West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Tuesday 9 July 1901, page 5


THL .BOER 4 AR. MR. ROSE-INNES IN LONDON. , DECLARATION AGAIST -INDE-' PENDENCE. -Londoi: ne, ly. d il 7. Mr.. J.-Rose-Innes, ah 4x-Ministei of Case Colony, is now in London " He addressed a meeting yesterday at Westminster, under the auspices of the IImnerial South 'African Association. ' In the course of his speech, Mr. RoseInues declared that the annexation of the Boer Republics would alone secure permanent peace.. The concession of 'independence. on the other hand;,'iould mean a revival of the conspiracy. TRAIN . RAIDING. -A STATION WRECKED: Lord ithe London, July 7. Lord Kitchener reports' that a party of Boer 'raiders burned' the trailway station at Rooderpoort, on Friday. last, but were driven off with the loss of two killed and seven prisoners anid: wounded. ,The British had one wounded. FIGHTING AT BRUGSPRUT' . AN ENCOUNTER WITH VILJOEN. ..- " ' Londoni, July 8. Two. o hundred Beers; under Generat Vilcen.. attedipted to cross the railway linenorthwards at Brugapruit.", One of the two British block-houses in the vicinity fell.. The other was held. An explosion partly derailed a British armoured.train. ' The enemy, thinking the :train was wrecked, attempted to rush it. Coming within ten yards of the train. the. Boers encountered a terrificfire of case;shot. : ACKERMiAN? S COMMANDO. ROUTED AT BRAKFONTEIN. London July 8. A:Reuter's 'despatch states .that a squadron of, Rimington'sGuides routed Ackermann's commando at Brakfontein. Commandant Ackermann was founded in the shoulder. ,' . . Rimiengton'sGuides next attackedPretorius's commando, of 200, 'at Kootzes-' poort. -. At this place a fight laiting 20 minutes occurred at close quartersaiong the bushes and reeks. : Several. Boers were i.ounded. .Pretorius himself' was shot in the eye. The enemy ultimately fled.. BRINhGING IN REFUGEES.. 2 ,0O BROUGHT TO EDENBURG. hor . ." -,London,: July. S.: " ,wo.thousand Boer. refugees have-been brought into) denburg, in :thi;,iange River Colony, during the pastfortnight. THE BANKS PF THE ORANgE. " BEING CLEARED OFT TE BOERS. .'London, July 8. Five..British columns .have': between them, cleared, the banks 'of the:Orange River. - . " ,Thbt have been engaged in the operation for about seven weeks. . One hundred aud'twsnty-seven prisoners were take' ,including several leader;. also 92 rifles, 18,000 sheep and cattle, ndi 5.000 horses. ' Twelve hundred, refugees were collected. ,. PERSONAL: . - LIEUT. TOLLMER. ' London,' July .' Lieut. Tollmer, a South. Australian convalescent, has resumed duty." THE AFFAIR AT MABOOM 'SPRUIT. TEN ADDITIONAL.FATALITIES. London, July 3. It was stated yesterday that the Boers had wrecked a train near "Maboom Spruit. The train was conveying British 'troops; and one officer, nine Gordon Highlanders, and'five others were killed. L ater acciunts state that an additional ten GcrdontHighlaniders were wounded.. VILJOEN AT BOTHASBERG: GENERAL BOTHA'S MOVEMENTS. London,.July S. . General Viljoen, with .440 SBoers; has broken northwards and is 'now 'at Bothasherg. General Botha has returned : t;wards rmel. .. A FIGHT'AT ELANDELOCK. THE BRITISH CASUALTIES. m :London; July 8.. Three members of the Scottish .Horse were killed and nine others of the same regiment were wounded, at Elandelock; on the,3rd inst. . THE BATTLE OF VLAKFONTEIN.

A SENSATIONAL NARRATIVE: London, July 8. Mr. Edgar Wallace has written to the London "Daily Mail" a senpational narrative concerning the battle of Vlakfo'n tom.n From Mr. Wallace's story it would Bnpear that an offier saw 'two of Kemp's ioers .deliberately shooting the British wounded, four of whom.they killed. The. killed included a sergeant,. wh was slightly wounded, and an officer, who was seriously wounded, and to whom the sergeant was offering a drink of water, THE LATE LIEUT. STANLEY REID. The following letter was yesterday received by Mr. Philip Cantor from Lieut. Stanley S. Reid, whose death was reporte'l a few dayd ago: -"T'hirty miles from Carolina; 21-5-01.Herc'I am living in a field hospital, with' a bullet througih part of;my stomach. It was nearly a week ago that it happened; and I" have had a-very fortunate escapo. The bullet entered my left side just above and a little to the rear of my hipkane, and came out in 'the pit of my st.omach, by.some miraculous means iussing my intestines. This good luck wsvs evidently due t6 my position over my horso's neck. Altogether it was a disastrous day for Westralia. • Eight deaths have occurred already, five in ours and three, .including Lieut. Forrcst, in the Fifth. Vlakfontein was the scene, about. sixty. or seventy miles S.E. of Middleburg. Without a doubt the honours rested with the Boers, who fought splendidly with head and heart. I cannot help admiring them, and only long to cross swords again to see if we cannot restore the balance, which at present is in their favour. Besides the killed five or six were severely wounded, and as many taken prisoners, stripped of all they had. and turned loose. I feel awfully sorry for the relations of the killed in Western Australia.' Alas! ' it means somethine more to be wiped off the slate. I feel as jolly as a sandboy: just a little impatient at the confinement, for the doctor won't let me walk. although I can do so with comparative ease. After all is said and done, there is something most enthralling in a soldier's life-probably the excitement of uncertainty; How well the Boers shot that day, and they were as cool and steady as rocks. One of our poor beggars, now dead had a duel at 30 yards with a Boer. The former got first shot in. and missed; then the Boer missed. The second time our man was wide of the mark, while the Boer sent a Martini bullet crashing through his brains. May God comfort the parents and friends of the fallen. The enemy showed the greatest courtesy to my brother, taking him to the dead and wounded, and doing all in their power to help. He nearly came to grief himself from. a Beoer who aimed point-blank at 15 paces before noticing the Red Cross on his arm. It is wonderful how in active warfaie one and another may be passed out, and it is almost forgotten in the course of a day e.t.w', and 1ethseps it is.just as well,.or

