of French’s cavalry, the sixth, seventh and ninth divisions, and MacDonald’s Highland brigade. Cronje has probably with him, besides his original force of 10,000, 8000 invaders of Cape Colony, some of whom were in the command that fought Clements at Colesberg, while others were at Stormberg. According to some authorities the Free Staters, who are moving from Colenso and Ladysmith, will add 10,000 more to Cronje’s ranks, if indeed they are able to join him. Under the circumstances it is a great mistake to imagine that the Boer resistance has col- If foreign experts with the Boers are listened to, and Cronje succeeds in making his es- cape, Bloemfontein will be evacuated and battle will be offered the British army in the hills before lapsed. Windburg. In Natal General Buller’s troops are still pressing forward. General Hart’s brigade yester- day took possession of Colenso, and at last reports was crossing the Tugela at that point. advance guard is fourteen miles Apparently the remainder of the army of relief will soon be across the river. The Boers have thus far not shown themselves in any strength, and the invasion of the Free State by Roberts has evidently drawn away a large number of men. The chances of the early relief of White’s forces in Ladysmith seem to be good, but burghers have shown slimness on many previous occa- sions, and may be in strong position a few miles north of the river. Some more sanguine ob- servers say, however, that it would not be surprising if they removed their guns and- abandoned the siege and fell back to the northern border of Natal. prestige. the capture of Ladysmith would not be of great material benefit to the Boers. PURSUIT OF THE RETREATING BOERS iawn or At Friday 1 was seen from 1 stationed on Klip stward across the of five thou- kop Meanwhile two of our and the Oxfords, Our infantry el of his men under cover he he rest from his main position | for Klip Kraal Drift, six t was soon discovered.| try came back across | the south | Drift night had fallen and to the crossing of the main body, | nd successfully passed the guard fought desperately to the river it was flank and rear by the passed the Nodder under | the Boors trekked the drection of Keliy-Kanny, with | n, pursued them at day- cDonald, with the High- General MacDon- Kraal Drift by forced | neral Kelly-Kenny, aal Drift, was en- c the enemy and to mfontein, S0 as to General MatDon- I left the front Gen- | 1ot come up with | ght in him | RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY | | BY FRENCH'S FORCE| MODDER RIVE rapld march of ¢ b. 18.—Although the | al French's division ber of conflicts the\ s unopposed. When| 1l eight miles off the ntercepted a heliograph message from the beleaguered garrison to Modder River, saying: “The Boers are shelling the town.” The advance column replied; *This is General French coming to the relief of Kimberley.” The garrison was Incredulous thought the message was a Boer ruse and flashed the query, “What regiment are you?r” | The reply satisfied the defenders of | Febru, | food and clothes at | or and | t by road from Ladysmith. As far as Kimberley that the anxiously awaited succor was at-hand. A few hours later 3eneral French, at the head of a column, made a triumphant entry into the place, the people surrounding the troops and in- rmingling with them, cheering wildly, sping the soldiers’ hands, waving ags, hats and handkerchiefs and exhib- g in a hundred ways the intensity of eir joy. inhabitants had been on short ra- s for some time, eating horse flesh and s Diminishing rations were served aily at 11 o'clock in the market square, inder the shell fire of the enemy, whose assembled. No horse food ghout the siege Cecil Rhodes pro- vided the natives with work and food and thus kept them quiet. The miles of convoy bearing provisions for the relief of the column and the town slowly winding its way across the plain in the direction of Kimberley was the e besieged for four months. French’s march was so rapld at so intense that many of his s died of exhaustion At the crossing of the Modder River the Boers bolted, leaving their ten guns, oxen, wagons and large quantities £ ammunition in the hands of the Brit- ish. Moving northward the Boers again at- stem the advance, but Gen- turned their flank and hed his goal with insignificant losses men killed and thirty-five wound- ed during three days from Wednesday, v 14, to Friday, February 16. After a night’s rest at Kimberley Gen- eral French’'s column pursued the Boers to Brontveld, surrounded the kopjes on which they were camped and shelled them till nightfall, when the Boers fled, leav- ing many dead. General Cronje left a gun, his tents, Magersfontein. RS T iy ENGLAND’S ADVERSITY RUSSIA’S OPPORTUNITY sever Special Dispatch to The Call. NEW YORK, Feb. 20.