| Show ROBERTS IS 18 MilES FROM JOHANNESBURG G t Drives V D Burgher Army ia in Front D Df of f 1 Him im From One Position to Another i i f f French and Hamilton Engaged in Battle Result Not ot Yet Known Boers rs Reported in Panic i Cape Cap Town Ton May ay 28 It is rumored i here that General French no has cut th Boer Beer Bor communications between Heidel Heidelberg Heidelberg I Iber berg ber and within a few fe miles mUe i of Johannesburg rg I London Longon May M y 28 Midnight The war I office Just before midnight published the following Ying dispatch from Lord Rob Kob Roberts erts sOlO il Klip River R er Trans May 28 52 p m We marched twenty miles mUes today and are are now eighteen n miles from Jo Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg The ThO enemy had prepared several positions where they intended to oppose us out but they abandoned one after atter the other as we neared them We pressed them so hard that they had only just jOst time to get their five guns into train and to leave as a as some of ot the infantry dashed into it IL it Frenchs Fren h aji lIan Ian Hamiltons forces for e are apparently I engaged with the en enemy enemy enemy emy about ten miles mie to our left lef as a fir firing firIng firIng ing Ing has been heard since noon uH H J T Whig has just returned to Lourenzo Marques from Pretoria where he went disguised He wired that Kruger has all al the arrangements made for rr 0 flight presumably to Hol Ho Holland Holland Holand land A special train provisioned Is always ready to steam am up The train waits some distance from Pretoria The farmers near our line lne of ad advance advance advance vance are surrendering with their arms and horses Rundle Bundle occupied on May I 24 No report of what took place has reached me yet yet The he Morning MO Post ost has the following I dispatch from Lourenzo Marques Marque dat dated dated dated ed Monday President Kruger has issued a pub public I lie lic lt proclamation warning wa all people to leave Johannesburg or ortO oro to remain there thereat I at the peril of their lives as it i may become necessary to destroy the town f and the mines r The Lourenzo Marques I ent of the Times telegraphing Mon Monday Moni Monday i day says i Commandant General Botha con coni i suited the Transvaal government a few days ago and in the strongest terms urged capitulation recognizing izing that tha the i struggle is utterly hopeless hopel s Neither persuasion nor the liberal use of the th can induce tha men to stand Steyn St yn Is equally emphatic for peace p but b t Kruger Kl ger is still still tl obdurate The strong feeling of the Pretoria peace pc party however how ver may at any moment carry carr the point i While the reports of a possible bor border border border der conflict between the Boers Boors and an Portuguese are not credited here the i uneasiness of local officials continues All Al sorts of sensational l rumors are ae aeI I afloat The latest is of the hauling down of 0 the Portuguese flag at the Portuguese consulate in Pretoria Pretoria The Boers are undoubtedly strengthening their commandos on the border According to toa a special 1 dispatch from Lourenzo Marques there are Boers in ih the Portuguese border Transvaal is Demoralized H J in a dispatch to the Daily Mail Mall dated May 28 2 says says The demoralization of the Transvaal is remarkable Panic and confusion I prevails everywhere Everyone is weary of the war r and full ful of fear fea as to the coming of the British Operations were I being carried on for tor encircling Pretoria I with telegraphic communications I Fourteen points in the line lne of defenses were connected with headquarters rs and with wih the staats artillery but this ap apparently apparently 1 was the only defensive mess meas measure me ure adopted There were no other visible visible ble preparations Not much gold gol l is likely to be found in the treasury The salaries of the I officials and judges have not been ben paid pid I or have been paid only Q ly in national bank banknotes banknotes I notes which will wi be worthless when Lord Roberts arrives s The seat of gov government government government will wi be removed to Waterval I bovan a small smal station staton on the he Delagoa Bay railway line and then if lf necessary to i Dislike the Plank Flank Flak Movements Both B th President Steyn and President rel ent Kruger complain com of Lord Rob Roberts Roberts erts tactics In iii refusing to meet the t Boers Beers B rs In ln positions chosen by them and ani in n eternally turning them by flank fank movements Around Johannesburg a few trenches tren hes have h Y b le le een n dug but bitt no other steps have been taken for defense The railway line lre is blocked with w h refugees refugee froth the west vest and aM ah southwest southwest who are packed like sardines s in trucks The government is no nw naW endeavoring