Towyn-on-Sea and Merioneth County Times

ANOTHER BOER MURDER. WHITE FLAG VIOLATED. LIEUTENANT SHOT IN COLD BLOOD. The following message was issued last night by the War Office :— From Lord Kitchener to the Secretary of State for War. Pretoria, Sept 27. Lieutenant Miers, Somerset Light Infantry, em- ployed with South African Constabulary, went out from his post at Riversdraa, September 25, to meet three Boers approaching under white flag, who, after short conversation, were seen to shoot Lieut. enant Miers dead, and immediately galloped away. Inquiry being made and evidence recorded.

ENGAGEMENTS AND CAPTURES. A Middelburg telegram states that Colonel Monro, in an engagement with Myburgh, killed two and wounded three Boers. He also captured 60 horses, 20 saddles, 6 rifles, 600 rounds of ammunition, and many blankets. Colonel Gorringe has captured two of Smut's men, while Major Capper has bad an en- gagement with Theron, and Colenel Crabbe with Scheepers.

THE ATTACKED POSTS. PRAISE FROM KITCHENER. Monday. The War Office last night issued a despatch re- ceived from Lord Kitchener, stating that General Bruce Hamilton's force reached Itala at nin o'clock on Saturday morning and found that the Boers had moved from that place to the north-east, our troops taking up the pursuit. Lord Kitchener adds that the defence of the posts at Itala and Prospect when attacked by the Boers in force on Thursday was most creditable, heavy losses being inflicted upon the enemy.

MORE KHAKI CAPTURES. ATTEMPTED INVASION OF GRIQUALAND. A telegram from Middelburg announces that Colonel Gorringe has again captured men wearing khaki. The 9th and 12th Lancers have engaged Malan. Several of the enemy and nearly all their horses were killed. News has been received at Kopstad that a party of Boers attempted another invasion of Griqualand East on Friday night, but, although our troops defending the position were considerably out-numbered, the enemy were re- pulsed with some loss.

TREASON SENTENCES. EFFECT OF SEPT. 15TH. The Treason Court at Kimberley has sentenced several farmers at Douglas to varying terms of imprisonment, and the Military Court has passed a sentence of five years' penal servitude on two Barkly West rebels. The trial of Lotter began at Graaf Reinet on Friday and has not yet concluded. A pamphlet has been published at Pretoria, under the authority of Lord Kitchener, for the informa- tion of Burghers, oomtaining a notice of the per- manent banishment of several leaders captured since Sept 15, and also a letter from the Com- mander-in-Chief to Mr Schalk Burger, in which, in reply to a communication from the latter, he indicates the terms upon which alone peace may be secured.

THE "MOBILE" COLUMNS. OFFICERS SERIOUSLY REBUKED. The London Globe publishes the following We learn that the following remarkable order, num. bered 380, was recently issued from Pretoria by Lord Kitchener to commanders of columns through- out South Africa. e 4< The Commander-in-Chief in South Atrioa ae« sires to impress on officers in command of mobile columns that the object of such columns is mobility; that he has learned that such forces carried about with them furniture, kitchen ranges, pianos, and harmoniums, which nullify that object; that these articles must be handed over to the nearest stores, &c." That this extraordinary state of things is very general iB evidenced by the fact that the Coinmand-ir-in-Chief has felt justified in issuing the order to commanders of mobile forces through. out the whole field of operations. The London Correspondent of the Manchester C?M(M-(M<M says :—It is fair to state that the recent order of Lord Kitchener [forbidding the commanders of mobile columns to allow their forces to be accom- panied by pianos, harmoniums, kitchen ranges, and householdlfurmture—strange criticism in itself upon the methods we have pursued in" the palt-is due to the direct intervention of Lord Roberts. The Commander-in-Chief pointed out in a recent in. structien to Lord Kitchener that it was a grave mistake to permit columns in pursuit of an agile and vigilant enemy to be followed by processions of waggons and Cape carts, often of greater length than the actual effective forces. Apart from the fact that it prevented rapid operations, it unduly aggravated the opportunities of attack.