—A Journal spectal from St. Petersburg says: The Rossia has a vigorous article on the text that England’s adversity is Russia’s oppor- tunity. It says: “England has fettered Russia by many | treaties. The moment has come to break these fetters old s s to = Now is the time to pay off Europe has many and heavy tle with England. As England tage Russia’s weakness after the Turkish var, 50 Russia should not hesitate to 1 herself of the opporvanity presented by England’'s difficulties in South Africa, There is 1o time to be lost. Russia must not wait for promised reorganization of the English military system. If she does her hour will have passed and it will be too late.” MEANING OF THE POSITION IN NATAL LONDON, Feb. 21.—Spencer Wilkinson, reviewing the military situation in the | Morning Post to-day, says: “The meaning of the position in Natal is that the Boers have sent the bulk of their forces to resist Lord Roberts. Gen- eral Buller's aim is to joln Sir George White and then either to push on to /Laings Nek or to send back two divisions |to reinforce Lord Roberts, retaining two b 'Natal to complete the recovery of the rorthern triangle. ———— BROKE UP IN DISORDER. %ICESTER, Eng., Feb. 20.—An at- h t to hold a “stop the war” meeting ery to-night was a flasco. Mr. Cron- wright-Schreiner, hustand of Olive | Schibiner, was on the list of speakers. The jyroceedings broke up in disorder. in burrows under heaps of mine | s opened on the square whenever the | laddest sight which greeted the eyes of | 1 not scruple to turn to her own advan- | This dealing another blow at British | RETIRED TROOPS ARE | ASKED TO SERVE AT HOME LONDON, Feb. 20.—The Queen, through her private secretary, has sent the fol- lowing letter to the commander in chief of the forces, Field Marshal Lord Wolse- | ley OSBORNE, Feb, 17.—My Dear Lord Wolseley: As 80 large a proportion of the army s now in South Africa the Queen fully realizes that necessary measures must be adopted for home defense. Her Majesty is advised that it would be possible to devise for a year an efficient force from her old soldiers who have already | served as officers, non-commissioned officers or | privates, and confident in their devotion to the | country and loyalty to her throne the Queen | appeals to them to serve her once more in place | of those who for a time, together with the | people of her colontes, are mobly resisting the | invaston of her South African possessions. Her | Majesty has signified her pleasure that these battalions shall be designated the Royal Re- | serve battalions of her army. i ARTHUR BIGGE, I - o B e e e e S [ GERMA.NY'Sfi NEUTRALITY. | BERLIN, Feb. 2).—The Foreign Office witnesses with solicitude the growing | anti-German sentiment in Great Britain. The truth iz that Germany, since the | outbreak of the war in South Africa, has | maintained the strictest neutrality. No | responsible German statesman or officlal has hitherto expressed antiphobe senti- ments It may also be asserted positively that Emperor Willlam has on several occa- | slons spoken in a spirit of decided friend- liness toward Britain. True, the German press is inclined to be anti-Britain, as are also the masses of the people, but the Foreign Office points out this is a spon- taneous outburst for which the German Government cannot be held responsible, The Foreign Office denies that there is any justification for the statement in Parliament of Wm. St. John Broderick, British Under Secretary of State for For- elgn affairs, particularly for the assertion that Germany harbors schemes against the independence of the Netherlands. The Berliner Post to-night contains an inspired article setting forth the forego- ing in detall. GREAT TRADE ACTIVITY. WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.