The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, June 06, 1900, Image 1

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IHK suMTKR watchman, E?t?Miehad 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." the tree soutbkon. Established Jone ISfce Consolidated Aug. 2,1881 SUMTER. S. a. WEDNESDAY. JUNE 6, 1900. New Series?Vol. XIX. No.45 Fublislie? Wednesday, NT. G-, Osteen, S?MTER, s; c. RMS : $1.50 per annum?in advance. advertisement: One Square first insertion.$1 00 Every subsequent insertion. 50 Contracts for three months, or longer wil he made at reduced ratee. AU communications which subserve private interests will be charged for as advertiements. Obituaries and tributes of respects will be charged for. TBE WAR IN AFRICA. GEN ROBERTS CAPTURES A SUBURB OF JOHAN NESBURG. London. May 29?The following dispatch bas been received from Lord Roberts: Germistoo, May 29, 6 30 p. m.?\\ e arrived here this afternoon without being seriously opposed. No casualties as far as I a? aware in the main column, and not many. I trust, in ths cavalry and mounted infantry. The enemy did not expect us till tomorrow and bad not, therefore, carried off all their rolling stock We have posses sion of the junction connecting Johan nesburg with Natal, Pretoria and Klerkedorp by railroad "Johannesburg is reported quiet, and no mines, I understand, have been injured. "I shall summon the commandant in the morning, and if. as I expect, there is no opposition, I propose to enter the town with all the troops at noon " Germistoo is a suburb to the south east of the Johannesburg railway juno tion. Additional evidence that the mines are intact comes in a message received by a mining company here today from its Johannesburg representative, dated May 28, via DeUgoa bay, saying "all rights Lord Roberts' dispatch is regarded 28 announcing the virtual occupation of Johannesburg, and apparently the Boers have again effected a retreat, as there is no mention of any prisoners or captares except of rolling stock There will be some tittle anxiety pending the actual occupation of Jo hannesburg, as there are rumors that the town has been mined with the in tention of blowing up Lord RDberts aod his staff on their entry into that placa. London, May 30, 3 30 a m ?Lord Roberts is bivouacking in the suburbs ' of Johannesburg and icter.ds to make a victorious entry at noon today fudging from h:s dispatch, be must have private information regarding the disposition of the garrison in the fort, as be does not seem to expect opposi? tion Lord Roberts' cavalry have flowed on beyond Johannesburg A portion is understood to be at Zarfooteio, sevea miles north of Johannesburg and with io 20 miles of Pretoria. Lord Roberts, although with a broken bridge at Ver eeniging and a wrecked railway be hind him has somehow managed to get forward sofnoient supplies for bis large foroe. As he has been able to do so mncb, it is considered possible that he will be oatside of Pretoria Friday. The rapid ity of bis advance is thought an extra ordinary achievement, even by grudg ing continental critics. The Boers, who were expected to fisht ajlong tbe line of hills known as Klipriversberg, abandoned the eastern end tbe range near Lord Roberts' advance iiop, but they stood their ground on the extreme right near Van Wyckrust, where they met Gen French's turning movement The fight continued all day aod the result i* as yet mere conjacture. Prob ably the Boer rear guard succoeded in keeping Gsn. French off and is cow in the hills northwest of Johannesburg. PORTS EVACUATED AND KRU?5E7* AND TROOPS LEAVE CITY. London. May 31, 2 a. m.?The Daily Mail publishes tbe following dis patch from the Earl of Rosr-lyon who vras a prisoner at Pretoria, but who, as a civilian, appear? to bave been re leased : "Pretoria, Wednesday, May 30, 11.45 a m ?Pretoria will be occupied in about two hours, without resistance. Tbe president has gone to Waterval boven. Burgomaster De Souza ia an thorized to receive the British He, with an influential commirtee of citizen?, including Chief Justice Gregor Grego roweki, has been appointed to preserve life and property during the interreg num "Everything is qo'e^ but crowds are waiting expectantly in Church square for tbe arrival of tbe