Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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fas SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April, 1S50. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TRDE SOUTHRON, Established Jane. 1266 Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER. S. C., WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 21,1900. New Series-Yol. XIX. Mo. 30 Published Esrery 'Wednesday, -B? NT. Gr. Osteen, SUMTER, S. C. TERMS : 31??0 per aoQum-io advance. ADTKBTISSMSST: Ono Square first insertion.......$1 00 Bvery subsequent insertion. 50 Contracts for three months, or looger wil be made nt reduced rates. All communications which subserve private iaterests will be charged for as advertiements. Obituaries and tributes of respects will be charged for. Boers Drive the British From Colesburg District. Unknown Force pf Enemy Near Britisfe Line of Communication. London, Feb 14. 4.20 a. m.-The news of the day is enforced retire ment of the British from the Coles berg district, under heavy Boer pr essae and probably after brisk fighting. Thus, at a time when Lord Roberts is apparently about to push an army into the Free State, the Boers make a counter stroke in un known bot seemingly great force ?ot far from the vital line of railway connecting DeAar and Orange river Military observers do not regard this as more than a menace Never? theless, the news produces an un? pleasant impression here Gen French had manouevered the Boers ont of Rensburg in December On Jan let it was reported that he could take Colesburg in two days with rein forcements These were sent, but j the Boers also were reinforced Since theo the British lines have been extended east and west, so that at the opening of this week they constituted a great horseshoe, 25 miles in length The lines were not continuous but ali the strong posi ' tions were held. Gen French wheo he joined Lord Roberts, presumably took most of his cavalry, but Commandment De Larey with a double turning movement has compelled the British to concentrate at Rensborg besides threatening Lord Roberts commnni cations The Boer mastery of the district has caused a spread of the insurrec tion, but this, 00 doubt, will be promptly repressed, as Urge British forces are a vailable not far away. The indications as to Gen Buller's immediate intentions are contradic tory One informant, who has inti mate relations with the war office, predicts a movemeot within the next two days A number of correspond ents who have been with Gen Buller, however, have gone to Durban for a few days rest, under the impression that nothing is to be done immediate? ly The war office has directed the Bight division of 10,000 men to pre? pare to go out London, Feb 13 -The cessation of war news from South Africa is taken to indicate that the British prepara tions for a move from Modder river are about completed and that import ant events can be anticipated within a few days Interest centres almost wholly upon Field Marshal Roberts, especially since Gen Belier's report of bis withdrawal from Vaal Krantz came, for the first time, through Lord Roberts, showing that all the differ ent operations over the wide field will herereafter be completely coor dinated. It is now known that the military attaches bave gone to join Lord Roberts at the Modder river, j another move preluding an advance j A dispatch fron.? the Modder river announces the arrival there of 1,400 refugees from the Barkly West dis trict They had been ordered away by the Boers becanse they refused to join the republicans The refugees reached the Modder river, vin Koo doosberg It is learned tnat 200 Boers were killed or wounded during j Gen MacDonald's reconnaissance i There is no confirmation of tile re ported sortie of British troops from Ladysmith nor of the B >er outflank i ing movement. A repent comps from Durban that j British artillery forced the Boers to evacuate their camp on Hlaogwana . hill, south of Colenso The absence of G'-n P^rench from the Rensborg district eeems to have ? given the Boers at? opp?