DESPERATE EIGHTING. ENEMY'S HEAVY LOSSES. BOER FORCES TEN TO ONE. Tuesday. Botha's move North to Schurweberg was evidently a feint to cover his real intention. His actual plan can only be conjectured. He probably hoped to strike Natal by way of Greytown. After leaving a small force at Schurweberg, he broke back to the South-East, towards the Southern point of the Vryheid district. There, just within the Zulu border, on Thursday, he attacked Itala and the Kalazo posts guarding that route. The Natal posts, which were attacked simultaneously, were held principally by the 5th Mounted Infantry. The fighting was heavy, and was prolonged for many hours. Botha was eventually driven off with great loss. Finding his way blocked, he made a dash South, doubtless receiving certain information from his poats of observation at Nqutu and Schurweberg. He once more turned North, and halted at Babanan- go. He has since moved further North to a point East of Vryheid, apparently endeavouring to break back to Piet Retief. Natives say the Boers were engaged in carrying their dead and wounded away the whole of the day. ESHOWE, Sept. 30. Further information concerning the repulse of the Boers at Fort Itala shows that 305 of the enemy were left on the field. LADYSMITH, Sept. 30. The British success in Zululand was much greater than at first reported. No less than 200 of the enemy were killed, and over 300 were wounded or captured. Maunsell, of the Police, was taken prisoner with the convoy.

DEFENCE OF NATAL. CONCENTRATION ON THE BORDER. The list of casualties in connection with the defence of Fort Prospect, which was also attacked by the Boers, shows that one private was killed and eight wounded. Troops are being concentrated heavily on the North-eastern border of Natal, and there is now little use of Boths. making incursions into the Colony.

KITCHENER'S RETIREMENT. RUMOURS OFFICIALLY DENIED. The War Office yesterday afternoon issued the following communication:- There is no foundation whatever for the state- ments which have appeared in various journals that Lord Kitchener has tendered his resignation. No friction of any sort has existed between Lord Kitchener and the War Office since he took over the command in South Africa from Lord Roberts." DEATH OF KRUGER'S SON. PRETORIA, Sept 30. Tjaardt Kruger, son of the ex-President, who recently surrendered, died this morning after a short illness. REPORT OF THE COLUMNS. Wednesday. A repo! t by Lord Kitchener of the captures made since September 23 was issued by the War Office yesterday. Results since 23rd September, includ- ing all separately reported, are 27 Boers killed, 24 wounded, 274 prisoners, and 48 surrenders, 138 rifles, 19,400 rounds small-arm ammunition, 189 Waggons, 3,270 horses, and 11,260 cattle.

THE FIGHT AT ITALA. ESTIMATED BOER CASUALTIES 500. The despatch states that some prisioners taken by the Boers during the attack on Fort Itala, in Zululand, on the 26th ult report that 60 Boers were buried at the enemy's laager. General Bruce Hamilton has ascertained that several were buried in the neighbourhood of Itala, and the Boers are said to have been busy on both the 26th and 27th lllt carrying in their dead and wounded. An un- official telegram from Melmoth, close to the Trans- vaal border, states that the total number of Boer casualties in the attack on the fort is estimated at 500, and that Commandants Opperman, Scholz, and Potgieter were killed.

BRITISH CONVOY CAPTURED COMBINED ATTACK ON KEKEWICK. The unofficial telegram also reports that a large convoy which left Melmoth at one o'clock on Sun- day morni.g for Fort Prospect was capturedjby the Boers when six miles from Melmoth. The enemy burnt the waggons and forage and took away the cattle. General Kekewich's camp at Moedwil, fifteen miles due west of Rustenburg, was attacked at dawn on Sunday by the combined commandos of Delarey and Kemp. The enemy were driven off and retired to the north.weat.-In Cape Colony Smuts, after breaking throughn the British cordon near Tarkastad, has moved to the south, and on Saturday last was near Sheldon, a station on the Central Railway considerably to the south of Somerset East.

