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BRmSH SHELL BOERS. British Destroy a Bocr House at Magcrsfontcin. floer Sharpshooters Had Been Picking Off Our SoldiersmEnemy’s Trenches Moved Nearerâ€"â€" Boers Shell the Campâ€"A Correspondent Gets Into Mafekingâ€"Bluejackets Hunt the Boers With Shells. l A inpatch from Modder River, says: -â€"A reconnaissance by the British Monday morning (1er out aheavier artillery fire than has been experienc- ed since the Boers coupled Mayors- fonteln. Ehe British had determindé to de- Wtroy ahouae on the bank of the river that the Boers were using as ashelter from which their sharpshooter: picked off incautious British ioldiers. At dawn the 12-pounders and the 4.7- lnch lyddita gun, with three wagsous. “carted by the 12th Lancers. moved out to attack the Boer lines in front of the kopjes. The waggona were Iasten- Id behind the river bank. . As soon as the British were seen by the Boers they opened fire upon them. There was aparty of Boers stationed “yards from the well, near Ganger's thauo. Adehachment of Lancers at- tacked than), but they scattered un- harmed. . The Boots worked another gun from the railway track to the noth. Altogether they had four gums, be- :vldes two quickâ€"titers. These guns are moatly-mounted beyond the Most 9! NIB kopje. The heaviest fire was llg‘potegl agsigst the Lancers. ,-_-_.-, .. The Object ofthe reconnaissance was successfully carried out,nhe house on its bank being blown up, creating a that dust. The Boer: fired a few shots after- wards, but the Britiflhl made 110 reply- Four 0: the horses were hit by a shell. were hurt. v v.» uuu. The enemy have broug .t their trenches a t_ ousan-d yards nearer to e Brit J: Ines since the repulse of 33 Eng ish at Magerafon'tein. The reconnaissance established the ad: It they have not advanced many _ hé I‘ cum. Their Vanishing gun is nearest the British lines. BLUEJACKEI‘S AND BOICRS. qu bluejakets have been btirring $9 the Boers the last few days with unit big gun and some 12-pounders. Pay pad them a reveille at haifrpast Our o'clock in the morning with a couple of Bhots from the btg gun, they Interrupt their dinner with a few 0t: from the 12-pounders, and occa- onally they give them a few lyddite the“: in the afternoon. At the close of the any they send good-night and twist shrapnel into their trenches. That all this greatly disturbs the enemy is evident from the way in which they are seen rushing about. They do not reply, however, which is a disappointment. as a shot from their guns would reveal their position and 1.I‘ho enemy are not showing them- Ielvos much. A few have been seen moving about at the base of the kopjes where our last battle was fought. Some of them. were enrrenching, others leemlngly being engaged in drill. As i rule. however, they stick close to “131; laa‘ger. \Ve dropped a lyddite shell into their lancer on Tuesday. As it struck a kopâ€" je, with the usual result of churning up clouds of red earth, we could see man scurrying off in all dlrections like a disturbed colony of ants. Our patrols go out Bally, with the object of inducing the Boers to show themselves, but they fail to draw thgm. General Cronje has not fulfilled his threat to shlft us if we did not shift ourselves within forty-eight hours. Everyone here wishes he would try. A despatch from Kimberley, Wednes- day, says :â€"-At halfâ€"past two this morning, mounted detachments, under Col. Peakman, with three Maxims and hree aaven-pounders, under Major ay, reconnoitred. Leaving the entrenchments, the British advanced to Toll Pan. The Boer pickets fired, and our Maxims re- plied. the Boers disappearing over the ridgo. A Boer gun dropped four shells near 111‘ men. but did no damage. As the era were stromgly entrenched we withdrew. Their guns are well posted. A WAR OFFICE DESPATCH. The War Office has received the fol- lowing despatch from Cape Town, dat- Id Tuesday: " There is no change in the situation. Methuen reports that the enemy's force has increased and is engaged in entrenching three and a half miles fron1_hi§ outlying