>r?un?y for renewed activity They have appa j reutly commenced an extended at tack on ihe B;irish lines and are j meeting with minor successes winch j are having considerable moral fff^ct I on the border colonists The Boer invasion of Zululand is i canning keen axiety Apart from I the fact that it threatens G-jn Buller s j supplies, it is difficult to believe that \ the Zulus can long be kept quiescent while their cattle are confiscated and their country overrun by their hered itary foes The friends of Cecil Rhodes are becoming alarmed at his possible fate and have sent an emissary to see Dr Leyds, the diplomatic agent of the Boer6 in Europe, in regard to the probable course the Boers would pursue in the event of his capture Dr Leyds assured the intermediaries that the Boers did not intend to kill Mr Rhodes, but he added they would certainly bold him as a hostage until j the indemi ty for the Jameson raid was paid Ia view of the develop- j mente since the raid, the Boers have also decided to double the amount of the indemnity demanded, so Mr Rhodes' friends will have to hand over $10,000,000 before be is released. It is also learned definitely that Dr Jameson is stilt at Ladysmith, in spite of the conflicting reports. A semi official paragraph published in the Globe this afternoon says Germany does not contemplate inter? vention The German government, it is add? ed, does not consider itself concerned in the future status or in the exist? ence of the Boer republics Roberts' Army Moving in Two Sections. London, Feb 15, 4 20 a ra -The British army, for the first time since the war began, is inside the Boer frontier. Lord Roberts with the least 40.000 iufantry, 7.000 cavalry and 150 guu8. bas turned the Magersfon tein lines before which the British forces have been encamped for ten weeks and, with half of hi* corps, be is already operating on Free State territory A battle has not yet been fought, but large tactical advantages have been gained The relief of Kimber ley is within measurable reach, and the way to Bloemfontein is apprecia? bly easier The dispatches of Lord Roberts sketch three days' work The for? ward movement began on Sunday, when Col Hannay set out with a brigade of mounted infantry for Ramah, on the Riet, eight miles from Jacobsdal, one of the Boer supply bases On Monday Geo French, with the Cavalry division- seized the crossing of the Riet river at Dekit's drift, south of Jacobsdal and 18 miles east Honey Nest kloof He skirmished with the Boers and cleared the way for 20,000 infantry who followed across Gen French has now fixed himself on Gen CroDje's main line of com munications with Bloemfontein" and and 20,000 infantry, with 72 guns, are being pushed up to support bim there. Lord Roberts dispatches wired from inside the Free State and on the Reit river, left him Wedoesday morn ing His advance bad not been op posed by the Boers in force. Their patrolR melted away as the Boers moved forward. The Boer army is i likely to be felt in a day or two and a battle is consequently immi? nent As to what forces Gen Cronje bas now at his disposal and as to where he purposes makiog a stand against the invaders no one bete connected with the war office knows anything The data for conceptions are wholly wanting. The forces immediately at the dis disposal of Lord Roberts are placed at 50,000 in a general way The io J cidents at Reneburg have been seen out of all proportion. Merely skele J too lines were maintained there while troops were being secretly and rapid i ly concentrated on the Modder river. The facility with which 30.000 men have already been sent beyond the rail terminus shows that Lord Kitchener has been folly successful in organizing transport He is now sup posed to be down the line, sending forward more troops and getting to gether more transports About five miles of ox and mule wagoo trains are estimated for each division, so that Lord Kitchener, who is reput ed to have more skill than a circus manager in managing field transport, has immense labors in hand ACTIVE ABOUT LADYSMITH, j L ?edon. Fob 15 -Tbr> Daily Teie j graph bas r<chived thc following da'ed j Tuesday from its ppeeial correspondent | ar Fr re : () ; Sunday the B^r-i advinceoi j dow* n-.o Ladysmith marl toward Pot pieter's rbr.ee hundred men ea horse back, wih others, proceeded to a point whare tb<?y b"2'*n to construct new frenches of rigbr anglos to tho road. This Wis about two miles north of the ri rift A p'*rty of B ?ors ai?o croped ?he Toc'-is, DOW verv ?ow, ab^ut s'x miies ; below Pofgieier's drift where they j sniped 'he South African Light Horse, who repuls^? 