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? 11 h m ? n m? THE SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850. Consolidated Aus. 2,1881. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's land Truth's." THE TRUE SOCTHRON, Established Jone. 1366 SUMTER. S. C., WEDNESDAY. JUNE 13,1900. New Series-Vol. XIX. So.46 ?)t ^a?rljnmit ??? $m?\m Published Every Wednesday, -Bf N". <3k Osteen, SUMTER, S. G, TERMS I $1.50 per annum-in advance. ADVERTISEMENT: Ose Square first insertion.$1 CO Bverv subsequent insertion. 50 Contracts for three months, or longer wil be made at reduced rates. All communications which subserve private interests will be charged foras advertieoients. Obituaries and tributes of respects will be charged for. Pretoria in the Hands of the British. LORD EOBERTS AND HIS ARMY IN THE CITY. London, Jane 6, 4 35 a m-Queen Victoria, surrounded by the Duke and Duchess of York, Princess Chris tian, Princess Victoria and many other notables of ber court, drank to the health of Lord Roberts and the army at Balmoral la3t evening. A great bonfire, lighted at her majesty's command, blazed on Craiggown mountain, illuminating the country side for miles around. The nation joins in the toast, glorifying Lord Roberts and turbulently rejoicing in his victory. The dispatches of Lord Roberts, telling of the incidents before the surrendering of the capital by the civilians stand atone, as the corres pondents with him have not yet had their turn with the wires Lord Roberts' postcript announcing the loss of the Yeomany battaiion came too late for the public to know it last evening. The newspaper com? mentators consider the incident d?? plorable but as having no weight to speak of in the results. The battal? ion numbered between 400 and 500. Gen Botha and most of bis men got away from Pretoria This is in ferred from Lord Roberts' message, but the presumption is that the Boer commandant general cannot escape the British dispositions without a fight. Operations elsewhere seem to have dwindled to nothing Gen. Baden Powell joined Gen Hunter on Sun? day at Lichtenburg. Sir Redvers Buller has not moved. Bennett Burleigh, wiring from Jo? hannesburg, says President Kruger took ?2,000,000 in cash to Middle burg. Mr Burleigh and Guy H. Scull, an American correspondent, entered Jo hannesburg the night before Lord Roberts occupied the city and made a tour of it unmolested by the armed burghers The war office has information that one of the first things done by Lord Roberts after the occupation of Pre? toria was to direct Gen French to relieve the British prisoners confined at Waterval. Beils were rung, fags flown and holidays were declared all over Eng? land The lord mayor of London has cabled to Lord Roberts as foilows : "The empire will never forget what you and the forces under your command have accomplished. Ac cept the grateful congratulations of the citizens of London." IRISH BATTALION CAPTURED. London, June 5, 12, midnight - Lord Roberts reports to the war office that the Thirteenth battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry (Irish) was "overwhelmed by the Boers ac Lind? ley/' Lord Methuen made a magnificent march to the rescue, but was too late Following is the text of the dis? patch : "Pretoria station, June 5, 12 55 p m -I regret to report that the Thirteenth Imperial Yeomanry had to surrender to a very superior force of the enemy un May 31. near Lind? ley. On receiving information of the battalion being attacked, I ordered Methuen to proceed with all speed to its assistance "Methuen was then on the march on the Helibron side of Kroonstad, and, half an hour after the receipt of my telegram on June 1, he started off. By 10 a. m of the fo!lowing| day he had marched 44 miles in 25 j hours but he was too late to rescue '?? Coi Spragge's Yeomany .'Methuen attacked the Boers, who were between 2,ODO and 3.000 strong, and after n running fi^l?t of five hour^, completely routed the enemy Tho Boers Retreating to the Mountains Where They fi a ve Gre a t S "ore ? o f A m - munitiCQ ac? Frov?s Londoo, June 7, 3.15 a. rn -Milt tory operation in South Africa are ] apparently at a standstill. For a day or two tbe tired troops of L^rd Roberts are resting, and he is filling tho maga? zines and warehouses of his new base, Pretoria, preDaratory to a long chase j afier the retiring Boers io the direction of the Lydeoburg. The cavalry are j nrobabiy seeking to intercept. Command- j ant General Botha. Some dispatches arr to hand which left Pretoria Monday, while the fighting ? was geing on outside tbe city. They come by way of Lorenz) Marques. ? Ose of toem says : "Toward the end j of the day, when the big naval guns ; were shelling the southern forts, a oura ber of projectiles burs?