Friday afternoon's papers and the Daily News in its ordinary
morning edition publish a Renter's telegram giving an account of a plot that has been discovered at Pretoria, made for the purpose of murdering the British officers in the town and kidnapping Lord Roberts. Ten of the ring- leaders in the conspiracy are, it is stated, already under arrest. The plan, it is alleged, was to set fire to two large houses at the western end of the town. While the troops were gathered to put out the flames and the town was in confusion, the houses occupied by the principal officers would have been entered and the officers murdered. "Several conspirators were to be told off to secure the person of Lord Roberts, and hurry with the Commander-in-Chief to the nearest commando, horses being kept in readiness for that purpose." Everything, we are told, was prepared for the execution of the plot, and it was only at the last moment that the authorities learned what was going on. All the conspirators "had taken the oath of
neutrality, which expressly states that any contravention is liable to punishment under martial law." The night of the 7th inst. (Tuesday) was the day fixed on for the execution of the scheme.