pickets. " Methuen rgxconnoitred with two squadrons of mounted Infantry for two miles along the line. and drew the fire of tour guns and two Vickers machine mug: Fou; horses {erg hit. v "The Queen‘s Christmas message was received with enthusiasm." " GETS INTO MAFEKING. A letter to the Pall Mall Gazette from Mateking spyg: , " The hero of the hour is an Ameri- oam journalist of the name of Pesson. who successfuliy accomplished adar- lug ride from Cape Town up country Ovur guns then began to shell Toll Pan gt a mug of 2.5007yardrs. r w the Biuejackets a chahce to smash SORTIE FROM KIMBERLEY. of the Lancers None of the men through the Boer lines, a.qu bring: the first news from the outsxde who we have had." A despatch to the Times from Mate- king, says that Lady Sarah Wilson. aunt of the Duke of Marlborough, who was captured by the Boers while notâ€" ing as correspondent of the London Dally Mail has arrived there, having been exchanged for Vlljoen, a notor- lous horse thief and convict. IIOSTILE CAPE DUTCH. A SDOCial wrespondent of the Lon- don Daily Chronicle, telegraphlng from St-‘3T1‘I8tofm, .Cape Colony, Thursday, says: ‘ . L_ __.J_.. "Strong measures are necessary to check the hostile feeling among the Dutch colonists. whose sedition 15 shown in the removal of railway bolts. the obstruction of bridges and culverts. and attacks upon solitnrf horsemen. Disaffection is bound to ncrease un- less immediate reinforcements are forthcom'm‘ . The loyal Dutch 'and British sett ers are becoming alarming- ly impatient." ‘ PROCL‘AIMED A WARNING. A despatch from London, sayszâ€"The Privy Council held a meeting on VVed- nesday at Windsor castle, at which Queen Victoria proclaimed a warning to all British subjects not to assist the Free State. or to sell or transport ,merehandiso thereto, under penalty of the law. TIMES ATTACKS WAR OFFICE. The London Times editorially at- tacks the maladminietration of the War Office, calling attention to "corâ€" respondence disclosing glaring de- fects," and declaring that the British army is being managed for the benefit of the \Var Office. and not for the na- tion. The aivent of horse sickness throws increased attention upon the question of the transports and the want. 'of waggons, which may tie the Britrsh forces to the railways. The Daily Chronicle sa szâ€" . "Plenty o waggons could be obtain- ad from the United SLates, but the Government, with very indisoreet pa- triotism, have refused to avail them- selves of the opportunity. It would have been better if the authorities had followed Lord Kitchener’s exstm‘p‘le at Atbara brilgo. The War Office has received the fol- lowing iesp‘atch from Cape Town, dated December 25:â€" “There is no change in the situation at Modder river. Gen. Methuen is well entrenched and the Boers have not dis- turbe 1. him." ’ A Modder river despatoh says: "The British artillery fired four shots from 4.7-inch guns Tuesday morning. There was no response from the Boers. Slnce the British artillery has proved more powerful, the Boers are trying to conâ€" ceal the location of their guns, and are waiting for the British to get within rifle range. All permits to pass pick- ets have been cancelled. A market has been established at the fourth line of pickets, where butter, milk. and vegetables are allowed to be sold by licensed farmers." LORD STANLEY OFFERS. A despatch from London, says:â€" Lord Stanley, member of Parliament for West Ho‘ugbton division of Lanca- shire, has been ordered to join Lord Roberts' staff forthlwith. Lord Stan- ley, Edward George Villiers, is the eld- est son of the sixteenth Earl of Derby. and is 34 years of age. Mr. Lionel \Valter Rothschild, Unionist member of Parliament for the Aylesbury dJVlSlOD of Buckingham- shire, eldest son of the first Baron RothschiLd, and the latter's heir, has also volunteered for service) in South Africa. He was born in 1868, and is unmarried. THE BOERS RETREATED. The War Office have received the following from Gen. Forestier-W‘alker at Cape Town:â€" The occupation of Dordrecht by Ma- jor DaLgety's force of Mounted