LOCAL CASUALTIES. The following was discharged from hospital to duty for the week ending September 15th 4th Shropshire Light Infantry Lieut H S Burrough.

PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS. 9th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry (Denbigh, Montgomery, and Pembroke):—Temporary Captain T Walcot, Medical Officer, is granted the temporary rank of Major. The following notifications should have appeared under the 9th Battalion, and not under the 8th Battalion, as stated in the Gazette of September 20, 1901 Captain D G M Campbell, 9th Lancers, to be second in command, with the tem- porary rank of Major in the army. The following Second Lieutenants, from unattached, to be Lieu- tenants, with the temporary rank of Lieutenants in the Army: W B Pearch and C G G Stewart. Imperial Yeomanry The undermentioned Super- numerary Officers are absorbed into the Establish- ment: Montgomeryshire—Captain R W H W Williama-Wynn and Lieut G Fitzhugh.

MERITORIOUS SERVICES. LIST OF LOCAL HONOURS. The King has been graciously pleased to give orders for the following appointments to the Distinguished Service Order, for the following promotions in the Army, and for the grant of the Medal for Distinguished Conduot in the Field to the undermentioned Officers and soldiers, in recognition of their services during the operations in South Africa. To be Companions of the Distinguished Service Order:— Lieutenant E P Dorrien-Smith, the King's (Shropshire Light Infantry). To be Brevet Majors. Captain 0 H E Mp.rescaux, the King's (Shropshire Ligrht Infantry). 1ST BATTALION IMPERIAL YEOMANRY. To be Companion of the Distinguished Service Order.-Major W H Wyndham-Quin, (M.P., South Glamorganshire). 9TH BATTALION IMPERIAL YEOMANRY. Denbigh, Montgomery and Pembroke. To be a Companion of the Order of the Bath.— Lieut.-Colonel H R L Howard. To be Companion of the Distinguished Service Order.—Captain S L Parry and Captain E D Cropper (since deceased). To have the Distinguished Conduct Medal.- Squadron Sergeant Majors E Bruton (3rd Dragoon Guards), and Grice (Newtown), and Sergeant S H P Vereker. COLDSTREAM GUARDS (TO L.D.C.M.) Colour Sergeant J Gardham (now Sergeant Major, 2nd Battalion the King's (Shropshire Light Infantry). THE ROYAL WELSH FUSILIERS. To be Companions of the Distinguished Service Order.-Majors A P G Gough and P R Mantell; Captain W G Braithwaite. To be Brevet Lieutenant Colonel.—Major H T Lyle, D.S.O. To have the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Sergeant Major E A Paker, Colour Sergeants W G King and C Whinyates, Sergeant S Hotchkiss, Privates J Marshall, J Price and J Smith. THE SOUTH WALES BORDERERS. To be Companions of the Distinguished Service Order.-Major G C Palmes and Captain H H Bromfield, 3rd Battalion (attached). The promotion to the brevet rank of Major of Captain E C Purchaa, as notified in the Gazette of July 5, 1901, is antedated to November 29, 1900. To have the honorary rank of Captain. Quarter- master and Honorary Lieutenat W Burrows. To have the Distinguished Conduct Medal.- Colour Sergeants W H Keppy, H Standen, and C West (Permanent Staff, Volunteer Company), attached; Sergeants E Fathers, G Francis, J L Jones, and R J Soper; Lance Corporal H Blair. THE KING'S (SHROPSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY). To be Companions of the Distinguished Service Order.—Major (now Lieut.-Colonel) P Bulman, Captain R R Gibbins, and Lieut. H G Bryant. To be Brevet Lieutenant- Colonel. -Major A R Austen. To be Brevet Maj ors.- Captains R A Smith and W S W Radcliffe. To have the Distinguished Conduct Medal.— Sergeants W Harrison, G Powell, and R H Talbot, Corporals A Jarvis and W Shaw, and Lance-Cor- poral T Avery. MOUNTED INFANTRY. 1ST BATTALION. To be Companion of the Distinguished Service Order.—Lieut. C W Battye, the King's (Shropshire Light Infantry). 2ND BATTALION. To be Companions of the Distinguished Service Order.—Captain and Brevet Major C M Dobell, Lieutenant the Hon C R Clegg-Hill. To have the Distinguished Conduct Medal.- Lance-Sergeant W Hill, Private T Evans, all Royal Welsh Fusiliers. 4TH BATTALION. To be Companions of the Distinguished Service Order.-Lieut. (now Captain) H M Smith, the King's Shropshire Light Infantry. 15TK BATTALION. To have the Distinguished Conduct Medal, Corp. H Rand, the South Wales Borderers. WELSH HOSPITAL. To be a Companion (Civil Division) of the Order of the Bath.-Dr J L Thomas. To be a Companion (of the Order of Sb Michael and St George).-Dr R H Mills-Roberts. To have the Decoration of the Royal Red Cross. -Miss M Lloyd. To be Major in the Reserve of Officers.- Captain the Hon R. White (late the Royal Welsh Fusilers). MILITIA. 3RD BATTALION THE SOUTH WALES BORDERERS. To be a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.-Lieut. Colonel C Healey. To be a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order. -Captain H J V Phillips. To have the Distinguised Conduct Medal.—Ser- geant Major E G Basby and Sergeant Instructor J R Phelps.