'hem. ..Several oth^r skirmishes have taken j p!*?ce, and the B>ers are evidently aox j i.-u* fib^of th' ir position*. They have j been growing np defropive works from j Tnobardt's drirt ar>d the Spion Kop j raege eastward to. tbe Hlaosftsua and j M-'Oie Cristo bills, both on this side of the Tugela. They have aleo two if not I fhree, wooden bridges spanning the Tugela io the bead, and a wire rope apparatus for the conveyance of food and amnauoitioos across the river.'' SKIRMISH AT SPRINGFIELD. London, Feb 14, ll 35 p. OJ -The war office has issued the following message from Lord Roberts, received this evening : "Dekiel's drift, Feb 14. 8.10 a. ra. General French left this point at 11.30 yesterday morning with three brigades of cavalry, horse artillery and mounted infantry, iooludiog several colonial oootiogents in order to seize a crossing of the Modder, distant about 25 miles. He reports by dispatch dated 5 35 p. m , that be has forced a passage of Clip drift and occupied the bills north of the river, capturing three of the enemy's laagers with their supplies, while Geaerai Gordoo, of the Fifteenth Hussars, with his brigade who had made a feint at Roodevai drift, four railes went, has seized it aod a second drift between that and Clip drift, together with two more laagers. '?General French's performance i& brilliant, owiog to the excessive heat and a blinding dust storm{ which raged during the latter part of the day. "Owiog to the rapidiiy of bis move? ments, Geoeral French met with but slight opposition aod bis losses were small. Lieutenant Johnson, of the looiskiiliog Dragoons, is the only effi cer reported severely wouoded "The Sixth division was last night on the north bank of the Reit, at Water val dri t arid is moving to support the cavalry. The Seventh division is here and will go on this afternoon. "Four officers and 53 men bad to be sent last evening in the returning ex wagons to the railway Hoe pros'rated by heat and exhaustion." BRITISH LOSSES TO DATE. London, Feb 14.-The total British casualty returns up to tonight are : Officers killed 152 ; wounded 380 ; missing 112; men killed 1,477; wouoded 5.050 ; missiog 2 781 ; other fatalities reported 563 Graod total 10,505 BOER3 OCCUPY OLD BRITISH ! CAMP London, Feb 15 -A dispatob to The Morning Post from Cbieveley dated Tuesday, oonfirms the report that parties of Boers have occupied the old British camp oo Spearman's farm ! The correspoodeot who identified the j wouoded Lieutenant. Churchill as the brother of Wiostoo Churchill says be was shot through the right ieg Ecglish Encourage Zulu Sav? ages to Rise. London, Feb 18, 4 30 a. m -As the wires are closed to correspondents with Roberts, and as nothing further from bim has been communicated to the public, the military adepts spend their time in studying maps, topogra? phy and figuring out the possibilities of Lord Roberts' communications and wbat there is left for the Boers to do. Geo Croce's communication? with Bloemfontein have already been cut The best Bews Eogland ooold hear would be that be eiecta to give battle among the low bills and ridges west of Kimberley. Should be determine net to do this, he muet raise the siege of Kimberley and retreat to a point where be would prefer to fight This retirement could be a long de? tour around (he bead of the British advance to Bloemfontein or, as seems to military students more practical, be could withdraw to the north, using the railroad for bis guns and heavy bag gage, moving to Fourteen Strearaes eta tioo aod thence into Transvaal terri? tory. The Boers have made oo prepa? ration to defend Bloemfontein, and there is no particular reason why Gen Cronje should risk a battle to protect the capital of the Free State Operations elsewhere are apparently suspended. A correspondent writing j from Cbieveley, Feb 13. says : "We \ are s'ill hopeful of relieving Lady? smith " Col Bideo Powell, in a dispatch from Mafeking, dated Jao 29, after mention? ing matters already sent out by corns p')-. don's, gives bis total ca^uaitie* up t:> Jan 25 as follows : Killed, 5 officers rind 60 ?nen : wounded, 8 officers