to reassure the be public Sy Wy telling them that the British will wi not outrage and plunder them but tut t it is lS s too late The previous misstatements are bringing their rewards Food Fod is very scarce and prices rule rul high i The Thc proposal to release the British I prisoners of war is due to this cause cus Members of the government and of the express approval a of the pro proposal proposal oal but President Kruger Is violently opposed to It Will Wil Lay L y Infernal Machines One form of infernal machine which meets with wih much approval is to be laid Haid under the rails df ut d various lines A 1 pressure of some some tons of the engine enge will wilF wil cause causa cusa this to explode with wit most terrific effet Many of these ma machines machies machines chines chies are being made at the arsenal anal and great get caution will wiIl wi have to be em employed employed employed in neutralizing them tem There Ther has been bean a n decided change ch in I public opinion which has han become quite quie English The burghers on command sing GoE GoU Got Save ave the Queen and d they the cannot be stopped All are sick of Wm fare fa In I the e towns the rabid lish is less rampant nt People Popl are think thinking thinking ing of their their property The he party eager I for surrender is now very influential and Includes the leaders headers at the front front The Th j t e eh pubIc feel that the gambi gam up news no longer has an effect and d tl the lying lyng reports of ot the newspapers are tre re universally disbelieved Although the hand of the cen censor censor censor sor has been be very r heavy on news of all al kinds kindi recently very every one one believes the worst worst L Will Wil Agitate Agit te In America The government g ern has hake arranged to continue the agitation against the British occupation o up of f the the two hot n the continent of Europe in Great Great Britain Br andin di in the fhe United States Great efforts e areto areSto r obe be made in this di direction and aiki af no expense will wIl be be spared pared i I have excellent rn reasons for n that the rights have hae ha e ebee been bee sold to a French F syndicate wit with without without I out the sanction of the te Tt TIe e government hopes hop by this means to 10 i o bring about French Frech intervention f fir ir r the protection of Frenc rights ri in the and thus to cause England grave ve difficulties The conduct of United States Con Consul Consul Consul sul Hay is admirably discreet and meets meet with universal praise pras alike alke from Boer and British sympathizers Botha Both Pleads Plead With ger Another dispatch from Lourenzo Marques Maue says say General Goerl Louis Luis Botha Both is at Pretoria urging President Kruger Kru er erto to arrange peace pa terms tes Runaway from Laings Nek passed through though Heidelberg last la week week Wound Wounded ed e officials with wt their families are lea v lug ing in Johannesburg and Pretoria Pretria tor fil f r President Steyn S ey occupies the house of a British resident at Pi torla Passengers arriving at Lourenza Lurenza Marques Monday Monda from Pretoria sa say it was wa believed beleve there that the British would not be b at t the capital for a a month Nevertheless there was wa much unrest and anxiety The Times Time publishes the te following T from Newcastle dated dat Sunday our hundred Boers Baers are advancing toward towar Dundee There Is no fear t ar that our au communication will be cut Oath Prescribed By Builer Buer The following is I the oath which Sir Redvers Buller administers to rebels I I a British subject do hereby sv r that I was wa forced tore by the queens ene one enemies tales mies mie to take up arms ar against her matys troops I now hand in m my horse hors rifle rUle and ammunition and if permitted I will wi proceed proe direct to my farm far and remain there tre as a loyal lo al Brit British BritIsh ish sh subject until her he pleas pleasure pleasure ure re I promise promse not to t communicate with aid ad or abet her enemies under penalty of death Carl Car Cronje a son of Piet Cron Cronie ie signed the declaration but arms were wee e e subsequently found foun on his farm farmA A dispatch from Mafeking dan dated d May 28 22 says the total casualties sine since the thc commencement of the siege W wie L re e SG Out of officers cel twenty two were wee killed wounded or missing and an 18 U men out of privates wei e killed kiHe woe or missing In the tie house AOI of commons today the government reported ed negotiations i fur ur r peace with W f te the Transvaal Transval f The he rumor that Johannesburg has ha been be occupied by General Generl French Frem h coupled with the stock exchange repot t that tha the Boers Beers BI had ha agreed to surrender surender unconditionally served considerably to improve the Kaffir Katr market this after affo non |