British "Fearing a possible disturbance and bloodshed amone the prisoners of war at Waterval, U. S. Consul Hay and Leigh Wood insisted upon 20 effimere being liberated on parole to go to tbe meo. His action caonot be too highly praisei. "I was Dermitted to accompany the offiaers. Everything was quiet " Pretoria, Wednesday, May SO.?At a publie meeting cai ; ed this morning by ! the burgomaster of Pretoria, a commit tee was appointed to keep the public order Pretoria. Wednesday, May 30.? British officers are now at Johannes burg dictating terms of surrender. The British advance guard is half way between Johannesborg aud Pre toria. It is reported that there is a focro also at Hatherly. All the forces have been dismissed ? from tbe forts arouod Pretoria. ? President Kroger is now a: Water vallboven. BULLER'S MOVEMENTS. London, May 30?The following j dispatch has been received at the war office from Gen Bulier : Newcastle, May 30 ?The eoemy haviog formed a laager east of tbe town at D?rnberg, pressed my right aonoyiogly. O2 May 27 I direoted a force under Kildyard, by Woldsdrift and Utrecht, and another under Lyttle ton by Schaogadrift, 00 D?rnberg. These movements have caused the i enemy at D?rnberg to retire north. "Kildyard is at Utrecht and the town has surrendered. Clery is bom bardiog Laing's Nek. The enemy are much disheartened and were they not in such very strong positions I doubt if thay would sbnw fight. The railway was opened to Newcastle on May 28:h. ?Pretoria Not Yet Occupied ! and Large Bodies of Boers Resting Roberts^ Advance. London, May 31 ?The following dispatch from Lord Roberts has been received at the war office : "Johannesburg, May 31, 2 p. m.? Her majesty's forces are now to ooeses ston of Johannesburg and tbe British flag floats over the government build ings " London, June 1, 3 55 a m ?Belated messages from Pretoria confirm tbe re ports of the departure of President Kroger with hie cabinet and staff offi cials Tuesday night and the selection at a meeting of citizsns of a committee to administer the city provisionally. Since these telegrams ieft on Wednes day nct?iog apparently has reached Lorenzo Marques by telegraph from Pretoria P-.jssibly the wires have been out. Possibly the B^er censorship a: some inter eciiate point intercepte telegrams. Although the war effije has net re ceived a word about it no one in Lon don harbors the idea that the Boer capital is not already in tbe hands of tbe British or about to be there. The possession of Johannesburg, at ali events, as Lord Roberts has telegraph ed, is a fact. State'?? Attoroey Smuts did not depart with President Kruger, but remained in Pretoria The present seat of the Boer govern ment, according to a dispatch from Lo re Deo Marques, dated yesterday 13 Mid dleburg, but it will probably be shifted further eaet Tbe Boers lately confronting Lord Roberts appear to bave gone eastward also, toward the Lydenburg region. The defenders of Laing's Nek, when their position becomes too perilous, will probably trek straight northward to ward Lydenburg When tbts concen tration takes place there will be pos sibly 50,000 meo who may bold 00c for a time, with scattered bands of guer riU* elsewhere, j Mr. Pr?vost-Battersby, io a dispatch to the Morning Post from Germistou, dated May 30, says: "The enemy fcught a rear guard actio-', retiring from the seuth tD the north of the town with their pompons and artillery io rbe morning and withdrawing tneir rifle j men throogh tfce to:vu in tbe afternoon. : We captured nine engines and over a hundred wagons Two trains are leav icg tonight for the Vaal. "We succeeded in cutting the iioe i in three directions and it rifocing all ! tbe rolliog stock in Johannesburg It j was a si'iendid piece of work The j enemy crcrc astounded at, tbc rapidity ? of cur advance Another ccrrespor;dent telegraphiog ?rom Gert2;-ton the ?am^ dav; says : ; "The B'iers are messiug six miles j south ci Pretori-? for a new and des ; peratc stand with a front of 12 miies." _ ! PRETORIA NOT OCCUPIED, j London, May 31 ?Lord Roberts' i latest, dispatch shed a somewhat differ j ent light on tho military situation j Before they were received celebrations j were organized ?0 tbe country towns in ? honor of tbe fail of Pretoria In Cbes