Police, who are co-operuting with Gen. Gat~ acre, is treated by some of thq newsâ€" papers as being of considerable im- portance, but nothing is known beyond the bald official announcement of the fact. "Gefi. Gatacre reports that a force of 150 police have occupied Dordrecht, tthoers retreating, with no loss." DELAGOA BAY. Lord Somerset writes to the London Times, urging the seizure of Lorenzo Marques and its retention, if neces- sary, until the end of the war, in or- der to prevent the landing of war ma- terial for the Boers. The. Times, in a special article,. dis- cussing the international law aspects _of Boer importations through Delagoa Ball‘sayszâ€" "Were we to adopt, either with or without the consent of Portugal, the drastic measures which are so airily suggested in some quarters, we might find ourselves suddenly confronted with international complications far more erlous and injurious to the suc- cessful prosecution of the South Afri- can war than the evils of which it was sought to secure an abatement.“ BOERS HAVE A 96-POUNDER. A despatch from Modder River says: HAVE THE EXACT RANGE â€"Tho Boers have mounted a (JO-pound- er to counterbalance the British na- val guns throwing lyddiie shells. All of its shells have thus far fallen short. 8,000 BOERS IN RESERVE. The London Daily News Cape Town correspondent says he learns from well-informed Afrikander Bond sources that: there is a reserve of 8,000 Euro- pean officers and men at Pretoria, all of whom are skilled in modern tactics, particularly the landing of artil- leiry. A despatch from Cape Town says: â€"Experiments at Orange river with the wireless telegraph system have been most successful. Perfect commun- ication was maintained with De Aar, 70 miles distant. The London Daily Chronit-le's corres- pondent with General Methuen tmle- graphing under date December 27 8&3‘8'2â€" A I aqu. r "The enemy are benomin'g ldm id'eglly aggressive. They shelled ‘he But}th outposts for three hours to-dny wuth threa well-masked guns, at a range of 6.000 yards. ESVoééravl‘of the shells fell danger- ously near one of the British re- doubts." 4 CRONJE FINDS A MARE'S NEST. A despatmh from Modder River. Deo. 27, Humâ€"The Boers wasted a large quantity of ammunition last night- They apparently thought that a car alry reconnaissance that. was made yesterday morning was the forerqn- ner of an attack in force. and, imagin- ing at about 7 o'clock that the British were about to advance, the Boers in the forward trenches began firing in the direction of the outposts. Their fusillade was harmless. The weather was boisterous and rainy and the night was dark. and in e("Eminence it was some time before the Boers learned that no attark was meditated. Then the fire ranged. lA reconnoissance by cavalry and ar- tillery in force, under Colonel Babing- ton. was mnde thls mornincr due west of Modder river station, where there are uplands. where it was thought the POTS Wpre likely to throw up defences. It was found that the enemy held the country for a cansiderable disfance to the westward of the railway. This will make an attempt to turn their right flank almost lmposslblp. owing to the great ditance to be covered in a rough 0011111711? where there is no water. MFTHUEN TO THE WAR OFFICE. Methuen repor'fs as follows:-â€"â€""At 9-30 yesterday evening the Boers on the south ide of Maggersfoutein opened a Flv)‘ fire for some time» This mom- ng the Naval Brigade fired at the enemy at the west part of Magersfon- tein- The cavalry brigade is recon- nqigliing in a northâ€"easterly direction. Th9 War Office has received a deâ€" spite}. this morning from Cape Town. da_t_et‘.»