Show f ROBERTS TAKES POSSESSION I Boer Government in Free State Probably Prob-ably Ended Forever London Marrh liAt precisely 130 oclock Tuesday afternoon a union Jack specially made for this purpose by Lady Roberta WM hoisted over the Presidency at Blocmfontcln amidst the acclamation or the comtsmnderIn Chidfmt battalion In which curiously enough thfO Oiaikffe Frw Suite burI giwr ju llot11l tu lbivo Joined with rc pariJe hartlnc S JtjKTRY OF BRITISh ROOI Time opposition to the entry of the British troops Into the capital J was in hgatAi1It r I The troops Wtit occupying J a few high places in the hills about the place but a few shells drove them out at 1 oclock In the morning and newspaper news-paper correspondents entering the town found Mr Frazer and others and guided them to where Lord Roberta stood on the top of a hill waiting ort them or-t As spokesman Mr Frazer asked protection for life and property and surrendered tho keys BOER RULE ENDED Lord Roberts accompanied by his staff rodo at the head of a cavalcade a mile long to the Presidency receiving an ovation throughout the route culminating cul-minating In a remarkable demonstration demonstra-tion at the market square Reaching the Go eminent buildings Lord Roberts Rob-erts took possession of the city In the name of the Queen and then repaired to the Presidency where the ceremony of hoisting the union Jack ended forever according to universal opinion here the Boer Government of the Free State KIND TREATMENT ASSURED During his progress through the town Lord Roberts stopped and ordered the Instant replacement of goods which were being looted from the artlllery barracks by Kaffirs thus giving the populace an earnest assurance of the treatment they might expect from the victors S ROBERTSS OPINION OF STEYN President Steyn fled to Kroomatadt without replying to Lord Robertss de I mand lor his surrender and the com manderinchiof remarked afterward during the course of conversation while j breakfasting at the farm of President Steyns brother that the ex President had become tl nonentity The British troops with the exception of I those necessary to police the town remain re-main outside CUTTING COMMUNICATION Press dispatches giving most of the above Interesting details also settle the point of the cutting of the railroad and telegraph communication north of Bloemfonteln showing It was a plucky actMaJ MaJ Hunt Weston of the Royal engIneers en-gIneers accompanied by ten men traversed the Boer lines and succeeded In cutting the telegraph lines and blotting up the tracks THE HALFWAY HOUSE Blocmfontcln is now regarded here ay asort of halfway house and base of operations l for the advance on Pretoria Pre-toria S j The military authorities here expect a period of comparative quiet while Lord Roberts is I establishing railroad connection with Xorvals Pont and Bethullc giving the men and horses the rest necessary to fit them for the severe struggles which ire believed to be still Inevitable WHERE FIGHTING IS EXPECTED It seems likely that the next news of fighting may come from Natal Gen Warrens division which had reached Durban has been ordered to Join Gen Buller Indicating that the outllanklng movement through the neck of Zululand Zulu-land referred to In these dispatches March 10th Is about to commence It 16r port d at Bloemfonteln that Gen Joubfit is at Brandfort but other reports locale him at BIggarsberg Jf DENOUNCED STEYN IslflfBrtrStandard Jia Uia following dispatch dis-patch from Gloemfonteln dated Thursday Thurs-day March 15th The civil authorities authori-ties here definitely I made up their minds to surrender on Monday A stormy meeting was held presided i over by Mr Steyn whom Mi r Frazer denounced de-nounced as a coward charging him with a want of enough moral courage to cope with the situation The hate President was however not to be persuaded per-suaded und when he I meeting broke up he left for the north OCCUPATION EXTREMELY ORDERLY OR-DERLY The occupation was extremely orderly or-derly and well managed The spectacle was most Impressive when the Sixth division marched through in grand style notwithstanding that like the rest of the army It had covered forty miles In twentyseven hours SURRENDER THEIR ARMS Large numbers of tho burghers are surrendering their arms Many have lied to their homes Others arc trekking trek-king to time east or to the north with their cattle and goods During the last few days the inhabitants of Blosmfon tcin had gone in deadly fear of the violence of I the Tranavaalcrs and cons quently time city resembles rather a relieved re-lieved than a captured town Mr Weasels President of the Rand has gone to England to solicit public sympathy sym-pathy und to plead fur the Indepjnd ence of the Free State |