ter a public bolidey was declared, ! while at Djver, Portsmouth and many j otoer places in tbe provinces flags were ; fiowo and rejoicings were gcueral. j Pretoria, however, is not yer in the I bands of tbe British, though there i? 00 reason to doubt tbe authenticity of j the report that Kruger bas evacuated j tbe place and that tbe municipality is ready to surrender when confronted by superior numbers. Though the British seem certain to reach Pretoria withio a day or so they are not likely to occupy it without fighting. Lord Roberta* forces will be placed to the south, west aod north of Johannesburg. These units will prob ably be reconoentrated while Gen Freooh makes an advance. Pretoria should be reached by June 2, opposition or no opposition. Gen Brabant's loss of 40 men is striking evidence that the annexation of ! the Free State by no means implies its ! pacification. So thoronghly is tbe country here imbued with tbe belief that Pretoria bas fallen that Mr Joseph Chamberlain, the secretary of state for the colonies, speaking today at a meetiog of the University of Birmingham proposed a message to tbe queen congratulating her upon tbe capture of Johannesburg and Pretoria, which was sent to tbe afternoon newspapers. The afternoon newspapers all ac knowledge tbe prompt friendlinesss of the ?oited States consui at Pretoria, Mr A. S. Hay, in insisting on the release of a number of British officers to take command of the British prison ers in order to avert a disturbance among tbe latter. Lord Cecil Manners, son of the Doke of Rutland and who is acting as a newspaper correspondent, was among the prisoners captured by tbe Boers during Lord Roberts' advance May 29. London, June 2. 3 45 a ro ?Lord Roberts continues 3?leLt regarding Pre toria, probably because he cannot wire of events from his own knowledge Lorenzo Marques, whore all the news from the Boer side is rehandled, cables that communication with Pretoria is now suspended. Some messages by courier have reached Lorenzo Marques, but none of later date than Wednesday. These assert that the burghers are in a state of panio and that Pretoria is being controlled by a vigilance committee Lorenzo Marques again sends a report tbat President Kruger has been cap tured Tbe news blank gives rise o a suspi cion that a citizen committee r?t Pretoria may not have been able to carry out their plans for securing tbe peaceful entry of Lord Roberts and sparing the city the horrors of a siege. Tbe peace party appeared to be in the ascendant ; and, as soon as Presi dent Kruger and bis cabinet left Pre toria to organize a new capital, tbo citizens' committee persuaded the com mandants of tbe forts to withdraw some of tbe troops from the defenses, perhaps with the view of keeping order in the towr-j. It looks as though there was a Boer force between Pretoria and Johannesburg. These soldiers' trekking back toward Pretoria, some of them fresh from the fight with Geo Kamilton would have brought a new element into tbe situa tion aod would probably overrule the peace committee taking the direction of affairs out of their hands. The Boers, according to a special dispatch from Lorenzo Marques, have reentered the northeastern territory of the Free State aod are engaged with tbe British near Petersburg aod Har hismkb. It is reported from Amsterdam that the best rooms at Hei Haasje. one of the principal hotels there, have been engaged for President Kruger's occa paney from June 25. Gen Buller is moviog siowly against the Boer flanks. A dispatoh from \rryburg dated May 30 says : "During the occupation of this place by tbe Beers they flogged the natives for slight offenses. A whip and several cords knotted and salted were found at the police station. A boy who brought a letter to a woman received 25 lashes aod another who sympathized with him reocived 15." j Lidy Georgiao? Curzon has cabled I ?17.000 to provide comforts and luxu I ries at Mafeking. WARREN SURROUNDED. Capo Town, May 31.?Gen Warren witb 700 men occupied a strong defen 6?ve position a: Fabersput on May 29. At dawn he found that he was sur rounded and he was fiercely attacked by 1,000 rebels. The hordes were stampeded, but the force concentrated and the Boers were repulsed. A small party in a garden cootioucd