a:?d 12*> men ; missing 34 men. No word hos been received regarding Gen Gitacre'.s 12 000 man at Storm berg. Tho impression is that these forc;:s are on th? way to Lord Roberta Mr. Chamberlain's announcement in the hou-e of commons of the intention of the government to encourage the Zilcs to defend themselves from tho Boer? is a contingency the B >er* neem tu have anticipated, as they have b. en doing everything io their power to win the good will of the Bastitos wh> have tbousaods of good rifles. The Boers gave 2 000 BifUtos a safe conduct. If ! ?he British let loose one tribe, thu Boers will probably let loose another. The war tifies bas issued orders for I th?1 formation of twenty one new bat? teries and three bat tail oo s of infantry. I The cabinet council was in sesssion yesterday for two hourn. Ii will meet today. This ip quite unusual. BULLER MAKES ANOTHER MOVE Boer H&ad Laager. Ladysmith, Feb 12 -Siooe Friday everythiog has beeo quiet The English, with their oao Doo, have moved towards Cbieveiey. They fouod the Boer position unassaila? ble oo the upper Tugeia Victorious Advance of Gen. Robert's Great Army. .London, Feb 16, 9 15 a. m -The war office announces that Gen French reached Kimberley Thursday evening Following is Lord Roberts' message to the war office: "Jacobsdal, Feb 16, a m -Freney with a force of artillery, cavalry anh mounted infantry reached Kimberled this evening, Thursday 11 London. Feb 16, 7 44 p m-The war office makes public a dispatch from Field Marshal Lord Roberts saying : "Jacobsdal, Feb 16.-The follow iug from Gen French was received this morning : j " 'I have completely dispersed the enemy from the southern side of Kimberley, from Alexandersfonteiu to Oiiphantsfontein and am now go ing to occupy their ground. Have captured the enemy's laager and store xdepot supplies and supplies of am munition. Casualties about 20 of ali ranks wounded " * Kimberley cheerful and well.' " Gen Roberts has also sent the fol lowing dispatch : "Jacobsdal. Feb 16 -I have good reason to believe the Magersiontein treuches have been abandoned and that the Boers are endeavoring to escape Gen French is scouring the country north of Kimberley One of Gen Kelly Kenny's bridgades of in? fantry is in pursuit of a large Boer convoy moving towards Bloemfon? tein " London, Feb 17, 4 45 a m -Gen Cronje with a start of a day or two. is seemingly io fuil retreat from Lord Roberts, moving northward Gen French, with the cavalry, simply stayed over night in Kimberley and then pushed on to get in touch with the retiring enemy. A long Boer wagon train in moving toward Bloem fontein, followed presumably by a large force of British infantry In their hasty departure the Beers lost quantities of supplies and ammuni? tion Military opinion here is that Lord Roberte will not push far after the Boers immediately because of trans port problems and the need of rest for the troops. He has to feed 70,000 persons in his army and the whole Kimberley population He must rebuild the railway from Mod der river town to Kimberley and re victual the latter Gen French iost a few men only in action, but the forced marches and heat have probably made many ill Numbers of remounts must be pro? vided Lord Roberts has wrought a gen uine preliminary success and the im pression is that he has done enough for the present He will need to prepare for another strike All over England tonight there have been evidences of public joy In every theatre aud public meeting, around the railway stations and in the streets there have been gladness and jubilation over the news The papers are editorially rejoicing Those who read the news closely see only one disturbing factor in the Cape ditua?ion aud that is the pres sure of the Boers toward Lord Rob erts line of supply through DeAar which was never more important than now. The Boers under Com mandants Delarey and Gooier are making a persistent effort to pene? trate to the railway They haye pushed Gen Clements back te Arun ? del and have outflanked him. All | j 8re within 60 miles, or two days' I march of the Central railway. Doubt ! iees Lord Roberts has left forces i i along the line and can send back ! more if necessary In the "house of commons last I j even'ng it waa rumored Gen Buller j ! had agein crossed the Tugeia OCCUPATION OF JACOBSDAL j Oi?:-:.dc Jaoobsdal, O. F .S., Thurs- j d,iy. Feb 15 -The road between Mod- ! der riv:r aou Jaccbs?a! H now op?o j The distance i.-< only D???8 miles. T^c j rea:] ii? available for sending reen force m es: 6 and supplies. When the Boers evacuated Jaobs d a I they were obliged to pass over a ridge where they pf?jr.icd a spleudid mark for the British ^'?^q, which show ered shrapnel upon tbe retreating enemy. Toe convoy whiob was attacked at Riot. liver bad breo countermanded, but the order did not arrive in time and thc experience was very wa'm, although the Boars did little material damage As Geo French, with the f?i engi'bened division pushed forward toward Kimberley, he found the beleaguering B?ers deserting their posi tioo at Alexaudersfonreio, thus allow? ing a portion of the Kimberley garri? son to occupy and entrench the piaoe Outside ?acobsdal, 0 F. S.. Thurs? day, Feb 15 -Jacobedal is now io possession of the British Yesterday a small cavalry patrol entered the place and found it full of wounded, including several British from Rensburg. The place was only oooopied by a small foroe, which fell back before the patrol, after a series of-small skirmishes. A battery of artillery shelled the environs aod drove out the last of the Boers. Early tis morning a large force of Boerc from Oolcsberg with 10 guns, attaoked a convoy of 200 wagons at the Riet river, shelling vigorously and doing damage But strong reenforcement? have been sent hence and it is hoped they will bring in the whole convoy ia safety Gen French's division seized three drifts on the Modder river. At the third drift the Boers were fairly strong? ly entrenched Gen French bombard ed them and drove them off Today be moved rapidly in the direction of Kimberley The Boers have left Alexaodersfoo tein, which the British now occupy. Gen Roberts is in excellent health and spirits. The hardships and rapid marching appear to agree with the whole army, who are in splendid spirits under the leadership of "Bobs." ACTIVITY AT COLENSO London, Feb 17 -The Pietermarirz burg correspondent nf The Daily Mai!, undpr date of Feb 15 b, s?ys : "There are indications of a decisive movement at Colenso "T bear that the Boers rely on their entrenchments and barbed wire entan? glement along the principal roads to check Lord Roberts' progress into the Free State The roads to Ladysmith are studded with these formidable barriers " A British scouting column blew up the conteots of the magazine at Nkand kala, Zululand, to prevent its falling into the hands of the Boers. The magazine contained a large supply of dynamite and ammunition RIOTS IN MARTINIQUE. French Socialists Safe in Paris Encouraging Ne? groes to Murder. gFort de Fraoce. Martinique, Feb 13, via Haiden Cable -The riotous dis turbances in this , island cootioue A house was burned yesterday at Des champs and today there were risings at several points A mob of about 1.200 rioters invaded La Mentio and La Soudor, where they obstructed tbe thoroughfares to such an extent that travelers were barely able to pass when accompanied by gendarmes. Some 300 rioters occupy Morne pavilion aod there is an uprising at Riviere Salee, which has no troops to protect it A numerous band of rioters bas assembled at the La Diioo iron works, four kilometres from bere. A dispatch from Paris anoonocing that M. Rene Viviani, the Sooialist member of the chamber of deputies, ha: asked for 50.000 francs for thc benefit of the strikers, has caused a painful impression among the planters. The board of arbitrators has granted an ioorease of wages of 25 per cent. The cane crop is abundant but the recent events reoder work impossible and the loss will be large. Bloodhounds on Fiend's Trail Eigefieid. February 16 -Last night a message wai received here from Trenton that Will Bart, tue eegro who committed the criminal assault on Mrs Weeks, of Aiken C.iuory, bad, by the ai? or bloodhounds, been ran down and located in a swamp three miles east of that town A large partv went to the scene and j an all nigh* search was made, but s<> j far the fiend has evaded captors | Parrie* with dog' arc continuing the j hunt today, bur ir seems that nothing | definite of the negro's whereabouts :>s j koowr. The chances arc that be will get. away \Wiiiog?;:r;. F*JD lo -The National j American Woman's . affrngc As/ocm | lion tocay elected Mrs Corrio Chapman j Catt, of New York, prudent of thc association for the ensuiog y-ar, has ^ucceeii Silvan B Anthony, who to been ac rive in the oat'le for woman suiT-cg1? for Lcaviy half a century and d'C'ined a rr- c''eo i o "o . ffico Bridge Over Wateree River Swept Away. Camdeo, Feb 13.