RESERVISTS AND VOTES. FIGHT—AND LOSE YOUR VOTE. At the Bradford Revision Court last week, Arthur Wood claimed a vote through the Liberal agent, but was disqualified through a lapse in his tenancy. He said that in March last he joined the Royal Reserves, and his wife went to live with her mother.—The Conservative Agent: I should like to keep him on the list, air.-The Revising Barrister So should I, but I cannot do it.—The Liberal Agent (to applicant) In defence of your country you lose your vote.—The applicant: It's rather hard lines. -The Revising Barrister: It is very hard lines.

Princess Christian and Princess Henry of Batt- enberg on Monday morning steamed up South- ampton Water in Princess Henry's yacht Sheila, and landing at Netley, took lunch with Mrs Eliet Yorke. They afterwards went to Netley Hospital and passed through the wards, expressing kindly sympathy with the men. The visit lasted a considerable time. The annual Conference of the Misers' Federa- tion of Great Britain was opened in Birmingham. On Tuesday the President (Mr B Pickard. M.P.), in referring to the recent colliery disasters dwelt upon the preventability of some of the ex. plosions of the past which had resulted in heavy loss of life. A Leeds outporter engaged by a jewellery traveller to carry his sample cases disappeared on Tuesday afternoon with a case containing £2,000 worth oi jewellery. A large block of buildings, among the finest in the town, collapsed at Newport (Mon) on Tuesday morning. The first subsidence was noticed on Snnday morning. The crumbling of a brick pillar suppoiting three heavy iron joists upon which practically the whole building rested is supposed to ha.ve been the cause of the disaster

THE DOWAGER AGAIN. OFFER BY RUSSIA. Saturday. A correspondent at Shanghai telegraphs that reports aie current at Si.ngan-fu to the effect that the Empress Dowager, on the arrival of the Imperial Court at Kai-feng-fu, will proceed to disinherit Pu- Chun, the Heir-Apparent, on the pretext that he is leading a. life of dissipation.—An offer has been made by the Russian Government of five million roubles for three Chinese cruisers, four torpedo destroyers, and some smaller vessels of the Imperial Fleet. It is considered probable that the Chinese Government will accept the offer. Sir Jamec Mackay, who has been appointed by the British Government to conduct the negotiations with China for the revision of the Commercial Treaty of 1858 will sail for the Far East on October 11.