co fight tenaciously, but evacuated as thy charge be^an, leaving a number of I wounced The British lost 15 killed, iooluding Coi Pence, and 30 wouoded REPORTS ARE CONFLICTING. London Juoc 2, 4.30 a. m.?Tbe j Times has tho following from Lorenzo Marquen, dated June 1 : "Reports of tbe most ccofiictiog character are cur rent here, due to tbe activity of the Boer agents. While one section declares tbat President Krnger has returned to I Pretoria for the purpose of arraogiog terms or surrender, another asserts that tbe British have been repulsed outside of Pretoria. Nothing autbentio is Known here regarding Mr Kruger's whereabouts jr the situation in the Transvaal." I Anarchy And Bloodshed in China. Minister Conger Asked for Marine Guard for Consu late. Washingtoo, May 29,?Such ad vices as have reached here indioate tbat che situation in China has assumed a very critical phrase, aod one calculated to tax the entire resources of the Chinese government. The state department has been in close communi cation with Mr Conger, our mmi?ter at Pekin, and the navy department is doing its share, haviog placed tbe flat-ehip Newark as far up tbe Pie Ho river as tbe Taku forts, which is the nearest point to Pekin that the ship can reach. Tbe operations of the "boxers" are increasing in magnitude. Their de monstrations are no longer local and they appear to be governed in their movements by some well settled design They have murdered nine Methodist missionaries in one province, at the town of Pacbow, aod have dosed in on Pekin Meanwhile the Chinese army is suspected of disloyalty, this belief being strengthened by wholesale desertions of the soldiers to tbe "boxers." Minister Conger has appealed to the state department for tbe protection of a marine guard for his legation. Tbe department bas promptly cabled him an authorization to call upon tbe near est United States naval vessels for a9 sistance. it is not koowo yet whether he bas availed himself of tbe pcrcnis sion. The embarassing feature of the situation is tbe cutting of comma nication by rail between Taku and Tien Tsin and the capital, for the "boxers" have burned tbe railroad bridges aod there are probably only two courses open to marines who wish to reach Pekio : a long overland march through a hostile country away from supports or a tedious voyage up tbe ewift aod shal low Pie-Ho in shore boats in tow of steam launches According to report tbe Chinese gov ernment has done everything in its power to meet the demands of the di plomatic body at Pekio for the disper sion of the "boxers," but it appears that the uprising is far more serious tbao w:i9 at first apprehended, and even the resident ministers at Pekin are inclined to admit that the task is not an easy one for the Chinese government So far all of tbe measures taken by the etate department lock to the limpie orotection of the American legatioo at Pekio, the American consulates in the vicinity, and the lives of euch Ameri caos as may be obliiged to take refuge therein in the event of general noting The state department is closeiy adher ing to tbe practice it has always observ ed of ooo interference in these Chinese disturbances, and it is not contemplated that our naval forces sball take any part io tbe contest between the Chinese government and the "boxers,7' though it is assumed tbat Hear Admiral Remey, the eommander-io-chief of tbe Asiatic station, will take immediate steps to supply Rear Admiral Kempff, the senior squadron commander, with such naval force as ha may need for safeguarding American ioterests at the treaty ports. Half a Dozen Powers Land Troops at Tien Tsin. Tien Tsin, May 30 ?Tbe rescue party of Frenchmen and Germane returned from Cbang-Hsin-Tien this afternoon They confirm the report that the besieged Belgians are now safe at Pek?n They found several thousand "boxers" about tbe mine of In Kow Chiao and Chang Hsin Tien stations. The bridges bave been damaged and the roiling stock destroyed At both places the damage done is considerably greater than at Fiting Tai. The members of the rescue party saw several bodies of Chinese tearing up the sleepers and in one case a mandarin was looking on. They further report that the coramiesionariesr and others escaped from Pao Ting Fu in boats