THE BOER WAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2507, 9 April 1902, Page 25

THE BOER WAR.

DR LEYDS AS A FABRICATOR. A STATEMENT BY COrXSEL. SHOCKING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.— THIRTY-NINE KILLED AND FORTY-FIVE INJURED. THE SHOOTING OF AUSTRALIAN OFFICERS. STEYN WITH DE LA REV. A FIGHT WITH DE LA REV.— BOTH SIDES LOSE HEAVILY.— THE BOERS REPULSED. BRITISH LOSS: 27 KILLED AND 147 WOUNDED.— BOERS ADMIT 137 KILLED AND WOUNDED. BOERS IN THE FIELD OVER 8000. CAPETOWN, April 5. The Cape Parliament has been further prorogued till August 1. LONDON, March 31. Dr Leyds, addressing the Boer Independence Committee in Paris, said that the position was never more favourable, and that there was every prc&pect of England abandoning the conflict. The (present negotiations were the outcome of Lord Kitchener's express invitation. The War Office grants a medal, without clasps, to each of the war correspondents who took part in the South African campaign. Dr Kuyper, the Netherlands Premier, is again busying himself on behalf of the Boei's. He has arranged to meet Baron yon Richthofen, German Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Berlin after iuterviewing Leyds, Wolmarans, and Wessels. Mr Charles Cowper, of Sydney, in a letter to The Times, wrges the Government to contract to purchase a certain number of three-year-old horses for 10 years from private breeders in Australia at a fixed price. He considers that good stock horses are best for South Africa. April 1. Colonels Doran and Price intercepted iMalans' and Fouche's commandos at Murrayburg. The Boers divided into four parties and fled south. The Daily Telegraph states that the transport Canada has arrived at Queenstown with two Australian officers aboard as prisoners under life sentence for shooting Boers. She proceeds to Portsmouth. Lord Roberts has directed senior officers to see that colonials commissioned to regiments of the regular army are cordially treated. The censor early in February stopped the following message :— *' General Doran's Yeomanry fought Theron and others in the Calvinia district. The enemy exceeded the British fourfold. The latter abandoned their convoy and shifted the guns during the night. 'J )io Boers at dawn directed their fire upon the position previously occupied by the guns. Later they approached under covei^and tried to overthrow them. The British guns severely punished the enemy's supports. The Boers were four hours removing their dead and wounded. They then withdrew. Further details of the last drive show that what appeared to be a column moving into line proved to be Liebenberg's khaki-clad commando. It was allowed to escape because its pursuit would have widened the loophole. The British attacked another khaki-clad body passing in front, but one of the Boer commanders shouting '" We are British proceeding to our allotted place," it was allowed to pass. April 2. Lord Kitchener*'- weekly report states that 23 Boers wore killed. 3 wounded, and 201 taken prisoner?, while 49 surrendered: 217 rifles and 10,500 rounds of ammunition were captured. Flooded rivers impede operations in the northeast of the Orange River Colon}-. The commandos in the Cape midland "districts are being given no rest. The area, in the west held by the Boers has been much reduced. Commandant Byers surrounded a po r -t "at Speloken, but Colonel Colenbrander relieved them. It is reported at Pretoria that Steyn Is with De la Rev. Wevsels, interviewed in Paris implied that the Boers were willing to abandon the Rand if allowed to retain the re-t of the country with the management of internal affair=. One hundred and fifty Boer tr^kkers 3n Namaqualand have been compelled to submit to conscription. By a railway accident to a military train at Barbertou on the 30th March 39 were killed and 45 injured. The 2nd Battalion of the Hampshire? had 20 v ; u*ed and 11 injured, the 4th Hamp-