\Vednesday, Decembgr 272â€", [AL "Liau‘t. Masters has made an exâ€" tended reconnaissance westward and northward of Enslin and reports all we”. The farmers were glad to see our men. They were suffering from want of food. "I have estabished a markgt here, where I can purchase fresh mllk, and vegetables, selling to the farmers tea and other articles which‘.they 'oannot othemwise purchase. Heavy ram felll last night.” Gatagre an (1 French report no change in the situation. Baden-Powell Pd‘eports all well December 12. BOER ARMY DISCIPLINE. The London Daily Mail’s correspond- ent at Pietermaritzburg, declares that the character of the campaign has changed owing to European officers joining the Boers. The Bcritish, he says, are no longqr fighting a guerrila foe, but What IS rapidly becoming a disciplined arrpy. The Boers have converted the bills at Colenso into fortresses of immense strength. Their trenches are excel- lently constructed, and many of them arer bombproof. 1,) w. ‘4 gym...“ v-- Their main positions are connected by underground passages. Tramways have been laid, enabling the guns. to be shifted with astonishing {aviditY- "All this ixiliiéatés that AdisEiplihe has conquered the Boers‘ dishke of manual labour. . ammunition has also improved In quality. Their shells now burst better. KRUGER'S PRICE FOR PEACE.‘ A desplatch from Durban, Natal,‘ sayezâ€"Mr. Winston Churchill, on ar- riving here after his escape from the Boers, received a tremendous ovation. He says that from conversation with members of the Transvaal Executive at Pretoria, he learned that the Boers began the war with trepidation, but that President Kruger is now confident that Britain will soon sue- for peace. In the highest Transvaal circles, Mr, Churchill asserts, there is serious talk ofacompromise, by which Great] Bri- tain would cede the territory now ocâ€" cupied by the armies of the two Re. publics, pay an indemnity of £20,000,- 000, and acknowledge the complete in- dependence of the Transvaal. A BRITISH DESEitI'ER. A desputch from Cape Town, says:â€" A mmn named Green, a former sergeâ€" antâ€"major of the British Balloon Deâ€" partment, is among the Boer prisoners captured at Magersfontein. Green, who deserted from Aldersh-ot in 1893, admitted he had been some time in the service of the Boers and had in- structed them in trenching. He. says there were 23,000 Boers at Magegrsfon- teiln, 21,000 of whom were engaged the day of the battle. The Boer lasses, he also asserts, were very heavy, the trenches being full of dead. Green further declares that if the attack had been pressed the Boers would have yielded, and says the Boer horses have to be taken to the Modder river, as water is so scarce at Magersfiontein. MARCONI‘S SYSTEM IN WAR The Manchurian section 0; the Siber- ian railway if's completed. German firms have secured the contracts to build steamers to run from‘ Talienwan to vagtfiifvgsitorok and Yokohama ENEMYY IS AGGRESSIVE MARKETS OF THE WORLD Prices of Grain. Cattle. Cheese, &0. 1n the Leading Marts. Toronto, Jan. 2.â€"â€"-\Vheatâ€" Outside markets were about steady. Locally there was no change in the situation. Trade is very dull. Red and white 0n- tario is quoted at 65 to 670., according to nearuess to the mill; goose wheat, 70 to 70 1â€"20, middle heights; and 69 1-20, north and west; and spring, east, 65c. Manitobas steady; No. 1 hard, 3. i-L, 77c; and Toronto. and wast, 760; and track, Midland and Owen Sound. 73c. Flourâ€"Dull and easy. Exporters 1"“ $2.55 per bbl. for straight roller in bu)" ers’ bags, middle heights; and holders ask 82.70. Milâ€"lfeedâ€"Scarce. Bran is quoted at“. $12 to $12.50, and shorts at $14 0 $14.50, west. uun. Chicago, Jan. 2.â€"The firmness of Liverpool and the decrease in the world’s visible came as a. support to the- wheat market to-day, May closing 1-4 to 3-8c over yesterday; corn closed 1â€"40, and oats, 1-80, lower; provisions, 10 to 171-20 higher. Brad- street’s decrease in the vilbla of 758,- 000 bushels was a steady'mg influence late in the day. Toledo, Jan. 2.â€"-â€"VVheat-â€"No. 2 cash, 691-20 bld; December. 691-20; May, 731-20. Cornâ€"No. 2 mixed, 311-20. Oatsâ€"No. 2 mixed. 241-20. Rye-N0. 2 cash, 560.‘ Cloverseedâ€"Prime, cash, Old, 84-80; December, $5.60; March, $570 asked. â€" A -"s L 1.. Coriâ€"Dull. No. 2, American yellow, quoted at 410, track, Toronto,and mix- ed at 40 1-20. Canadian corn dull at 39 1-2 1.0 400 track, Toronto. Beauâ€"Quiet. Car 1013 are new ul 57c, north and west. and at 580, east Export enquiry dull.. n. 1AL_ n1 “Arulh quu.;, “u” Barleyâ€"Demand ql'xiet. Car lots of N0. 