THE SOUTH AFRICAN TROUBLE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10503, 26 November 1901, Page 2

THE SOUTH AFRICAN TROUBLE.

British Hallway Pioneers Captured and Re-taken.

Over 100 Boers Captured.

Cape Colonists to Defend

their District.

Press Association— Telegraph— Copyright Received November 25, 10.8 p.m. LONDON, November 25. Details show that a strong commando surrounded and captured railway pioneers at Vallersclorp, afier a. desperado resistance. The pioneers' horses stampeded. Colonel Rimington pursued and defeated the Boers, whose whole casualties were ten, including Commandant luys wounded) and Commandant Mosthuizen killed). Four British officers were wounded, and Major Fisher was killed. The captured prisoners were released. A combined movement on the Reitz district resulted in the capture of 39 Boers. The bulk, with De Wet, escaped south. Eighty -of Akerman's commando have been' captured. Hertzog's and Niuithidt'a are the only commandoes remaining south-west of the Orange Colony, a few hundreds strong.

Brand commands 400 scattered in the south-eastern part of Orange Colony.' Rout, a rebel officer of Latigan's commando, was .executed at Colesburg. ' Petrus Vanderwalt, captured at Dampluats .in May, has been' sentenced to penal servitude for life on a "charge of murder.. The Hon. J. Chamberlain assured his personal friends that he would quit public life instantly, if he believed such action would terminate the war honourably. Lord Roberts assured' the mounted troops at Aldershot that the Lee-Enfield rifles were equal, if not superior to Mausers. ' Sir Gordon Sprigg, the Cape Premier, has undertaken to defend certain' districts, commencing with the coast and eastern portion of the colony, and gradually extending the protection area until the regular troops were relieved from mere patrolling duty. THE HAGUE, November 25. Baron Yon Lijanon, the Netherlands Minister of Foreign Affairs, states that Great Britain has not confiscated the Netherlands railway. She arrested the Dutch Bed Ciobb anrablance owing 1 to the discovery that the leaders were communicating with the Boer generals.'