The imperial railway directory is endeavoring to fasten the blame for the damage at Fang Tai on the foreign employes, practically the British, whom, they say, should not have left their posts. The foreigners, how ever, did not leave until they saw In Kow Chioa station, five miles away, in flames and an attack bad actually been made on an engine from Fang Tai which was running on the Han line in an attempt to rescue the Belgians The foreign men of war have ar rived. Five Russian warships and two Russian gunboats; one French warship two British warships and one Italian warship. They are all landing men. Tien Tsin, May 30.?American, British, Japanese, German, Italian, Russian and French troops to the number of 100 each have been order* ed to guard their respective legations at Pekin but the viceroy here will not alloiv them to proceed hence to Pekin on the railway without the authority of the Tsuog Li Yamen. One hun dred and eight Americans with a machine gun and a field gun landed here last night amidst great enthusi asm on the part of the residents. Five Russian and one British have arrived at Taku and the British are now landing Other warships are hourly exoect ed. Three thousand Chinese troops from Iu Tai are expected here today en route to Fang Tai. Their is a disposition here to be lieve that the "boxers" will disperse before the foreign troops are ready to act. .u lien Tsin is lrfno danger Arrival of Foreign Blue jack ets Improved Situation. Washington, Jane 1 ?Minister Con ger at Pekin reports to the stat9 de partmsnt today that tbe arrival of 350 guards for the legatioEs of Russia, Fraoce, Great Britain, ItaUy, Japan and the United States has had the ef feet of improving tbe situation. He says that Pekin is much quieter but that tbe ' boxers" are still active in the surrounding country. It is hinted in diplomatic circles bere that the sudden increase of activity on tbe part of the "boxers" is nothing more than part of a well conceived plan by one of the great European powers to seoure a permanent trade lodgement in Pekin and to seize a posi tion giving it full control of the great Pei-Ho river, the approach to the Chi nese capital. It is further intimated that tbe plan has proved abortive, owing to tbe alertness of the other Eu ropean powers represented in Chinese waters, particularly to the readiness of the United States minister, Mr Con ger, aod the American rear Admiral on board the Newark, which at once gave the movement an undesired interna tional aspect, and so tended to prevent the particular nation concerned from aggrandizing itself at tbe expense of the interests of tbe otber nations. Therefore, it is assumed, that the ex citement will rapidly abate, and tbe "boxers" will disperse, temporarily at least. Tiie Southern's Rates. New York,May 31.?The new South ero freight classification will go iato effect tomorrow, superseding tbe classi fication made last winter, and which went into effect Feb 1. Tbe latter cia3 sifioatioa wa3 made in uniformity with ??osc made by tbe roads iu trunk line and western territory aod by which a large number of goods were raised ?rom a lower to a higher grade, thus increas ing freight rates considerably over what they had been before At that time protests were entered agaiost these obanges on the ground that they widened the differences in rates already existing in favor of the large shippers as against smaller ones As a result the trunk lines isfued an amended classification which remedied to some extent the causes of tbe com plaint. Tbe Southern classification committee held a meeting to consider these protests, but the result was not acceptable to tbe shippers, as ther6 were no general modifications made before the classification of Feb 1 re maining in effect without any material changes. The new olassificatioo which is to go in effect tomorrow is still iess satisfactory to tbe shippers than tbe one which is to replace. ? I in inn - Timmoosvilie, May 29.?John L Bjrd, a tenant on th? plantation of ex Senator J. W Beasiy, of Darlington County,was killed last night in Darling ton County 15 miles nor?b cf this place. Particulars are megre, but it is asccr tained that Mr Byrd was shot while sifting in bis house The bulle: went through a broken window