2, middle heights, sold at 38c; and No‘ 1 was quoted at 400.“ u ., Ana ' sâ€"V-Easgvriarnd quiet. W 25c, north and wast; 251â€": heights; and Efic, east; 1 Ryeâ€"Deménd light west. and 50c east. 77 V70, , Buck§xrtheaiÂ¥Eaéy. Car lots. 49c asked, and wast, 489 as_ked. bbl Chicago, Jan. 2.â€" Liverpool and the world’s visible came the- wheat markl closing 1-4 to 3-80 corn closed 1â€"40, and Oatmealâ€"Rolled oats. in‘ bags, tr Toronto, $3.25, and in wood1 $3.35 Wu.” u uuuuuu (Minneapolis, Jan. 2.â€"VVheat â€" In store. No. 1 Northern. December. 84 3-40; May, 66 1-2 to 66 5-8c; July, V660; on track, No. 1 hard. 6‘70; No. lNorth- em, 65 1-20; No. 2Northern, 62 8-40. Buffalo, Jan. ‘2.â€"â€"Sprin wheat â€" Nothing doing. Winter w eat -â€" Held. above buyers’ views; No. 2 red, ‘71 1-20; No. 1 white, 70 1-20. Cornâ€"Firm; No. 8 yellow, 35 1â€"20, bid; No. 4 yellow, 350; No. 3 corn, 3; 3-4 to 350; No. 4 com, 34 1-4 to 34 1-20. Oats â€" Firm; ‘No. 2 white, 29c; No. 3 white, 28 1â€"2c; No. 4 white, 28c; No. 2 mixed, 26 3-4 to 270; No. 4 mixed, 26 1-20. Rye -â€" No de- mand; No. 2 in store, 580, Flourâ€"Firm; good demand. Chicago, Jan. 2â€"Fiaxseed closed: Northâ€"Western and South-Western, cash. $1.491â€"2; December, $1.48 bid; May, 31,4334; Duiuth, to arrive,$1.39 cash, $1.411-2 bid; December, 31.41142; May, $1.48. Detroit, Jan. 2.â€"Wheat olosed:â€"No. 11 white, cash, 708-4c; No. 2 red, cash, ‘ and December, 70 3-40; May, 73 7-8c. . She wrote a letter to Chief. Kirkcel- dy on Christmas day, in which she said:â€"â€""I have complied with your re- quest and written a. confession. I did it yesterday, and I do wish you had it, for I have to guard it so closely. If anything prevents you coming up here toâ€"morrow I shall destroy it.” The crime for which Emily Hilda Blake was hanged was the deliberate and cold-blooded murder of her mis- tress. Mrs. Robert Lane, of Brandon, on July 5th last. Mrs. Lane was found lying \vithabullet hole in her breast, and the Blake girl gave the alarm, say- ing a trump had murdered her mis- tress The whole country side was scoured, and several tramps arrested. but the crime could not be fastened upon them. A revolver was found hidden near the house, and detectives discovered that it had. been purchased in \Vinniâ€" peg by a woman. Hilda Blake was Chlrg‘xd with being this woman, where- upon she confessed the crime, saying she did it because she loved MrB; lllldu Bulge flanged for the Murder fur Har Salsas-ens. A despatch from Brandon, Man., says zâ€"Emiiy Hilda Blake was hanged on Wednesday morning. The drop fell at 8.40a.m. She was perfectly calm as she walked up the scaffold steps Lane's children, and was jealous of the mother's love. The trial was very brief, as she refused all offers of counâ€" sel, and pleaded guilty. During con- finement in gaol she repeatedly ex- pressed her wish to die for the crime. ,5 LL- Petitions for a commutation of the sentence were circulated at the last moment on the grounds that a new trial should be held, but the authori- ties ruled there were no extenuating circumstances. When I look at Mrs. Dapley I can't help wondering whether it can be pos- sible that her husband married her for love she V316, but he could always keep step With her without assuming an unna- tural gait. oh, no, he didn‘t. Well. she didn’t have monéy,. did G~IRL PAYS DEATH PENALTY. HER CHARM Z‘aEfiIJLS are peld at . White oatS. 251â€"2c, middle ink bags, Hack. Car lots. 490 bid per THE VERY LATEST FROM ALL THE WORLD OVER. interesting items About Our Own Country, Grent Britain, the United States. and All Parts at the Globe, Condensed and Assorted for Easy Reading. Negotiations are in progress witi an established tobacco factory with a View to its remm 41 to Chuthum. The Hudson Bay Company has ship. ped a carload of Canadian horses to the New Zealand Government. The Iloepfner Refining Company. OI Hamilton, wiil increase its works and double its capital stock, now $600,000. Owen Sound is to be the hemdnuabl ters of another