CABLE NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4131, 20 August 1900, Page 7

CABLE NEWS.

{.UMITKD TltllliM ASSOCIATION. —liV KLKCTIUO TKLKunAt-JI.—COfJfIttOHT. 1 TJili TfIAKSVAAL WAR. DE WET'S GREAT MARCH. •Jll« COMMANDO AGAIN VANISHES KITCHENER MOVES TOO SLOWLY. (Rceuived August 19, 8.50 p.m.) LONDON, August 18. it now transpires that tho cflorts which ha■ boon mucto (A late to e<-p----tn ro Ok; famous raiding conun undo led iiy General Christian Do Wet have proved unsuccessful. After having his main convoy shelled i>v Lord Mel hum's artillery near Ventnrsdoi'p, De Wet abandoned his exhausted horses and exploded his ammunition wagons, and then, splitting his eonimaudo into small bodies, outmanlied and eluded Lord Kitchener, despite the fuel Unit the hitter’s transports had double teams of picked animals. During his ret,rent Do Wet released all Urn British troops he had captured, ivith. (he exception of file oflieers. Tho escape of Ibe Boer leader is attributed io (he ability of his commando to make night marches, whereas his pursuers required daylight. When last heard of, De Wet was near BusU.-übiirg. I Dr Wet, has atVonled newspaper readers with so many surprises (am! British officers *.vitii many more) I bat (hey will pro’nalily have been prepared for some such news as is eonlalned in (he above message. Nevertheless U is almost in credible that lie Mould again have extricated his commando fi-rr.u ils pursuers. During the last three rnonlhs the Boer lias dene many tilings of painful memory in which he shou t"! ext nuirilinary bash. <:onriij;e and resource, but that he should have, been able to ret mil from .lie east ot ■Orange Diver (‘clear to. Die western Transvaal, a distance of over I8‘) miles, is simply astounding. De Wet first wine .into prominence at the time of Lord Ro-Ihert'-rV, invasion of Die Orange free Stele. From llinl lime onward Do was Die scourge of the caslcmn .list riels. With, a flying column he wrecked (rains, look prisoners, cut iiu convovs and at limes paralysed the British lines of communication. lie was isolated and said lo have been surrounded lime aider Dine, Imt from Die day on which he. col U|> Broad wood at Koorn,spruit and captured Dio Reddershnrg garrison, lie has ahso'ntelv defied capture, "tvidcheucr, .Methuen. Hunter. Randle, Trench, Bvoodwend, Little, omit h-Dorrien. and others have made repeated efforts to firing him (o hay. The tfoers are said to contemplate Dm commencement of a general system of guerilla warfare in th° spring.- If they have any move such leaders as De Wot same interesting developments mav he looked for. Do Wet "when fowl: hoard of” is said to have Been near h’nstciib'i rg. \ iHSir-nf I;- he has now jiinctioned wiDi Do La. Key and Grobclaar.] THE PRETORIA PLOT. TRIAL OK ONE OK THE PRISONERS. GENERAL BOTHA IMPLICATED. (Received August. 19, 5 p.m.) LONDON, August IS. G-oiuM'a.l Marshall presided at the court-martial of Cnrdna, who is charged with bavins: been -implicated m the plot to murder- the'British... officers at Pretoria and capture Lord Roberts. tho iaccused— young-, cool and We 11cTrrssodi —was- assisted by. » lawyer. A Intrghor named Do Toit deposed that, early in July Cardna ashed him to assist in an enterprise which would stagger ' Europe. They discussed a plot .to seize nil tho officers in Pretoria, with tho assistance .of 250 .residents. while Cardna rushed lo -..Lord Roberts’s horse and abducted the FieldMarshal. who was to be handed over to General Botha behind Beckett’s Kop.io. The witness stated that Cardna showed Hi in a letter in richer from General Botha in proof of the genuineness -of tho proposal. When asked about tho oath of neutrality which thev had ta-kejju Cardna, said. “That is nothing: discovery only nu-:ms_ transportation to Ceylon.” Do Toit declined to communicate the plot to the •constabulary.