paoe. The j person who shot him is not known, but it is supposed that, a negro with whom be recently bad trouble did the work. Mr Byrd bad trouble with bim a frw days ago and is taid to have whipped him. The Sons of Veterans Louisville, June 1 ?The Uotted ! Sons cf (Jonfede-jate Veterans today ! elected Biscoc Hindman of Louisville oomuaoder-in-chief and after com pleticg their business adjourned sine die. The Sons of Veterans will meet next year in the same city that the Uuited Veterans meet in and at the same time. THOMAS CONVICTED SENTENCED TO HANG And Beaufort People Tri umph Over Lawless Passions Beaufort, May 31 ?George Thom as who criminally assaulted Mrs Doubleby near Hardeeville, Easter Sunday, was tried today, convicted and sentenced to be hanged. Mrs Doubleby, upon whom the assault was made, was the first witness. She testified under greatstress and feeling, but clearly 3nd emphatically. She identified the negro absolutely. Her father, who is a etnrdy and honest old countryman, wept when he told of his daughter's misfortune, and other witnesses testified about the capture and the identification of the negro Thomas. W. J Whipper, the negro attor ney, who defended Thomas, conduct ed the defence in a very proper and considerate manner. Ilia cross ex amination of Mrs Donbleby, while it brought ont all the facts possible for his client, was tactful and unobjec tionable Tbe defense pot up no testimony Wbipper, who is noted for his eloquence, started bis address to the jury by stating that be would as soon think of turning loose a Bengal tiger or a Namidian lion upon a community as a man guilty of the crime of which Thomas stood accused. He rested tbe defence on tbe fact that Thomas had not been fully identified In his Charge, Judge Gary was brief but forcible. The jary was oat ju6t so long as it was necessary to write the verdict of guilty. Thomas was immediately sentenced to be hanged on the 29 day of June He took the sentence indifferently, and throughout the trial showed no inter est whatever Before passing sentence of death, Judge Gary complimented the citizens of tbe county upon the law abiding qualities displayed in having so orderly a trial in each a case. There was no excitement or distrnb ance of any sort.?Tbe State. W. S. TajToTFugitive From Kentucky. Bench Warrant Issued For Arrest of Former Governor* Frankfort, Ky , May 31.?Judge Cantriil today directed Circuit Clerk Ford to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of former Gov. Taylor. The warrant is based on an indictment secured several weeks ago charging Taylor with being an accessory to the assassination of Win Goebel. A warrant was issued and placed in tbe hands of Depoty Sheriff John Suter. Tbe issuance of a bench warrant was the first official notice that an indictment bad been returned naming former Governor Tayler ae an acces sory to the murder of Wm Goebel. It bad been rumored for weeks that tbe indictment bad been returned bat the officials refused to either confirm or deny it. The indictment was filed and entered on record April 19. In our utilitarian age the German plan of planting fruit trees for shade along highways is not likely to be overlooked In Alsace Lorraine the ? wayside orchards, which are ?srmed j cut by the State, now yield an annual ! revenue of 150,000 francs, and Swit j zsrland, Belgium *nd Luxemburg are ! successful borrowers of the idea. In j France the chief shade trees are I the poplar, the ash and the eim, which on th? national roads are cut for timber at the age of about 60 years. Ft pit trees?such as the cherry, tho pear, the apple and the plcm?now appear on the road-? for several departments instead of these forest trees, and the French govern ment is likeiy to become one of the world's great growers of fruit. Florence, Juno 1 ?Yesterday after noon at Wioooa a soathbruod freight train streck two little negro bry^, kilt in 2 the younger aud injuries ?he other perhaps fatally. The beys were sons of Henry Grant, a re^eciable negro farmer. It is supposed that the two boys were asleep on the track. As they were lying betweeb tbe crossties, Engineer Temple did not see them until too late. ? 1 & Powder Makes the food more delicious and wholesome ROYAL BAKtWO POWDER CO., NEW YORK.