^ damaging the suburbs Ail day armed burghers have been leaving Pretoria, going east. The greater part of the railway rolliog stock has been removed. General Botha W3S fighting an essentially rear guard action, bis object beiog not to defend Pretoria but to delay Lord Roberts until the railway switch had bren cleared aGd the main part of the Boer a*my bad started to withdraw. The British advance appears to have left open to the Boers the best Hoe of retreat along the railway." Possibly the British have been able to cut the railway before a full retire? ment was effected. That Pretoria would be defended was apparently given out after the council of war, with a view of misleading tbe British. Lydeoburg, the district into which the provisions originally destined for Pretoria have been diverted and where a cartridge faotory bas been erected and reserve supplies of all sorts are stored, is a volcanic regioo of fertile valleys, enclosed by great ramparts of pr?cipi? tions rooks, penetrated by narrow, winding passes There are herd9 of cattle io tba valleys, and there is mach native "labor available for fortifying The Boers used both heavy and light artillery at Pretoria What was sup posed to have been the last train oat of Pretoria arrived at Lorenzo Marques Sunday evening. Tbe pas? sengers included a number of foreign volunteers who were leav iog the Boers and also the wives and children of Hollanders They described Pretoria as destitute of food and clothing. What the Boer officials could not take the natives and townspeople did Probably the moBt important Boer army is at Laing's Nek, where both sides are passive. Gen Randie aod Gen Brabant have withdrawn a little southward Gen Baden Powell has extended martial law to the Marico and north Liohteoburg districts. Shots were ex? changed between Boer and British patrols 18 mile3 east of Mafekin; on May 28 Part of the forces lately at Pretoria are reported to have gone westward to meet Baden Powell and to make a show of holding the country through which he and Geo Hunter are moving. ? dispatch to The Daily Telegraph from Newcastle dated Tuesday, June 5, describes tbe Boers there as an unorgan? ized rabble, without floor, meat or sugar. Their surrender is ooly a ques? tion of time Nevertheless, the oorres pondent eivers.they boid stroog positions with the prospect of a safe retreat toward Lydeoburg. It is understood at Newcastle that the British government bas approached the Natal government with a proposi? tion that Natal should voluntarily renounce local self-government for a time in order that a general system of crown government msy be instituted for all South Africa, leading in the cour?e of time to federation and the subsequent autonomy of the various states simultaneously. ; A TRKEE DAYS ARMISTICE j London, June 6 -A special dispatch j from Lorenzo Marques dated Tuesday, ! Ja oe 5, eavs : "Geoeral Buller and Christian Botba m?i at Laing's Nek at Butter's request when a three days' . armistice was agreed upoo." j The dispatch adds that the British I ! have evacuated Utreoht Importaot to Counties. In various portions of the State there seems to be much misapprehen? sion as to the matter of the assess? ment of the counties by the State committee Many seem to think that the committee has required that each candidate for the senate and house in each county pay an assessment to the State committee. The fact of the matter is that the assessments on the counties-the county committees -are exactly the same as for years past Each county committee is re? quired, as heretofore, simply to pay an assessment to the State committee i of ?10 for each senator and S.r> for ! each repr?sentative it has in the gen erai assembly. The candidates t.h^rn- ! selves have iw dealings with tho State committee Tho only reason these ofSc?s are narr?ed in this way ia ia order that a proper basis for thc assessments might be secured, the ; representation in the general nssem : t)ly beiog bayed on population Gol Jones has received several letters about the matter a?ul wishes all to i anderstand that no change whatever j bas beeD made. Bold Correspondent Interviews Kruger. Old President Talks Freely, Denying Several Points. THE TRANSVAAL CAPITAL IS NOW ON WHEELS, London, June 8, 3 a ra.-Tbe ex? ecutive officers of the Transvaal gov? ernment are in a railway car, which is situuted on a switch at Machadorp station. President Kruger caused the interior of the coach to be recon? structed some time ago with a view to contingencies that have now ar? rived. A correspondent of the Daily Express who went from Lorenzo Marques to see President Kruger, was received yesterday. The presi? dent sat smoking a long pipe. He looked worried, but his bearing was quiet and determined He did not make the least objection to being in terviewed. The correspondent was equipped for the interview by cables from London. "Yes," said President Kruger, "it ia quite true that the British have occupied Pretoria. This, however, does not end the war. The burghers are fully determined to fight to the last. They will never surrender so long as five hundred armed men remain in the country. I feel deeply encouraged by the fine work Steyn and Dewet are doing in the Free State " The correspondent suggested that the war was over, inasmuch as the capital bad been taken. "The capital !" exclaimed Mr Kruger, with energy. "What is a capital ? It does not consist of any particular collection of bricks and mortar The capital of the republic, the seat of government, is here in this car There is no magic about any special site. Our country is invaded, it is true, but it is not conquered. The government is still effective " Referring to the reasons why he left Pretoria, Mr Kruger said : "I was not foolish enough to be taken a prisoner. 