steamshi n line, which will compete for the. Sou t Ste. Mark and north shore business. A labour convention at Vancouvu has decided to petition the Provincial Government to adopt the law of com. p'ulsory arbitration in cases of indus- trial disputes, The Minneapolis and Ontario Bridgu Comp-any. with a capital of: 88,000,000. will buiM the international bridge over Rainy river for the Port Arthur. On- tario and Western Rui‘way, now build. mg between Port Athur and Winni- peg. The directors of the Bank of Mont- real have subscribed 2,000 guineas. equal to $10,000. on behalf of the bank and among Lhemselves personally 1.506 guineas, or $7,500, making $17,509 alto. gather, towards the patriotic fund; be- ing raised in Great Britain for the sailors‘ and soldiers’ families and oth- ‘er sufferers from the war. 1 The Mnttuwan Iron 00., will lyre. for a hon/us of $25,000 from the -'town of Fort \Villlam, to erect within it! limits two furnaces capable of smelt- ing 60 tons of copper ore per (Ll!- also for a bonuus of $50,000 the com- pany will erect a charcoal iron blast furnace wiLh a capacity of 50 tom of pig iron par 24 hours, both indus- tries to be exempted from taxation for a period of ten years. GREAT BRITAIN. The body of tha Duke of Westmim ster has been cremated. Baron Ludlow, a judge of the Court of Appeal, is dead at London. Lord Bennet, who succeeds to the title of Earl of Tankervllle. i3 an evan- gelist. Dr. Benjamin F. C. Costell ,one o! the best known of English ucation- iits, is dead at London Eight persons were killed and many injured. in railway wrecks in England last weék, caused by fog. Preparations are in progress in England. and America for the celebra- tion in 1901 of the milennial anniver- sary of the death of King Alfred the Great. Commercial failures in the United States last week numbered 220, againsi 258 a year ago. Buffalo, N.Y., is to have a union sta- tion to cost $1,500,000. Twenty bodies have been recovered from the Bazne-ll mine disaster neat Brownsville, Pa. Four men were killed in a. wreck on the Northern Pacific Railway near Missoula, Montana. F. B. Livingston, a. blind war veter- an of Baltimore, is held there for thc murder of his wife. John M. Brown, aged 108, and £01 28 years an inmate of the Mercy Hos‘ pital, Chicago, is dead. It is said the \Molineux trial in New! York will be the most expensive homi- cide case ever tried in the country. Prof. James Munyon will establish at Philadelphia an industrial school fol orphaned girls (It a cost of $2,000,000 Hot sulphur geysers have appeared near San Jacinto, 0211., since the do. struction of that village by earth‘ Quakes. Four men were killed and several injured in a. wreck on the Northern Pacific Railroad, six miles east of Bear Mouth, Mont. Ivan Demisewich, a Russian, killed himself in San Francisco, fearing he wuuld be murdered "for his failure to attempt the life of the Czar.” Over 225,000 is to be paid out in New York, Boston. and Philadelphia by the Government early in the new year as interest and dividend payments. John Gillies, a Chicago detective. was run over and probably fatally in- jured By a _train at Chicago- on Tues- ,A LL_A... L:M “n. fig sâ€"aia 17610 men thfew him un- der the train, Aaron Wolfsohn has returned to the Chicago agent of a New York- lite in< surance company $10,000 paid out by the company to his heirs under thc belief that be had died at Los An- geles, Cal Miners and lace workers in France are demanding higher wages an! shorter hours. The. bubonic plague prevails at tbl capital of the French penal colony 01 New Caledonia. Terrific storms have caused greal damage to shipping, and loss of life. on the Black Sea. GENERAL. The wife of Aguinaldo, the Filipino leader, is dead. Hen Fritz Plank, the noted singer, was fatally injured by a fall in a theatre at Carlsruhe. The Empress of China wants soml one to kill the reformer, Kan-Yu-WeL She has offered a reward. Two American clowns were killed b) the fall ofau‘apeze in Paris Satin-4 dav. They were twin broihers. the tall 0) day. They UNITED STATES. CANADA. N A NUISHHL‘