—Consul Gen- | eral Stowe at Cape Town reports 1o the | Btate Departmert great activity there in the way of trade. Cape Bay Is crowded with vessels, as many as eighty or ninety being there at one time. He urges Amer- fcan manufacturers to selze the opportu- nity to introduce their goods, saying that | ®oods of all sorts taken by the Boer army | from the Britisk: colonies will have to be replaced. The Consul General warns | American manufacturers against accept- | ing orders and holding them back in the | fear of non-payment, as such action may seriously affect future business. CAPTURE OF CONVOY. CRADDOCK, Cape Colony, Feb. 20— Details have arrived with respect to the capture of a British convoy at Riet River. It appears that the wagons were laage:ed near the drift and that the convoy was attacked by 160 Boers with four guns, The shelling continued all day. One hun- dred and eighty wagons were captured, cantaining provisions and forage. Half the drivers and leaders were killed or are missing. i AS TO MACRUM’'S MAIL. WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.—The State De- partment has ccmpleted preparations for the reply to be made to the House resolu- tion Inquiring into the allegations that ex. Consul Macrum’s mail had been opeued by the British censor at Cape Town. The answer will be sent to the House to-mor- row by the President, as Is customary with communications of the kind from tha State Department. It will show in briet that the department has no official knowl- edge whatever that there was any inter- | [ e e e o LLONDON, Feb, Daily Mail from Mafeking, dated Friday, February 9, says: f -GBS+ eb e ed e GO+t D e 045000090 0-040-0+0+0+0+0+0+000 21 —A dispatch to the “All business here is being conducted underground. The res- ident Commissioner has sumptuous apart- ments in a subterranean The Cape police have a large hall with a piano. The Mafeking Hotel dining room seats forty. All these have been dug out and are impervious to shells.” ‘bomb-proof.” CASUALTIES AMONG THE BRITISH TROOPS R e e L e S S S I SRS TLE OF COLENSO, DECEMBER 1 TREATED ACROSS THE RIVER, THE BULWER BRIDGE, THE ON PRA . HART'S BRIGADE (IRISH) CRO THE TUGELA AT COLENSO FOLLOWING THE SHELLING MONDAY OF HLANGWANE MOUN- TAIN, FOUR MILES EAST OF COLENSO, BY THE BRITISH NAVAL GUNS, AND ITS ABANDONMENT BY THE BOERS, GENERAL FITZROY HART'S BRIGADE MOVED UP AND LENSO. THIS SAME COMMAND, KNOWN AS THE “IRISH BRIGADE,” WAS THE ONE WHICH SUFFERED SO HEAVILY IN THE FIRST BAT- WHEN PASSAGE OF THE TUGELA AT THE L ON THEIR APPROACH TO THE TOWY OMPLETING THE DESTRUCTION OF Y ONE LEFT, AS THEY WENT. A ICABLE FORD NEAR BY, HOWEVER, OFFERED THE OPPOR- TUNITY, WHICH WAS PROMPTLY SEIZED BY GENERAL HART, AND A STRONG FORCE WAS THROW MENT ON THE LADYSMITH SIDE OF THE TUGELA. Dt 2000000 00000000 000000000 00060 0840000000654 3004000 00 000000030000 00000 PRICE FIVE COENTS, 3% SSING OCCUPIED THE TOWN OF CO- THEY ATTEMPTED THE ‘T FORD ABOVE THE TOWN. THE LAST OF THE BOERS RE- ACROSS AND NOW HAS LODG- BULLER NOW REPORTS A FURTHER ADVANCE List Demonstrates That a Number of Mere|Boers Withdraw All Forces North of the Tugela, and After Slight Resistance "Hart Boys Are Serving in the South African Campaign. ONDON, Feb. 20.—The War Office announces the following casualties among officers during the relief of Kimberiey: KILLED. LIEUTENANT A. B. HESKITH, Sixteenth Lancers. LIEUTENANT THE HON. W. McCLINTOCK-BUNBERY, Second Dra- ‘WOUNDED. goons. Captain E. R. Gordon and Lieutenant D. F. Brassey, Ninth Lancers. Captain G. B, Tuson, Sixteenth Lancers. Lieutenants R. I. Fordyce and W. Long,. Second Dragoons. Lieutenant H. M. Durand, Ninth Lancers. The list of casualties again demonstrates the fact that a number of mere boys are serving in South Africa. Lieutenant the Hon. W. McClintock-Bunbgery was the eldest son and heir of Lord Rathdonnel. 1878. Lieutenant H. M. Durand was born in 1876, He was born September 15, He is the heir of Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, British Minister at Teheran, Persia. Lieutenant W. Long was born in 1879. of Agriculture. He is the heir of Right Hon. Walter Long, president of the Board The casualties among General Buller’'s forces in.the fighting at Hussar HIill, Monte Cristo Hill and at other places, from February 15 to February 18, were: KILLED. CAPTAIN T. H. BURLEY and thirteen men. ‘WOUNDED. Six officers and 154 men. ference with the ex-Consul's mall, as he made no complaint to the department cn the subject. 1 QUEEN HAS GOOD NEWS. LONDON, Feb. 20.—The Queen, prior to leaving Osborne House this morning on her return to Windsor, inspected the Fourth Battalion of the Lincolnshire mi- Htia. Her Majesty announced with a gratified smile that good news had been received this morning from the seat of war. Another account says the Queen speci- fled that the good news was from Lady- smith. RAILROAD IS OPEN. LONDON, Feb. 20.