1 provided this means of locomotion precisely for the same reason as our burghers supply themselves with horses when they take the field "It is necessary that I should be able to move quickly from place to place. That is all. By and by this car will take me back to Pretoria. For the present it enables me to keep away from Pretoria, where I could be of no service, and where I should only piay into the hands of the enemy " "They say, Mr Kruger,'' remarked the correspondent, "that you have brought with you gold to the value of ?2 000,000 " "It is not true/' replied the presi? dent. "Whatever monetary resources I may have with me are simply those which we require for state purposes. At the same time, I am not going to tell you where our treasure is Let Lord Roberts find it if he can." "They also say in England, Mr Kruger, that you contemplate taking refuge on a Dutch mau of war at Lo renzD Marques " "That again is a lie," retorted the president, with vehemence. "I know of no Dutch vessel I am not con? templating taking refuge anywhere I shall not leave my country There wiil be no need for me to do anything of the kind." The Correspondent-Then, sir, there is much surprise at your hav ing left Mrs Kruger behiod President Kruger-But why ? Mr? Kruger is quite safe in Pretoria. She would only be put to personal incon? venience here. Ail communication between us is stopped of course, but ! she will aivait my return with calm? ness and courage. She is a brave woman I am awaiting further infor? mation We are surrounded by faith? ful burghers and are quite safe. State Secretary Reitz remarked : "You may depend on it that toe war is not yet over. Guerrilla warfare will continue over an enormous area We inteod to fight to tbe bitter end and shall probably retiro upon Lydenburg, where we can hold out for many months " "Yes," observed Mr Kruger, "it is only now th- " the real struggle hts begun I fear that there will still be ?such bloodshed buc the iauit is that of the Brri-u government " Then r-ii-iog 1;H voice lu an almost pa? tooate h ..-..?'i-, Mr Kruger exclaim cd : "The time 1:as passed for n* to . t".!k. We h;ivi- .! >nc pienry < f tba?, i .-? ir ku* d ne p-? <--.?.* T'H J... J c l E j ling." The cor res pc ni OD d--'rt vbo ?... -a-ed ' thc interview t. !.;. i -r- ! \- direct from Ma-hijo:;, ^?iti?.n y er.Vcr tia y. wheo the j wir< g were working as usual *o Lorenzo i Marques. i ; Nine hundred British prisoners!' arrived Tuesday at Nooitgedaoht. They are penned io a barbed wire enclosure of four acres oo tbe open veldt Abcordiog to a dispatch from Loren? zo Marques, dated yesterday, Lord Roberts is reported to have intercepted two trains full leaving the vicinity of Pretoria. Telegrams from the British side are exceedingly scanty. Two brief ones received from Pretoria say that Mrs Kruger still occupying the presi? dency and that a number of engines and cars have been secured. The Brit- j ish under Maj P Lisle captured a gun j and caused the Boers heavy less, tbe British casualties being slight. Boer officials removed ?300,000 in gold from the National Bank June 4, but did not touch the cash holdings of the other banks. Some of the Boers are surrendering voluntarily and the towospeopio of Pretoria are described as showing con sideable enthusiasm over the British arrival. Mr Pr?vost Battersby in a dispatch to The Morning Post from Pretoria, dated Jone 5, says : "The Boers pledged themselves to 20 British effioers not to take the British prisoners away if these officers would control them aod preven?an outbreak. Never? theless they began their removal. After 900 bad been taken British shells struck a train that was loading and the Boers desisted and retired. '.The British officers at DaBpoort refused to ieave their quarters and made the Boer commandant a prisoner, releasing him at midnight on condition that he would cancel the order for the removal of the prisoners. The Preto? ria forts were found without gund. All the artillery had been gotten away." Another dispatoh says : "Sixteen hundred British prisoners were remov? ed. After the government had tafeen away most of the stores the burghers were given a free hand to help them? selves. All the British found was a few hundred bags of coffee and sugar." Democrats of New York in State Convention. New York, June 5 -The Demo? cratic State convention today elected these delegates at large to the na? tional Democratic convention : David B. Hill, Richard Croker, Edward Murphy and Augustus Van Wy ck. Alternates : Frank Cambell, Jacob Ruppert, Jr, C Morgan Sanford and James S. Helvin. Electors at large : Frederick Cook of Rochester ; Robert C. Titus of Buffalo. The platform adopted contains no reaffirmation of the Chicago platform of 1896, but a declaration that the party in the State will support the platform of the Kansas City conven? tion. The platform declares against war taxes in time of peace, declares for parity of gold and silver as cur? rency ; demands abolition of all cus toms and tariffs between Puerto Rico and the United States ; condoms trusts and monopolies and entang? ling alliances ; demands just and liberal pension laws and election of United States senators by the people and favors the nomination of Wm J Bryan The convention gave promise of being very stormy, but ended quiet? ly. The particular feature of the convention was the domination of affairs by ex-Senaior David B. Hill. The silver men profess to be satisfied with the result Hester's Cotton Analysis. New Orleans. June 7 -Secretary Hester's analysis of the cotton move? ment for the nine months of the sea sor. from Sept 1 to the close of May, injlusive, shows that compared with the crop movement last year, Texas, including Indian Territory, has brought into sight this season in round figures 908,000 bales less, while other Gulf States, which in? clude Arkansas, Louisiaua, Missis sippi, Tennessee, Missouri and Okla norna, have marketed 582,000 bales less, and the group of Atlantic States, which include North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Virginia, show a de crease of 578,000, making the de crease in the total of crop marketed 2,068,000 bales Mr Hester shows the amount brought into sight for the Atlantic Stales for the nine months to be 3,512,3<>4 bales, ii decrease under I iaet year of 578,454. The total crop in sight at the close j of May was S,759,(>t5l bales, a decrease under hist year of 2,088, 109 At ??i(A close of May iasr, y ?Mr the amount brought into sight from Tex? as it ; i - ; Indian Territory was 1 li', ?88 bales, other Gulf ^?n?rs rw.?'2<> and ! from th" Atlantic States 269,182. Tho groups States, in round ; figures, ol tlte crop ?.i last year shows from Texis and Iridiar? Terri? tory ?act year 3,555,GOO. other Gulf Plates 3,300,000, Atlantic States i 360,000. No News From Pretoria. NOT A LINE OFiNEWS IS ALLOWED TO COME FROM PRETORIA. London, June 9, 3 13 a m -Gen Buller has at length taken the offen? sive and by manoeuvring he has secured a position weet of LaiDg's Nek, by which he believes he can make the positions untenable. Pie sumably he will immediately follow up his success. Lord Roberts has communicated nothing for three days, nor permitted the correspondents to wire what is going on London's inference is that be is resting, although be is probably disposing his army for a reach after Commandant Gen Botha. A blockade of the wires, owing to the crush of official correspondence, may account for the scanty press dispatches. Some telegrams filed a week ago are only just now arriving According to one of them, the streets were filled with women and children. Rifle shots could be heard every? where. The British soldiers would stop firing and join in the chase after chickens. The burghers surrendered to anyone. Kaffirs went about loot? ing the Jewish stores, and mounted infantry galoped hither and thither. Lord Roberts' army has a new song. It runs thus : "We're marcoing into Pretoria ; It belongs to Queen Victoria " The Daily Express has the follow? ing from Pretoria, dated Wednesday: "The one thousand prisoners who were deported from Waterval were told that they were about to be given up to Lord Roberts. They entrained cheerfully and were conveyed to Nooitgedache, instead of Pretoria. "Gen Louis Botha, with a rear guard of 2,000, left Pretoria during the night. The British advance goard on enteriog was upon the very heels of the retiring Boers Botha bas sworn to carry on the war in the moun? tains.7' At Lorenzo Marques station a crowd waited all Thursday night to see President Kruger, as it was reported that he would arrive by a special train to gain an asylum on board the Netherlands cruiser Fries land Middleburg is said to be full of Boer refugees and wounded The railway still delivers goods at Bron korst spruit, 40 miles east of Preto ria. A British column is at Regmers dorp, Switzerland. Eleven British prisoners have been taken to Middle burg The British at Beira are moving into the interior in detach ments of 200 daily. Mr G. V Fiddee, imperial secre tary to the high commissioner, with a part of Sir Alfred Milner's staff, left Cape Town Tuesday evening for Pretoria, possibly, AS the Cape Town correspondent of The Daily News thinks, to arrange the annexation details GEN BULLER TAKES THE OF FENSIVE. London, June 8, ll 25 p m -The war office has received the following disDatch from Gen Baller : Yellow Boom Farm, June 8 -On June 6th Gen Talbot Coke, with the Tenth brigade and the South African Light Horse, seized Van Wyke hill The enemy made some resistance, and a good deal of sniping occurred Our casualties were about 4 killed and 13 wounded During that day and the following we got two 7 and two 12 