Captain Dttlian, tho prosecutor, said ho had found the key Ip -Botha's letter on Cardna, which Lieutenant Kruger, of the Imperial Transvaal Police, lilted as follows: —“Proceed to work. He courageous. I will not leave you in the lurch.” Lieutenants Kruger and Marcus, formerly a. Hold-cornet, refused to join in carrying out the plot. .' Litter: Lieutenant Hans Cardna, of thoStaats Artillery, charged with breaking his parole and plofctimr to kidnap Lord Roberts and other British officers, pleaded guilty. The court-martial advised the withdrawal of the plea.', and the sensational evidence previously telegraphed was given. OABRINGTOrPS~MOVEMENTS. IN AN AWKWARD FIX. LONDON, August 17. Lieutenant-General Carrington, wlnx when making his retreat with the Rhodesian Field Force from Rustenburg to Mafekiug, was ordered to return to Zcenist, ' forty miles north-east ■of Mafekiug, is now in an awkward situation. His column has reached Ottoshoon, a town on the Little Marieo river, midway between Mafekiug and Zcenist, with tho enemy on both his front and his right flank. N , Later. News has been received that on the 16th General Carrington's troops drove a. .small body of Boers from Maintain in the direction of Zcenist. COLONEL HELYAR.’S MURDER. LONDON, August 17. The murder of Colonel Helyar, of tho Imperial Yeomanry, is attributed to gucrillaism, and has aroused widespread indignation. Prior to the discovery of the murder the Colonel had been reported missing. 110 ARK'S GARRISON SAFE. END OF A PLUCKY STAND. (Received August 18, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON. August 17. Lord Roberts reports that the garrison at Elands river, under Colonel Hoaro, which was at first supposed to have been captured by General Do La Rev. was relieved by Lord Kitchener on the I6lh.

OPERATIONS IN THE SOUTH. HUNTER AGAIN IN ACTION. (Received August 20, 0.30 a.in.) LONDON, August JO. Lieut.-Genera! Sir Archibald Hunter ,-s troops .encountered -a commando near Spitz Kop, to tho south, of Hcilbron, in the north-east of Orarigtf River Colony. The inter flank was turned and the enemy forced to retire. MISCELLANEOUS. (Received August 20, 0.30 a.m.) LONDON, August 10. It is believed that the refusal of the Boer women to retire to Lydenburg will compel tho military leaders to make a final stand at Barberton. RETURNIN'G . INVALIDS. The following invalided members of tho New Zealand contingents are on board the Gothic, which arrived at Hobart from Capetown" on Friday afternoon, mirier Captain Tanner, of Napier (fifth contingent):—For Wellington—Corporal A. -Ea Hadliold, Sergeant J. \V. Garland, Troopers Stewart, Toogood, Freeman, Colliuge and Malcolm, and Veterinary-Surgeon Thmieary. For Lyttelton—Troopers Henderson, Mackay, Macintosh, and Sergeant Hodgson. For Oapiaru—Lieutenant Ross.. His Excellency tho. Governor has received tho following telegram from Capetown, dated 17th August:—The ’.Viial-pitane sailed for New Zealand ,on the loth August. She has "on hoard the following invalids—7os Lance-Cor-poral Colder (Pemberton), 7GB Private C. Von Blarembcrg (Wanganui), 109. Private D. W. Prosser (Lccston, Canterbury); 412 Guniicr Kitne.v. Ilotchkifs Detachment (Macton) j 361 Bugler Bell (Marlon); 2291 Private Sullivan (Stratford). 1191 Private Currie (Waiuku, -Auckland). The foregoing disembark at Wellington.' Private Thompson (1090) (Mlddb-raarch, Otago), disembarks at Dunedin, and 2391 Corporal McDowell (of Roberts’s Horse) disembarks at Lyttelton.