shires five killed and two injured, and the Volunteer Company Hampshires eight killed and 27 injured. The 4th. East Surreys, sth Leinsters, and 2nd . East Kent Regiments also suffered. During the next fortnight 500 GrenaI diers, 250 each of the Scots and Coldi stream Guards, and 1000 infantry sail '* for the front. 1 Details of the train disaster which | occurred outside Barberton show that ' it was proceeding to Johannesburg. ! When going down a steep decline the J driver lost control of his engine. The ] train was going at 80 miles an hour when it was derailed. The engine and five trucks were overturned. April 3. The 2nd Dragoon Guards surprised a laager at dawn on April 1, at Bosch- ! manskop. The Boer*, receiving rein- : forcements, fought a severe engagement, ! compelling the Guards to maintain a J rearguard action until reinforcements 1 arrived, when they drove the Boers east with =evere loss. Six Boers were captured. Four British officers were j woundrd. • J Mr Brodrick refused Viscount Ville- i ; bois permission to take an ambulance to the Boers, on the ground that it was impossible to guarantee the staff's j neutrality. j Colonel Colenbrander has relieved Fort j Edward, in the Sgeloken district, and i captured Commandant Beyers's waggons. April 4. Six of the soldiers injured in the Barj berton railway accident are dead, j The Pretoria correspondent of the . Standard states that despatch riders I reached Klerks-dorp on Sunday with lptters to the burghei's from Steyn, who 'i- with De la Rcy and Kemp. The despatches were forwarded to Kroon-tad. De Wei is at Boshof. The number of surrender*- i= increasing in the Eastern Transvaal. , Military and civilian opinion in Pretoria both iusi«t that continuous energetic drives is the quickest and surest j way of securing peace. [ It is expected that the War Office will publish a statement concerning the shooting of Australian officers after further , details are received from Lord Kitchener. I The War officials state that present information does not support the Morning Leader's details, which for the most part are untrue. ! Lieut. Witton denies the looting and I robbery. He will be confined in the Lewes Gaol. The Times says that naturally, but quite wrongly, Australians feel the slur cast on their good name and that of their soldiers, over the shooting of officers. It reiterates the necessity for a full and prompt official disclosure -of the affair. j The Commercial Advertiser, New York, ; says that Lord Kitchener's impartial punishment of colonials ought to check the torrent of Continental abuse. 1 A heavy running fight occurred in the ; Western Transvaal between Major-gene-ral Walter Kitchener's and De la Rey's force*. The British were obliged to entrench their position. Both --ides Fiiffered revere losses. Ultimately the Boors were repul-ed. General Walter Kitchener on the 31st ult. followed the trail of the Boer guns, and engaged in a running fight for eight miles through the bush. Emerging on the plain the Boers received reinforcements, and the British entrenched. The Canadian Rifles distinguished themselves. Of one party of Canadians every one of them was either killed or wounded. The artillery and rifle-? displayed great ••ickidint}",. The enemy, who were 1000 strong, worn commanded by Do Li Roy ond Kemp, and engaged in clc-e fighting. They were repulsed on all side*-. De la Rey vainty urged the Boers to renew the attack. ' A pi:l 5. j General Walter Kitchener* fight took place towards the Hart's River. ! The Canadian Rifled ca-Aialtie- numbered 53. ! April 6. ' The fight on the 31st ult., in which the • Canadian's buffered, occurred at Ro-ch-bult, a few miles, south of where Lord Methuen's defeat took placo. j. The list's show three officers and 24 1 men were killed and 10 officer-; and 131 men wounded, including Captain H. E. Hurst, of the Australian Mounted Rifles, attached to the Royal Hor-e ! Artillery, severely. [ The Boers admit that they lost 137 killed and wounded. i Lieutenant Bruce C.irruthers onc-o an Australian officer, commanded the Cana1 dians. i A soldier, writing from Pretoria under date February 27, says that Handccck and Morant were convicted on 30 1 charge*, including; the shooting of four surrenderor-, whom they robbed of £4000. Lacer they killed a sergeant for ' refu-ing to -hare the plunder, fearing that ho would inform th»> authorities. : The trail-port C v -tu(iian ha- left Natal for Alb my, convej'inii 2-i (finer*. ;uid 4-tbO niPii of the Fitth Victonan Mounted-. j -Ai i.I 7 A careful fomput.iT.on ma<!i Pivtcr a show's that th<> e-iu'iny in the field 1 nuipber -oinKhinir over SQ''() T'-p orly lar^e cemmnndo i- tli.a of De 1.-i tt* y There is no commando that ii not liat.l,> , to be disturbed any diy by column-.. Tasmanians turtied the flank of 150 Boers belonging to Malau's commando at