war would be altogether~unbearable.. "t present I believe we are trekking after :p commando rinder Commandant Smutz, who is moving.towards Barberton. Gene:ial Kitchener, brother'to Lord Kitphener of that ilk, is in command. ,The column conaists of something over 3,000 men. including *Devons, K.R.R.'s, 600 lmprial Light Horse, a Gina gun, and a battery. of 12-pounders, along with. ourselves. The Boers visit every camp' after we vacate it. and pick up the loose cartridges, of which they are short. They must have quite a number of our rifles. About'16 fell into their heads the other day, and some of us are aslikely to be in the same . box as the pioverbial eagle; who was pierced with a shaft feathered from his own pinions. The worst.of it is'our horses are. iving out. Hardly a day's rest since leaving Westralia. It seems avery s?ort-sighted policy on the part of the auithorities here, as horses are. very 'scarce " The nights now on the high veldt, where :we are. are bitterly cold. but if Barborton is our objective we.will esperience milder weather, as it is in- the low .veldt. -. The surgeon-major of this field. hospital treats me splendidly. . I was lucky not to be sent tf Carolina- yesterday morning with the res't of the wounded. .out I pleaded with him for retention as when once separated from your ti'oop. heaven only knows when a chance of re-joining them' will- come. The Hindoo coolie has just. brought me '.my 'tea; and as:I am on pretty full diet after a starvation period, my nurse:came to a very'sudden halt on its appearance. There is a rumour in camn.to-night that some of ours fellows have been scupperod by the Boers. but it is probably false. The most marvellous concoctions go.the rcunds on.the veldt. The Fifth Coutincent are now three officers shbrt-Lieuts Davis and Scott sick- Middlebure ;way. and Lieut. Forrest dead. Up till-now? all of ours are going. I do hope you will be able to read this:. Convey. my, best wishes to Mr. Ti7eke and all friends. and with all good blessinies on yvurvelf. I am -Yours most sincerely; S, S. Reid.". THE TtRANSPORT ORIENT AT ALBANY. MEASLES AND SCARLET FEVER ('i S' BOARD. Albany; July 7. The transport Orient (No. 224) arrived fromn East. London, ;South Africa, at 8 o'clodik .ye erday meorninm , She had omw- 3rd 2- officers and 473 oth'erranks of the'New Siouth Wales Imperial Buslimen, ten officers and 413 other ranks of the Victoriant Imperial 'Regimenf: ITh'ddition, there were two officers and 14 other rank?efrom South African regiments, anti one rurse for Melbourne, and two officers and 22 others fromi South African regiments, and two niurses for' Sydney. Colonel McKay, C.B.; of Sydney, is the'oinmanding officer. Immediately the vessel anchored. Dr.:Ingoldby, Medical Officer of the Port, went off,.. and shortly afterwards the yello :lfiag wavs oisfed. It transpired- that ' several. case. ."of measles and a case of scarlet fever' had occurred on board, and -the 'ship was strictly. quarantined. The doctor refused to allow connection with the shore on his own. responsibility, but. offered' to telegraph to the Central Board of Health in Perth, stating the circumsta'nce,' ani?I asking instructions. "This was done; and a reply: was received about,3 o'clock; granting the ship pratijue. .Business was then allowed to proceed, but neither the men nor officers were allowed ashole.b. -The ship obtained stores, bunkered 600; tons of cfoal, .and' loaded 270 tons of water, Sailing for Melbourne at 5 o'clock this-' eve?niig. . Since 'las6 in Austral'.i, the Orient has taken home a large nnmher of invalids to,Eingland, returning to Capetown with drafts to fill the.vauin. cies. and with -ohlnteers. She left Capetown oni June 16, calling at East London to embark troops. On the trip acresshe :experienced strong gales and very bigh. seas, the weather being very cold. Many men on board- contracted colds, and pneumouia was also pre'raent. The first case of .measles was discovered on the ist. inst., and ever since the. number of patients has 'increased. The advisableness of landing. patients with contagioUis diseases was discussed, 'but as the sessel was approaching readiness for sea, and none of the cases was serious, it was' decided to carry the men- on. The voyage generally was a icomfcrtablo. one, and fortunately the ranks were not broken by a-dingle death. - " There are onboard two Boer guns, onoe piesented to each contingent, a 75 Kr-tppi field gun,, with carriage -and limhwb brought by the Sydney troops; and a 60 Krupp mounted gun., with carriage and ;imbers, is in possession of .the Vic!crian S.Just Just befora leaving East Loundon. ColoneL! McKay received the. followinw telegram from Lord Kitchener, dated Pretosia, June 2,' -'-"To t-he Commandant, East London. Before the Or ?u saFils, uleass exoress to the New South Wales Imperial Buanhmen annd the Vi.loria:n Impenal Regiment my best thinks for their services -to the Empire whilst in Scuth Africa. I lose them with the greatest rMgret, and shall al- avs renmnmber-with gratitnu? the good work they hler, 'dno in tbis- arduous cauiipaaln -Kitchener "