otdimnn and outi) co . 8UKTJER WATCHMAN, established April, ISSO. "Be Just and Fear not?Let all the Ends thon Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." IHK UE SOUTHRON, EctablUhed Jone 15*6 Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER. S. C. WEDNESDAY. MAY 30. 1900 Sew Series?Yol. XIX. So. 4 8?MTER, 8. C. ft brus : $1.50 per annum?io advance. A ? i g h : Obo Square first insertion..................$1 go Rverj subsequent insertion........ ?.. 50 Contracts for three months, or longer wil * be made at reduced rates. All communications which subserve private interests will be charged for as ad versements. Obituaries and tributes of respects will be charged for. BRITISH TROOPS ENTER TRANSVAAL Soers Evacuate Natal Leav ing Laing's Nek Free. OPEN ROAD FOR BULLES ? His Line of March to the Transvaal Clear of the Enemy? ElofiTs Troops Deserted Him at Mafehing?British Walk Into Ambush. London, May 23.?A dispatch from b} Pietermariixborg says the Boers are re ported to have entirely left Natal, leav ing Laing's Nek free. If this is trae it leaves the way open for General Bnller to advance into the Trs^vaal so soon as the repairs of the railroads are sufficient to insure good com m,n t? i cations. Lord Roberts is still at Krooxtstadt, reorganizing his forces. General Sandle's forces are encamped at Trommel, recuperating A patrol 4 miles *Tom Trommel was attacked by ^ the Boers. One man was wounded and some horses were killed. The affair was unimportant except in showing that the Boers are still in the neighborhood and on the lookout for any chance of sniping. Further details of the fighting at < Maf eking sty that Commrjidant Sarei IStofPs followers deserted him, where *? upon Eloff fired on them himself and then surrendered with 80 followers. The dispatch also says that one party of Boers was driven out of the Stoat and allowed to escape, as "we had sufficient prisoners." , The capture of Eloff and his followers cost Baden-Powell three men killed and seven wounded. Boers Offered Stubborn Resistance. London, May 23.?Lord Boberts re ports to the war office in a dispatch from Kroonstadt as follows: "Mahon reports that the fixing col umn entered Mafeking at 4 o'clock on the morning of May IS. He was stub . bornly opposed by 1,500 men on May 17 * 9 miles from Mafeking, but the JBoers were driven from their strong positions after- five hours' fighting. Mah on's casualties were about 30. The Boer losses were heavy." Surrendered With Eloff. Mafeking, May 23.?Among the pris ** oners captured *.vith Commandant Sarei Eloff are Count DeBremont, a French man, and Count Von Weiss, a German. It is found that the Boers were guided by two deserters named Hay and Bol ton. One man was commanded to sur render and replied * 'Never. ' ' Ute Boers shot him through the head. Bethune Lost Heavily. ***" London, May 23.?It is officially an nounced that Colonel Bethune has se perted that while marching in the direc tion of Newcastle, Natal, he was am bushed by a party of Boers 6 miles west of Vryheid, in the Transvaal, and that very few of his force escaped. His casualties numbered 66 men. British invade the TransvaaL. Cape Town, May 23.?British troop* have arrived at Vereeniging (in the Transvaal) north of the Vaal river. The bridge across the Vaal was found to be intact. Twenty-seven Free State and Transvaal locomotives were captured. GER IS IN GOOD HEALTH. Bta-land Residents Are Preparing; Kor Seigc of. Pretoria. Pretoria, May 23. ? An open air j meeting has been held by the local Hol landers, 200 of whom were present, to consider the situation in the event Pre toria should be beleaguered. A commit tee was appointed to secure a pla of safety for the women and children. The onsul general of the Netherlands, Mr. Nieuwennuys, was asked to advise hi* government to take care of its sub jects. One speaker said the position was most dark. The British, he declared, would be masters cf the Free State and Transvaal; might would be right; the capitalists would dominate; the poor would be the sufferers and the Holland ers would have no chance. Dr. Heymaus contradicts the reports received regarding the health of Presi dent Kruger, which he say* is good. Mr. Kruger is transacting all the work for the presidency. In accordance with the understanding between General Botha and the presi dent, a circular was issued staring that should the enemy succeed in gaining a position in the Transvaal and take pos session of one of the districts the inhabi tants should be free to decide whether they should leave. The men must re main with the commandoes. Warren Occupies Douglas. Cape Town*. May 24.?General War ren has occupied Douglas after heavy fighting and without sustaining any loss. The Boers have retreated to the north. BOERS TO STAND AT RHEINOSTER RIVER Are Well Intrenched and Have Guns In Position. BEITISH MOVE FORWARD Great Battle Is Expected Within 48 HoHrs?Transvaalers to Offer Strong Resistance?Eight Hundred Burgh ers Surrender. London, May 24.?Lord Roberts is ad vancing