Taboschpocrt, compelling them to re- , treat. The Boers, occupying a kopje, ; cherked the pursuers. The Tasmanians again threatened to outflank the Boers, who withdrew, the artillery shelling them. Commandant Rudorph and six others were wounded. 1 Captain Ross, of the Canadian Scouts, I captured 12 Boers south of Frankfort. j Mr Chamberlain congratulated Canada on the heroism displayed by the Cana- : dian Rifles at Boshbult, and expressed I grief at the losses and heartfelt sympathy with the relative^. j i Many burghers in Pretoria have taken ! j tbe oath of allegiance, including Casjar. j Mr Krujrer's eldest son. Details of the encounter at Bushnianskop, 17 miles east of Spvings, show that three squadrons of the Dragoon Guard •» , and 30 National Scouts vere reconnoitring. During the night they rode into a laager at the Wilge River, and took the occupants as prisoners. The , enemy, however, were leinforced, and delivered a determined counter attack. The reargaard action which followed was | splendid. The Boers galloped from Leeuwkop, barring the road to camp. One hundred soon surrounded the Bri- j tish, who displayed great gallantry, j Colonel -uaYrley at dawn saw that the j force was hard pressed, and sent the 7th j Hussars. A detachment of 40, plunging j into the thick of the fight, cleared the | way -wan their swords. Colonel Lawley's guns caused the Boers to retreat. The British casualties were eight. , Commandant Willem Pretorius was captured. j A body of men sent out proved that the Boers had abandoned their posi- j tions. Ihe enemy's casualties were 62. Commandant Prinsloo was wounded. The Bush Veldt Carbineer-, are now called the Pietersburg Light Horse, retaining only one officer of the original command. The Independence Beige c ays the Boer delegates ought to remember that Boers who would accept British rule constitute a majority, therefore it is unfair of the leaders to sacrifice thousands of families | to personal ambition. j PARIS, April 3. \ The Durban correspondent of the Temps declares that heaps of preserved ] meat and other viands are left exposed ' in the docks for months, until fermentation compels them to be thrown into the ' sea. Hay is similarly neglected, and there are many instances given of gross , carelessness elsewhere. i MELBOURNE, April 5. ! The Federal Minister of Defence has made arrangements for organising four j battalions, to be_ known as the Common- ' wealth Horse, for service in South , Africa. Each battalion will be 493 ; strong. New South Wales, Victoria, ' and Queensland are each raising one, j and South Australia, Tasmania, and j Westralia the remaining one. Preference will be given to those serving in , existing military units, or who have previously served in. South Africa. ', SYDNEY, April 3. | Major Wallace, of Victoria, has been , appointed to succeed Colonel Wallak in j command of the contingent. | About 25 men were missing when the Manhattan sailed. ADELAIDE, April 2. 