ANOTHER OUTRAGE. MISSION STATION BURNED. TUESDAY. News comes from Hong Kong of another outrage in China, a German mission station at Piang Kong, in the north-east of Kwang Tung province, having been attacked and burned. The missionaries escaped unhurt. The affair is attributed to the Triad Society.

+ THE ROYAL TOUR. LUCK IN THE NOitTH-WEST. Saturday. A Special Correspondent, accompanying the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York on their Canadian tour, telegraphing last night from Regina, North-west Territory, states that his Royal High- ness has, in reply to an Address, expressed his re. gret that the free and healthy life of Maniteba and Assiniboia is not better known at home, so that it might tempt men from crowded English cities to try their luck in the North-west. AN INDIAN POW-WOW. Monday. The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall reached Calgary on Saturday, and spent a busy day. A feature of the proceedings was a. great Indian pow. wow, at which an address of welcome was presented. The Duke made an interesting speech in reply, assuring the chiefs that the Great King, his father, would watch over his children of the Empire as the late Queen, the Great Mother, had done. VANCOUVER REACHED. Tuesday. The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall after leaving the great prairies of the North-West Territory, yesterday reached Vancouver, at the close of two days of travelling, which afforded them opportunity,, of seeling something of the vast character of the >- country and its resources. Vancouver, where they arrived at noon, was a place of sixteen hundred inhabitants when it was fixed upon as the terminus of the Canadian and Pacific Railway, and it has now a population of thirty-seven thousand. Their Royal Highnesses were enthusiastically received, many having trav- elled long distances to witness their arrival. Loyal addresses were presented to the Duke, who, with the Duchess, afterwards visited a lumber mill and places of interest. In the evening, they sailed for Victoria, escorted by the Squadron.

THE AMERICA CUP. FIRST RACE INDECISIVE. The first of the races for the America Cup took place on Thursday, with an indecisive result, neither of the yachts covering the course in the time allowed, but at the finish Columbia was three- quarters of a mile ahead of Shamrock II. The popularity of the race was attested by scores of thousands on board everything which floats, from launches to oceangoing craft. The qualities of the weather were all to the advantage of the defender. For a time Shamrock was ahead but ahe was soon n passed by Columbia which, at the mark, had seven minutes the best of it, and returning passed Sham- rock approaching it. FIRST VICTORY TO COLUMBIA. Columbia and Shamrock 11 again competed on Saturday, and the former won the first finished race for the America Cup by 30 seconds, including the time allowance, after a fine exhibition of light weather sailing. Both yachts were handled with consummate skill. The contest throughout was remarkably keen, and daring the whole of the 30 miles course so near together were the two yachts that there never was a time when a biscuit could not have been tossed from the deck of the one on to that of the other vessel. Shamrock II proved the better boat to windward, for in the outward half of the course she beat Columbia by 39 seconds, but in the run home, notwithstanding her larger sail area, she dropped behind, and the American boat taking the lead came in the winner by a narrow margin of half a minute. SECOND ATTEMPT FAILS. An attempt to sail the second of the races for the America Cup was made on Tuesday off Sandy Hook. The wind again failed, but the Shamrock turned the first mark-boat over three minutes, before the. Columbia. At half-past three, when the Com- mittee signalled that the race was void, the Sham. rock was leading by half a mile.

With reference to the forthcoming competition for self-propelled lorries for military purposes, it is announced that fourteen British firms and one Canadian and one German have signifed their intention of entering vehicles. The trials com- mence on December 4, and will take place in the vicinity of Aldershot. Prizes of JE500, £200, and v ie £100 will be offered for competition. Printed and Published by David Rowlands, at 21, Berriew Street, Welshpool, in the County I of Montgomery, and Rock View, Towyn, in the County of Merioneth,—Thursday, Octt. 3,19C1.