CABLE NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 46, 8 March 1901, Page 3

CABLE NEWS

(By Suoraio Tilesbaph. —Goptbibht) BOER WAR. Dg WET LOOTS PKTItUSVILLS. obusltt to "White residents. HOF»» of AN EABLT ENDING. , PKR PKBS3 ASSOCIATION. ' Receiyed 8,9.48 a.m. London, March 6. Commandant; De Wet and Mr St eye, iwth 500 followers, on February 24th looted every akop in Petruaville, and broke the telegraph lines. On the following day Commandants Hertz»g and Brand, with 3000 men, destroyed private property at Petruaville, and sjamboked several white residents. Colonel Thorneycroft's force of 700 *mved as the Boers were leaving, aid ehased and shelled their rearguard. Colonel De Lisle's column has traTwaed Cradeck southwards. Lord' Kitchener and Sir Alfred llilner are at Pretoria. Optimistic feeling prevails at Cape Taws and Pretoria that there will be mi oariy ending to the war. Commandant Steenk&mp, who is at Philoppolis, declares that the contest is hopeless. He and his command* are returning to their hemes, I* the Howe ef Commons, Mr 8t Jehn Broderick, replying to a question reference to the peace negotiations with General Batha.uid«l have no statement to make en the subject," Private Rioters, a Queeoslander, died « enteric itt Bloemfontein. i Becelved T, 10.3 a.m. I London, March 4. Recruiting fer Yeomanry for South Ahioa has been completed.

DE WIT SCATTERING HIS FOLLOWERS. BOERS REPULSED AT ABBRTYEHW A BLUNDER AT A CRITICAL TIMB. Beoelred 7,11E7 p-m. Lohdojt, March 7. De Wet ia scattering kia follower! Into groups. Si* columns are pursuing. Three hundred Beers attacked Aber. deen on the fifth instant, but were repulsed after fo*r hours' fighting. No British casualtifg. lUoelTed 8.12.20 am.

Lobdok, M«rch 7. I De Wet's escape at Lilli- fonteinj WM to - QiiicaWhttion --reralfcrag from the column endor Colonel the Hon. J. H. Byng, operating in tha" neighbourhood, being temporarily, but peremptorily, ordered to proceed to HamQfonttin. This was the psychological movement of the whole pursuit, •®d Ds Wet instantly seized the opportunity and crossed the river ia Byng's absence.

De Wet lost feur thousand hordes during the invasion of Cape Colon?, tat Hartzog, when he joined him, brought a splendid supply. It is felfc here tha 1 - creator initiative •aght to be allowed the British commanders on the spot, inasmuch as i* is impossible to wire orders. De Wet usually outpices the best column by five miles a day, aad unlaw the Commander strikes his rearguard immediately it is impossible to mainta ir contact, (PM PRBSS ASSOCIATION.* Wellington, March 7. The following additional officars have reported themselves at the Seventh Contingent cimp: Lieutenants D. Stewart (Auckland), R. W. Wilkinson and Drury (Whangawi), J. A. Oollege and W. il. Wilsm. Li'u'. Wilson wu a sorg ant in the Second Oontißgent. Surgeon-Captain De Renzi telegraphed the Premier that the invalid troopers who arrived at Syda«y by *h« Ranee are doing satisfactorily, Thsy will leave for Wellington by the Monowai on Saturday.