pounder naval guns on to Van Wyke hill aiid 5 inch guns on to the southwestern spur of Inkewelo Under cover of their fire General Hiidyard today assaulted all the epurs of the berg between Botha's Pass and Inkeweio The attack, which was well planned by Hiidyard and carried ont with immense dash by the troops, for whom no mountains were too steep, outflanked the enemy, who were forced to retire from their very strong position I think we did not have any casualties, and I hope I have obtain ed a position from which I can render Laing?s Nek untenable." A charter was granted Saturday to tbe Clear Water Bleachery and Manufacturing Company of Aiken The capital stock is to be $200,000, and the president and treasurer is Thomas Barrett, Jr, of Augusta, who is connected with cotton mills in Augusta, Graniteville and other factories ever tho Savannah in South Carolina. LMakes V-e food more de _ WOY Al BOXING POW! THE FORT ROYAL NAVAL STATION. The Beaufort and Port Royal People Will Fight to Re? tain lt. Editor the Daily item As a matter which involves the national ^efenpe and a waste of the nation's fand6, we commend the fol? lowing to the attention of your read? ers : The paragraph in the naval appro? priation bill, as it now refers to the Port Royal (3. 0 ) naval station, pro? vides that $$00,000 shall be spent for the improvement of that plant unless the secretary, after a report by a competent board of naval offi? cers, shall decide that the intents, of the government would be better served at Cha. leaton In which case, the station will be transferred to the latter place. This last proviso is the result of strenuous efforts by certain Charles? ton interests, and has been cunningly conceived, based on false claims, and fostered in secret. We would say to the country that this fight is but begun, and if fought fair in the light we have no doubt as to the issue Several naval boards composed of eminent naval authorities have exam? ined Port Royal harbor at different times with a view to determining its availability for various naval pur? poses They have always enthusias? tically endorsed the place, and we are confident of a favorable report in this instance, if an unbiased board be appointed Those who are behind this meas? ure are noisily announcing that the secretary approves of the proposed removal and the station is already Charleston's We have a high opin? ion of Secretary Long and do not believe him capable of such action of prejudging a case without aa in? vestigation. It may be, however, the ear of those in power bas been secured by the men interested io this waste of the public funds Therefore the matter is laid before the country that it may see it is proposed that the national interests shali be sacrificed for the benefit of a certain locality ; , for publicity will insure a decision based on the public welfare-the na? tional defense We hereby announce to the secre? tary of the navy and to the country that we propose to prove, before the board appointed, the following facts based on official documents and other reliable sources : That the present site was carefully chosen for its purpose by a board of eroineot naval authorities. That the harbor and bar ot Port Royal are the best oo the South Atlan? tic coast, and will permit the navy of the nation to enter ia double column to manoeuvre and to fiud ample and pro? tected anchorages The entrance through tbe bar is broad, deep and natural : the harbor anchorage unap proacbed on tbe Southern coast for its magnitude and sheltering headlands. No rivers eternally empty here their sediment, aod no daily shifting quick? sand chokes this harbor's entraoce. Nature, with lavish band, moulded a great; basin out of the rook ; and the channels, sounded and recorded by Menendez, 300 years ago. prove to the deep2St dr aft fbips of our day their unchanging proportions-as they were then so are they now That tbe government's experience at Port Rojal has justified the wisdom of its choice : and any difficulties which have arisen were foreseen and provided for That the dry dock there situated is the best timber dock tbe government owns, and oan today receive any ship io tbe navy It cost less to build than any other government dock ; has cost le-s to maiota'n, and is today absolute? ly firm in its foundations That the machine shops, built of brick aod steel, equipped with modern machinery, are capable of making all ordinary repairs on meo of war, and are so complete as to bs capable of building a small vessel entire Tbat the health of tbe immediate site, and of the whole section surround? ing the harbor, is excellent That Charleston offers no superior advantages, and none commensurable with some of those above described That the proposed abandonment of this property would be a criminal act. If this splendid navy yard is sacri? ficed, it will be through the pettiness of a few pleasure seeking officers, the cupidity of certain commercial combi? nations, and the cunning of politicians. Beaufort Committee oa Naval ?Ma?ico. PAKIN6? i POWDER IJC?O?S and wholesome