in force. The wait at Kroon stadt is over and already the main Brit ish army is about 20 miles north of its former resting place. Judging from the dispatches fron Lord Roberts at Ho- ing spruit station while flanking him on either side of the railroad General French's cavalry and General Ian Ham ilton's mounted infantry are both slighty in the advance of Lord Roberts and threatening to envelope the Boer posi tion, which extends 20 miles due north. The main British army wili probably advance along the railroad while Gen eral French converges from the west, and General Hamilton from the east. Against this overwhelming force the Boers will probably follow their asnal tactics of retiring to positions, which doubtless have been prepared in advance for their occupatton. Since the last dispatch left Honing Spruit Lord Roberts has doubtless sf 1 further advanced and by now is either engaging or following the retreating Boers. The first word received from Baden Powell at Mafeking heightens rather than diminishes the reports heretofore cabled of the gallantry exhibited by the garrison duriag the dosing days of the siege. _ Details of Battle at Mafeking. London, May 24.?War office issues a dispatch from Lord Roberts at Honing sprrut, annoanoing the receipt by him of the following message from General Baden-Powell at Mafeking: "I am happy to inform yon that Mafe king has been successfully relieved. The northern and southern columns joined hands on May 15 and attacked the en emy and after .a small engagement en tirely defeated them with loss. The British casualties were three killed and 22 wonnded. "The relieving force marched into Mafeking and the relief and defense forces combined and moved out and at tacked the enemy's head laager. "We shelled them out of their position and took one gnu, a flag and a large amount of ammunition stores, etc. Five dead and 15 wounded Boers were found. The enemy appears to be retreating in all directions except one commando, which is lying low, possibly to cover the re treat of the remainder." Lord Roberts' dispatch further says: "Ian Hamilton has reached Keilbren after a series of engagements with a Boer force under Dewet, who is retiring ; before him. Broad wood has captured 15 Boer wagons. There have been 75 cas ualties in Hamilton's force. We marched here this morning. " Boers Hold Strong Positions. London, May 24.?The Boers, it is stated, have definitely determined to make a stand at the Rheinoster river, which is between Kroonstadt and the Vaal river. They have intrenched themselves and have big guns, some of then Crensot, ?a position. They boast that chey are going to hurl back the "Rooninekes." The British infantry has moved forward and within the next day or two probably the Transvaalers will have an opportunity of proving their words. Boers to Blake Strong Resistance. Honing Spruitt, Orange Free State, May 24.?French has crossed the Rhen ostet river, north of here. This move ment, combined with General Ian Ham ilton's opposition of Heilbron, renders the Boers' position, 20 miles in the Brit, ish front, untenable. The latest re ports, however, received say the burgh ers are prepared to make a strong resist ance and possess 15 guns. Fifteen pris oners have been taken. Eight Ht?n>?-ed Boers Surrender. Kixberle .-tay 24. ?About S00 Boers have surrendered at Vryburg, north of Kimberley, and a little more than half way between that place and Mafeking. The road is all clear from Mafeking and all opposition in this district is prac tically ended. Iron Market Very Dull. Cleveland, May 26.?The iron trade is slowing almost to a standstill. An al most entire absence of buying and at the same timo a rate of consumption known to be close to the highest, if not the highest mark, make a combination the trade has never seen and it is not sur prising that those longest in the busi ness are puzzled by it. Prices are prac tically unchanged, while dullness in all departments has been pronounced. Elect Officers and Adjourn. PITTSBORG, May 26.?The seventh an nual assembly of the Knights of the Ancient Essente order has closed after electing Thomas W. McKnight of Xew York supreme senator and other officers. xr meeting will be held in Cin cii.:i in September, 1901. Negroes Burned to Death. Dadevelle, Ala., May26.?Two negro men were burned to death at J. F. Tur ners saw mill near here late last ni.Mif. The negroes were sleeping in a shack near the mill, which was destroyed by tire, and it is supposed were overcome by the smoke while asleep. ROBERTS' ADVANCE TOWARD PRETORIA Methuen Is Pushing Along South of the Vaal. HE MENACES CLERKSDORP Hutton In Neighborhood of Vredefort. Threatens Federals' Right Flank. Battle Expected at Johannesburg and Laing's Nek. London, May 26.?Another advance along the railroad toward Pretoria has bronght Lord Roberts' troops to Vrede fort road, a few miles north of Prospect, where they arrived Thursday. It is re ported General Methuen is progressing along the southern portion of the Vaal with the object of making