—The War Office has issued a dispatch from Lord Roberts, the main importance of which is the fact v that it is dated Paardeberg, 7:05 p. m. Monday. Paardeberg is thirty miles east of Jacobsdal. The dispatch announces that the railroad to Kimberley is open and that General' Methuen will proceed there with reinforcements for them forth- with and with large supplies, which will be forwarded to the town. Bl b BOERS HAVE RETIRED. KIMBERLEY, Feb. 18, by heliograph to Modder River, Feb. 19.—The country Is all free around Kimberley. The Boers have evacuated Dronfleld, SBaltpan, Spietfontein and Bholtz Nek. One of their twelve- pounders with ammunition was captured, as was also their laager at Dronfleld, which was abandoned on Friday night. Ralls are being lald at Modder River, Sav. eral herds of cattle have been captured. Cecil Rhodes Is in excellent spirit. | Occupies Colenso. ONDON, Feb. 20.—The following dispatch has been received at the War Office from General Buller: “BLOW'S FARM, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 4:10 p. m.—The Fusilier Brigade yes- terday took Hlangwana Hill, the right of the enemy’s position and com- manding Colenso, the rest of the force advancing toward the Tugela. This morning the enemy has withdrawn all the troops north of the Tugela and had practically evacuated Colenso. To-day General Hart oceupled Colenso after a very slight resistance by a weak rear guard, and we hold the line of the Tugela on the south side from Colenso to Eagle’'s Nest. The enemy seem to be in full retreat and apparently are only hol@ing the position they occupy across the Co= lenso-Ladysmith railway, where it is close to the angle of the Tugela, with & weak rear guard. Ha “Our casualties y sniping. s advance guard is crossing at Colenmso. terday and to-day have, I hope, been few." DURBAN, Feb. 19, evening—While Ge on the extreme right and has made every disposition for the defense of his po- sition to the east and south of the Tugela by maintaining a force adequate for that purpose, isolated parties of Boers sometimes cross the river. eral Buller is continuing his movement There is much WITNESSES TELL OF THE WARDNER RIOTS Merriam Inquiry Begins Before the House Committee on Military Affairs. of witnesses In the Investigation of al- leged improper action by the United States military authorities at Wardner, Idaho, began to-day before the Housze Committee on Military Affaies. The room was crowded and among those preseni were Brigadier General Merriam and Gov- ernor Steunenberg of Idaho. The com- mittee 'adopted a form of precedurs of- fered by Hay of Virginia, that the wit- nesses for the complainants be first heard, with opportunities for response from the other side. A. A. Fraser, a lawyer of Shoshone County, where the trouble occurred, tes- tifled that the civil courts were doing busi- ness at the time when martial law is sald to have been In operation. Represanta- tive Lentz, who conducted the inquiry, ex- plained that this was & groundwork for I | cluding what he termed the “buil-pen. | and_gave a detailed description of the WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.—The hearing | Judging the need of martial law. Fred C. Robertson, a lawyer of Spokane, told of visits to the scene of the riots, I mines where the trouble occurred. He ex- plained the-friction growing out of the em- ployment of non-union miners by the Bunker Hill mine, the gathering of 1000 miners on April 20 and the destruction caused by the dynamiting of the Bunker Hill plant. Governor Steunenberg pro=- claimed that a state of insurrection ex- isted, and several men were arrested and put into the “bull-pen.” Robertson applied | for writs of habeas corpus for the arrested men, but the courts held that they would not interfere with the action of the Gove ernor, which, in effect, the witness said, was a suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. Robertson was continuing his re- cital when the committes adjourned unti} to-morrow. iy Death of Caspar Fechteter. NEW YORK, Feb. 20.—Caspar Fech- teter, a dealer In carriage materials, and one of the best-known German merchants in New York, died to-day, aged 55 years. was @ brother of Lieutenant Ay t vy Yard, Fechteter of the Mare Island Na: