BRITAIN & THE TRANSVAAL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11784, 5 October 1901, Page 2

BRITAIN & THE TRANSVAAL.

1 THE FIGHT AT FORT ITALIA. ■ HEAVY BOER CASUALTIES. ■ United Press Association.— By Electric Teles^raph. — Copyright. Received October 4, 9.34 p.u;, London, October 4. — Three companies composed of drafts of Dublin and Lnn cashire Fusiikrs, and Middlesex, Dorset and South Lancashire Regiments, witi two 15-pouudersandaMaxim, g;>msonec Fort Italia. Anticipating an attack, ai- , outpost of eight men, under Lieutenant* Kane and Lefroy, was placed at the to| of the Ital mountain. At midnight 70C ' Boers attacked the outpost and capturer 1 it after an heroic defence lasting an hour Fighting was at close quartern, and Bo< 1 . dead were piled \.p ail around . Lieutenant Kane died at tha heai [ of bis men, shouting '• no surrender." Lefroy was badly wounded. The for 1 was then surrounded, and determine ' fighting kept up till 7 o'clock in th( 1 evening, v:hen the Boers retired. Th. ' garrison, being sborfc of ammunition an water, retired to Ukandha. Tha Bou i casualties were altogether out of propor ! tion to the British. A simultaneous attack made on For Prospect, garrisoned by 65 men, wit! ; a Maxim, failed, the Boers leaving 61 dead. Received October 4, 10.66 p.m. 1 London', October 4. - Colonel Keke wich was severely wounded in the rigV shoulder and left side. Sixteen officer* 1 and 48 men of the Scottish Horse wen ■ woußded at Moldwell. Scouts repor. that the Boers lost heavily, though the? . removed most of their wounded. Six hundred Constabulary recruits wi! be sent to South Africa during Octobet , and a similar number in November. Tha Second liattahon Leinster Reg; ] rnent, at present in Jamaica, has bee; ordered to South Africa. MORTALITY AMONG OFFICERS AT MOLD WILL. TOO LENIENT TREATMENT. Received October 5, 9.12 a.m London, October 4. — Twenty-six o J Colonel Kekewch'a officers were killec or wounded in tha fighting at Moldwiil. Command-inf; Brand w.is severe! wounded during the engagement at Cale don Rivei. Colonel Walter Kitchener's column hat reached Vryheid. Commandant Scheepers, who is ill, wa;conveyed in a buggy southwards toward* Riversdale. He narrowly^ escaped frou liis pursuers, whose losses during th» chase of the commando included twe officers killed and two wounded. Dr Feilding, who volunteered to ac company the orderlies to succour the wounded at Italia, was compelled to attend the Boer wounded, whilo th* British remained in the broiling sun aL day without water and only unskilled attendance until Dr Kennedy's arrival. Amongst twenty-two prisoners taken by the British at Reitz was Pierr-s De Yilliers, who some time ago prosecuted fifty Britishers at Harrisniith for refusing to be commandeered. The evidence adduced at tha treason trials at Pretoria shows.tr at many Boeifc who have sworn neutrality and are re ceiving British relief are communicating with commandos still in the field. Tin traitors rely on British leniency if the} are caught.