a dash at Clerksdorp when he arrives opposite that railroad terminus. G?rerai Hutton's column is appa rently in the neighborhood of Vredefort, 15 miles west of the railroad, whence it threatens the federals' right flank. The next few days will show whether Lord Roberts will encounter serious opposi tion south of the Vaal, but the best opin ion believes the next big engagement will be fought just south of Johannes burg, and that the fight there and possi bly one at Thing's Nek will prove the last pitched battles of the war. The latest indications almost point to the fact that General Boiler will delay until Lord Roberts is ready to detach a force to seize Heidelberg and sever rail road communication between Johannes burg and Thing's Nek. Hunter Pushing Forward. Waekenton, May 26. ? Operations have been pushed forward 80 miles, one of General Hunter's brigades having oc cupied Vryburg. Considering the diffi culties of the road this is a remarkable achievement for a mixed force, short of ; rations, making forced marches. Water is scarce. Some portion of the brigade covered 18 miles without a break. Gen eral Hunter has gone to Vryburg. British Searing the Vaal. Vredefort, May 26. ? The British columns reached the Vredefort road at noon and are now only two marches from the Vaal river. THE PRESIDENT MUST ACT. I He Will Be Forced to Assume a Pro j Boer Attitude. WASKiNQTON,May 26.?Notwithstand ing the declaration of the president that ! he will not interfere with the South j African war. the Boer commissioners ? expect that political expediency will j cause him to make a move which will be beneficial to their cause, j It is apparent to the commissioners that political agitation alone will aid j their cause, and they intend to take ad j vantage of every opportunity to press j it upon the attention of the American ? people. It will be *" nest effort of the ! South Afric* sympathizers in the I United State j make the failure of the president to act in the interest of peace one of the prominent issues of the cam paign. The west is reported wrought up over the refusal of the president to intervene, and it is proposed to keep the question alive. A gentleman acquainted with the sit uation in Sout? Africa and the hopes of the Boers says their troops can certainly hold out until December. Pretoria, he said, was splendidly fortified and would have 15,000 to 20,000 defenders. Should Bryan be elected the fact that the president-elect of the United States has made a declaration of his intentions to take measures to stop the war will ! have the effect, it is believed, of causing I the British to be more lenient in the j terms they will propose. j ST. tOUIS POUCE INDICTED. - Officers Failed to Do Thier Duty Dur in Strike Riots. St. Louis, May 24.?General Manager Ban m h off of the St. Louis Transit com pany has announced that he will com mence to operate the street car lines that have stood idle since the strike be gan. The management of the Transit ! company say cars will not be run after dark until all danger of attack from the disturbing element has ended. The request of United States Marshal Bohle that he be allowed to appoint 100 deputy marshals to help preserve the law and order has been referred by At torney Gentral Griggs to Judge Adams of the United States district court. He said that since the federal injunc tion had been issued the strikers and others seemed disposed to let the wires, 1 cars and other property of the street j railway company alone. The police ofti i cers have been indicted by the grand jury on the charge of neglect of duty in failing to suppress disturbances when called upon to do so in the early days of the strike. Chief Campbell has adopted j this method of compelling officers to do j their duty. ! TAYLOR STAYS IN INDIANA. Governor Mount Still Refuses to Honor Requisition For Finlay. Indianapolis, May 24.?W. S. Taylor, former Kentucky governor, anid Considerable Damage. Morehead City, N. C, May 20.?A cyclone of great violence struck this place about 6 o'clock. Its approach was unnoticed and it only lasted five min utes, but during that time it tore planks from the depot, turned over and broke the masts of the Samuel Bnckman, a jig 2-sail sharpie, which was tied to the wharf, and the men who were on the wharf only saved themselves by cling ing to posts. It raised boxes of fish weighing 200 pounds as high as a man's head and dropped them with such force that they were crushed to pieces. Cut Her Throat With Razor. Philadelphia, May 24.?Mrs. Anna Chisholm Gilmore, wife of Major J. C. Gilmore, assistant adjutant general cf the National guard of Pennsylvania, has committed suicide by cutting her throat with a razor. She died in her husband's arms. Jockey Walsh's Condition Critical. New York, May 24.?Jockey Tommy Walsh, who was thrown from his horse at Morris park and seriously hurt, is said to be a shade better, but the attend ing physicians say his recovery is only a remote possibility. 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