1 The Commonwealth Contingent have J bailed by the s.s. Templemore . ALBANY, April 7. ■ The Devon, with the North Island ' Battalion of the Ninth New Zealand Contingent, has arrived here. THE SICK AND WOUNDED. WELLINGTON, April 1 The Casualty Department, Capetown, > cables that Sergeant Coatman in dangerously j ill from enteric at Standerton. Lieutenant < Taylor ha 3 slightly improved. Private 1 Quinn h Mil dangerously ill at Wakker- | fitroom. J DEATH FROM ENTERIC. NAPIER. April 2. The Mayor received a telegram this even mg plating that his nephew — Sydney Northe — had died in South Africa on .February 16 , of enteric fever. Northe was ;i member of the. Fir=t New Zealand C ntingent, and returned to the colony with Lieutenant Hughes, afterwards going again to South Africa. NEWS OF THE SICK AND VVOIWDED. WELLINGTON, April 3. The Governor has received the following from the Casualty Department at Capetown, dated March 31: — Condition of officer-, on March 30: Lieutenant Freeth. slightly im proved ; Lieutenant Taylor. improvement mamtaim-d. The following were dangfr ou«ly ill of enteric: — At Pretoria on March 29: Seventh Contingent — Cunningham (Port Molyneux, Otago) ; William Ardrew 5 (Timaru). At Charleston • Si\lh Contingent — Oporge Spring (( Minute Imre'i), Leomn! Law (I)»miCMrke). L<trr o-corpoi a 1 Pen v Maden At Heilbron. Seventh Continent — Private John BeasW (V.'angamr). John ConMi'mi (Auckland*. &".-inlh, Miffering from ? Runshot wonnd at C'hai leston, i- progio — ing fa\curably TEACHERS FOR THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS. WELLINGTON. April 3. The ai-po.utmcm'. of teac.i'T= for work in tin- concentration canix'- m South Africa hai not yet b<'on mad" Up to Wfdnr-'lav night 7] had boon s<''ofrr>d by the Dopartnvnt out of applicant- These haw- to 'uu'tTiro mediod.l examination, and those who Da-- ha\<» to come to Wellington for p< r-onal U'tcrN'ew before an\ .-ippo uttnent-. arr- trail" TIMARU, A i>i,l 3 Mi«s"& Dorm. F'.nlav. and Ale> aru'er. thr<e loca' teachers, have been accepted for duty I in Boer concentration camu.-s. 1

I The teachers selected by the Otago Educa- , tion Board for 'inclusion in the 20 required ' by the Government for work in the South i African concentration camps arc Misses Bowha, A. P. Macleod, H. L. Macleod, and Taylor. THE SHOOTING OF COLONIAL OFFICERS. I Our Christchurch representative writes: — [ "During a comersation with a gentleman named George W. Phipps, who has recently i returned from South Africa, and has a wide acquaintance with that country from Capetown to Rhodesia, having been a participator in the Jameson Raid anc 1 ser\ed la. the Matahele war, he said he had no doubt when the fact 3 relating to the --hooting of the colonial officers were at hand it would bo fojQnd that the unfortunate officer'; had been severely reprimanded for the offence for which it k alleged they have now been executed, but had subsequently to that committed a similar breach of the military regulation? ; hcuee their summary punishment. He al*o stated that he knew from his military experience that men under arrest awaiting court-martial would not be allowed to command troops in the field. The accused were arrested in October last and shot on February 26 — five month* having elapsed between the arrest and' exeevfriou. diiringr which time they- took part in- numeroue engagements. Ihis would be almost an impossibility undpr military law. He further addled that Lord Kitchener signs all British death sentences, and, therefore, would- be cognisant of particulars before the warrant was. issued! The etatemeat was corroborated by a non-com, officer, late- of the Second New South Wales Contingent, who was prpsent and took part in the conversation."' Report*) having gained currency that Trooper Peter Carmichael. well known in Hampden, was seriously ill in South Africa', the Premier communicated with the authorities and the trooper's parents have now received information from Mr Secldon that their son is well, and with his regiment. A letter received from the trooper, dated Heilbron, February 11. gives an interesting account of the capture by New Zealanders of De Wet's guns, the particulars of which we have already published. A letter received in Dunedin from Mr •Tame* Christie, well known in the- CTutha and Mataura, districts, having been for some time rabbit inspector in Southland prior to contesting the Mataura seat unsuccessfully, written from Colesberg, Cape Colony, on February 25. states that, having got his discharge from the Bush Veldt Carbineers, ho had joined the Intelligence Department. The pay is 12s per day, two horses for eae-a man, a complete