THE BOER WAR.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 237, 15 October 1901, Page 2

THE BOER WAR.

By Telegraph—-Tress Association—Copyright London, Oct. Id. Botha sent a force to escort his waggons eastward. Two farmers convicted of twice joining the enemy have been hanged at \ ryheid. A third Lord Kitchener commuted to penal servitude for life. The sentences of two rebel farmers at Barkley \\ est and Jacobsdai were commuted respectively to ten veavs’ penal servitude and deportation. A farmer at Worcester was fined LIOO for storing more than a week’s tood in his house.

Commandants Kruitzinger and Acker* maim and other leaders are trying to cross the swollen Oran go river southwards.

BOTHA’S BKTBEAT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London. Oct 1-1. Botha retreated into most dilticult country parallel with the Swaziland western frontier, until finding the Britts! barred his trek north he halted near Out, berg, to the north-west of Vryheid, on the tenth.‘

Despatching columns occupy Bongo,a and Bosch. The Boers are in difficult situations, and their horses tire fatigued. The British forces are on the north and south-east. There are indications that Botha intends to retire in the direction of Lnunlesberg. Uroesclar, t’mimiaudam ol the \ ryheid commando, escorting >v. aei: and transports, lias left for the go-.-i laoge. t'Al’TL' LU-. BY COLONIALS. V detachment of W.-stralmus, New Zealanders, ami tfiicenslaiulers, belonging to Walter Kitchener’s eomuumd, captured ,"»0 cattle. 7 waggons, a large quantity of foodstuffs and four prisoners. NATAL VOLUNTEERS THANK!-'.!) BY KITniKNT.K. By Telegraph Bress Association —Copyright London. Oct. I t. The Natal \oluuLvrs who have been ■ relieved from duty received Lord Kit- | chencr's thanks for their excellent sor- ! vietj.

.c LIEUTENANT SENTENCED TO DEATH. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, Oct. 15. Schoeuuui.one of Sell-.- per'a lieutenants, has been sentenced to death.

A O'MITI.SOKY DULL. AN INHUMAN ORDER. By Telegraph—Press Association- Copyright London, (let. 15.

Sehceper recently captured two British colored scouts, ami forced them lo draw lots as to which one should shoot the other. Straws were used for the purpose, and the scout who drew the shortest straw had to shoot his companion. The other was then sent back to inform ths British. A I'EUENNIAL SLEUK. THE HUMOROUS SIDE UE OPERATIONS.

Uliristiaiia (Transvaall, July 25. Though flic eomie-opora siege of Christiana is officially concluded, the country is still infested with the belligerent Boers, and we are being wearied by columns

who are vainly endeavoring to catch

them. On Thursday, there arrived an expedition known as “ The Baris Exhibition,” owing to its being commanded by Major Paris. This officer belongs by profession to the Loyal Marine Artillery. What a mariuo gunner has to do with a column in the Transvaal is a mystery to a mere civilian. I'resumably he has been lent by the Ad-

miralty to flic War Office in exchange for a commensurate quantity—say, of black powder or some commodity to which the naval authority is unaccountably partial. However, the column is now lost. ft

left here on Friday morning to meet a convoy and bring it back here, but neither it nor the convoy has been heard of since. Visiting columns invariably leave ns with quantities of Boer women and children as soinenirs of their visits' These, pending the possibility of sending them on elsewhere, we keep in the clmn-h in a sort of cloak-room. At present, it contains thirty-live women, eighty-one children, and a few miscellaneous old men.

One ancient Boor who was to he sent on to Warrenton insisted on taking his coffin with him. But it was explained to him that owing to the meagreness of the transport facilities such luxuries were not allowed, even to officers. He, however, was very firm. Ho said that it hail always been his practice to travel with his coffin, and declined to abandon the habit just when it might ho useful. lie was as persistent on the point as Sarah Bernhardt. At last the authorities met him halfway, and told him that he might travel with it if he could satisfy them that it was a necessary by producing a certificate of death. This he declined to do, hut stated very forcibly that Providence undoubtedly was on his side. The coffin is with us now. On the whole the refugees behave well and do not make a fuss.

Major Paris left some men of the Metropolitan Mounted Lilies here, as their horses had either died or were worn out. This corps of Yeomanry lias acquired the title of “Merc .Mounted Kubbish” in allusion to their general merit. The provisioning of the town is in a peculiar condition, as there is no magistrate here. Formerly the supply officer used to sell provisions to the townspeople, as the civil stores contained none. But now a new regulation lias come out to the effect that this can no longer be done. If provisions cannot he obtained locally for the inhabitants the civil authority must indent for them and collect the money himself. After which he has to hand the proceeds to the Army Service Corps at Kimberley. The nearest approach to the civil authority in the place is the provost-mar,shall, a captain of the Munster Fusiliers, whose court-house is now turned into a grocery store, and his interpreter is converted into a shopwalker.

Occasionally the Boers make a perfuactionary sort of attack on ths place, or send fn a messenger to ask some foolish question.

For instance, the other day Field-Cornet Seholtz favored us with a flag of truce and a list of miscellaneous requests. He contemplated grinding a little corn, and wished to fix up a windmill for that object. Unhappily an abnormally large screw was necessary for the enterprise, and the ficld-eornot didn't happen to have one with him ; hut ho knew of one in Christiana that would suit his purpose. Purely our commandant would lot him have that screw I

If this interesting tield-eornet ever gets any ammunition that would lit our one big gun lie will not hesitate to send in a flag of truce and ask for a loan of the gun. We don’t, however, always give him everything he wants.

Our cablegrams yesterday announced the fact that the death sentence passed upon Commandant Lotter, had been carried out. Mail news to hand gives particulars of Cotter’s capture :—lt appears that Colonel Doran came up with Cotter at Garstlands Kloof, killing one man and capturing thirty horses. Cotter then attempted to break away over the mountains to Paarderkraal, in shoek, where he was opposed, and lost seven men killed and one wounded. He was then driven towards L’earston, where he camped for the night, The scouts came up with him on the road to l'ietersburg, and making a night march effected a surprise at daybreak on the cth, killing twelve, wounding forty-six, and capturing i fifty-seven, thus accounting for the whole i of the commando, which makes the first ; full bag in the colony. Besides Lotter the ; capture included Commandant Breodt i and three field-cornets, and over 200 horses.