-The Seaboard Air Line temporary bridge over the Wateree Uiver was swept away at 11.45 this morniog. The bridge had been io danger ever sisee yesterday morning Great apprehension was felt (bat wheo it gave away that it would carry with it the iroo passenger bridge a few hundred yards below. The only tbiog tbat saved the iroo bridge was that the woodeo bridge gave away before the river got aoy higher, it being 23-?- feet, which allowed room eooogb for most of the timbers to pass under the iroo bridge. Seme of tbe timbers are lodged against the iron bridge, but workmen are now trying to remove them, 2nd the danger is prac? tically over About three fourths of the railroad bridge was swept away. This wiil, of course, greatly delay toe completioo of the Seaboard A"? Lice exteosioo. CAROLINA TELEPHONES. Charlotte, N. C , Feb 15 -The In dependent Telephone association of the Carolinas was organized here today a?d the foliowing officers elected : President, W B Moore, of York viile, S C ; vice preeideDts, C Edwin Fleming, of Spartanburg, S C, and R D Babington Gastonia ; secretary, J C Mills, Rutherfordton ; treasurer, J A Martin. Hickory Executive committee-John W SimpsoD, Spar? tanburg, S C ; E L Moore, Dillon, S C : J A Hei vin, Charlotte ; Dr M C Hunter, Stanley Creek ; A C Shu ford, Newton ; attorneys, T C Guth? rie, Charlotte, and J S Brice, York? ville, S C ; electricians/C E Brad? shaw, Charlotte, and F C Manning, Sumter, S C The organization represents 3,466 independent telepones and 1,479 miles of toll iioee in North and South Carolina BIG FRENCH VICTORY. Paris, Feb 15.-M De Crais, min? ister of the colonies has received a telegram from the governor of the French CoDgo, M. H De Lamothe, announcing the defeat in battle of Rabab, the principal chieftain ef the central Soudan by a French expedi? tion under M Gentel. The FreDch have been fighting his power for years, and today's dispatch announces his overthrow He was strongly entrenched at Koona, be? tween the French Coogo and Lake Tchad, which is the objective of all French expeditions KOUDS was de? fended by 12,000 men with 2,500 rifles and three canoon After a desperate fight the French ? demolished the fortress. Two of Ra? batte cannoo were destroyed by tbe French shells Rabab, who was wounded during the fight, fled six hours before its conclusion The commander of the Freocb ex? pedition, however, admits that prac? tically half of his own force was placed hors du combat Forty three Seoegalese sharpshooters were killed aod four Europeans, including Capt Robiilot and 106 Seoegaiese were wounded The commander of the expedition reports that Rabah is .completely demoralized by bis losses, estimated at between 2,000 and 3 000 killed Louisville, Feb 16 -The Demo? cratic legislature will adjourn to Frankfort This conclusion was reached today, bot a quorum not being io the senate prevented the carrying out of this plan. Both houses met today and adjourned until tomorrow There will be 3 quorum. it is expected, tomorrow, when a concurrent resolution will be passed to resume sessions at Frakfort. -- ? -? ? - - Ciosoo. February 16.-A through freight train was wrecked 00 the Geor? gia, Carolina and Northern tbis moro? ng about six miles corth of Oiictoo near Ren no h rao uff an embank? ment, ootspietely overturning the engine and demobbing 17 oars loaded w:;b merchandise and fertilizer*. One load cf mules escaped ooitjered, ceiog on the rear end of the traio The caboose and several cars were coi dernled thereby saving toe ?ire of the conductor and fl.igman Tne Srjmao was killed outrigbt and found beneath the wreck. A brakeman was thrown from tbo top ot a car and badly injured, being bruised in?crnally and a leg broken. The engineer bad a miracu l us escape ABSOLUTELY PURE BAKING POWDER Makes the food more delicious and wholesome ROYAL BAKING POWDER CO., NEW YORK.