outfit, and a "boy" to attend to the horses. All are supposed to be first-class hands with, horses, able to get about the veldt by night or day, shoot straight, and capable of providing for themselves while on the march. The squadron to which he belongs comprise Australians. Canadians, and Afrikanders, he being, so far as he knows, the only New Zealander. They expected to get orders to proceed to the German frontier, and keep an eye on any of the Boer trekkers who might desire to return, and doubtless also to prevent arms or ammunition beins; got through. The Otasro Education Board have recommended to the department in Wellington the Misses Bowling (North-East "Valley) . A. P. Macleod (Green Island!. H. L. Maclecd (North-East Valley), and Taylor (mistress at Anderson's Bay) as teacheit in connection with the- concentration camps in South Africa. Il addition to the four teachers recommended by the Education Board, wer belipve that Miss Ralston, school mistress at Blucspur, and Miss Rees. "who conducts a piivate school in High street, Dunedin, have alao been selected. A Wellington telegram says,; — A board, consisting of Mi«s M'Lean (prineiT»al of Wrllington Girls' High School) and Messrs Hogben. Kirk, and Pope t has been set up to examine tho?e applicants for teacherships in the Boer concentration camps who are considered most qualified for the positions. The board began its sittings- on-i Saturday morning. The final selection of the 20 toachors requ ; red will be made this week. " Long CeVil," the gun make at Kimberley during the sie#e, had it.= counterpart in the " Wolf," a 161b Howitzer made at Mafeking while the- Boer-< were besieging that place. Present interest is giveu to this gun by the announcement in some Cape papprs that Messrs .7. Weil and Co., tin* firm wlreh pro-M-ionpd Maf eking so well, haje just prp sppted Conolly. the mnker of the gun. with £50 in recognition of his services, ami that this is the fir=t ant 1 only acknowledgment that has been made. Conol'y served his apprenticeship as an engineer with a Glasgow 'firm,, and was working »t his trade at Johannesburg when the war broke out. Having served with Baden-Powell during the Matabe-le war, he rn.uk" for Mafeking. and joined the local mounted corps. It will Jjr 1 remembered that fairly parly in the <-i e ge an old cannon wa« found in the- native quarter. At first it seemed that the discovery was of httle value, a3 there was no ammunition for it. and the local engineerdeclared it imnos-ible to make any owing to the atxMioc of a foundry or engineering appliances. C'onoliy, however, offercl to make some, anc\ by various makeshift dove cs he at la-.t succeeded in turning out shot -uitablc for the old gun. Solid 7£lb ihot \\"re not. however, of much u°c, so Bailon I'owpll puifKe.-ti-d that Conolly should uv his hand at -) eli-. It wa- a morn difh - nit juh than the la'-t. but the re-otireefu' cnjri lifer managed to do it, and kept the 7poundrr gosng all through the while ,ifter H was o\ nr his home-made ammunition was !,irs;elv used during Baden-Powell's expedition with a flying column into the Trang\aal But Conolly's greatest achievement ■vat the manufacture of a 16-pounder Howitzer, by which the British gunners were :it last able to reach the Boor laager and do t'Jine damage. It was a bigger feat than the manufacture of " Long Cecil," for the re-ource=i of Mafeking were not to be compared with those of the Dp Beers Company at K'liiherlev. Conolly also made shields for the defenders of the trenches, which were impenetrab'p by Mauser fire at point-blank ransro. Altogether he proved him=elf one of the mo.-t useful men in the \w-]f"*r<\ town, and one would have thought that his would have b°en recorrnis'.'d in some other way than by a cheque from a private firm. The Alexandra Rifles have obtained tapi tation for 63 men-- the maximum. TliiireKe^ts frrat fr,.,]it on both offit er<- am 1 men. and should be an inoent'\e to oil to try to keep up th,-n lnrr'n -t;r>ri;irrl oi ofiif lfiic-y — Tleralf' You ran ward off All Udiijiii- v. hub m:iy an-n frow a bad Culd by taking TUSBICUII4. '