The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-26 00:00:00

THE MURDER OF TWO BRITISH

OFFICERS IN JAPAN.

We :have received our advices in anticipation of
the Overland Mail, the dates being Calcutta, Dec.
23 ; Madras, Dec. 27 ; and Hong-Kong, Dec. 15.
The following account of the murder of two
British officers in Japan is taken from the Japan
Herald of November 26 :

The particulars of these last barbarous murders,
so far as the circumstantial evidence which has as

yet been produced and followed up can enlighten us,
may thus be condensed out of the evidence given at

the coroner's inquest.

On the morning of the 21st inst (Monday), Major
George Walter Baldwin and Lieutenant Robert
Nicholas Bird, both of the 2d battalion of her Bri-
tannic Majesty's 20th Regiment (two, who amongst
all the respected and beloved of the officers of that
regiment had, by their gentle inoffensive natures
and sterling worth gained the foremost ranks in
the affectionate regards of all who knew them), left
Yokohama on horseback for an excursion to
Kamakura and Daiboots. About half-past ten they

arrived at Enosima, which place (after exchanging
courtesies with other excursionists they met there)

they left about 12 o'clock, with the intention of pro-
ceeding to Daiboots. The same night information
from the district authorities was sent in to the go-

vernor of Yokohama that two foreigners had been
assaulted at or near Kamakura, that one was dead,

but the other was yet alive. This information hav-
ing been communicated forthwith (about 2 o'clock
in the morning of the 22d, Tuesday) to the foreign
consuls, Dr. Lindan, the Swiss Consul, Mr. Von
Brandt, the Prussian Consul, and in various parties
other foreign residents, started at or about 4 o'clock
towards the place indicated. Lieut. Woods, with a
party of mounted artillery, and Mr. Lachland
Fletcher, interpreter to the British Legation, being
ordered to proceed hither in all haste. A little
after daylight they arrived at "the threefold
road leading from the Great Temple, Hatchuma,

where it divides into three smaller roads, one leading

to Daiboots to the right, the second straight on to
the sea, and the third into the country to the left."
Near this spot and between a miserable tea house
and a hut for horses, two small sheds of mats

propped up by bamboo, and disposed on mats laid
on the ground, were found most horribly mutilated,
the bodies of the two unfortunate gentlemen, the
pistol of one of them—one barrel of which appeared
to have recently been discharged—by his side, that
of the other yet undrawn from his belt. All the in-
quiries made by Mr. Fletcher (and we:all know how
perseveringly and discreetly he would push them to
the utmost) failed to elicit any information. No one
knew anything but that there the bodies were—and
that one of the deceased—the younger one, who said
his name was Bird, had lived for several hours.
The bodies were brought in by water, and the
inquest was held.
It would not be wise here (whilst the murderers
yet remain undiscovered) to point out certain extra-
ordinary
antitheses between the medical evidence
and that above referred to. Horrible as the•deed
is known to be--surpassing in cowardice and bloody,
murdering spirit all that even those who, like our-
selves, have been in close and constant intercourse
with a nation called cannibal and savage—have ever
witnessed or heard of—there is—we shudder whilst
we say it—great room to fear that it may have been
even yet more brutal, more cowardly, more blood-
thirsty than yet is known. The deceased were buried
with full military honours on Thursday ; the mourn-
ful cortege forming, without doubt, the most im-
posing spectacle ever witnessed in Yokohama. We
noticed there the British, French, American, and
Dutch Ministers, and all the consuls in full uni-
form ; the governor of Kanagawa and suite ; the
officers of all the men-of-war of all nationalities
in the harbour, the officers of all the land
forces of all nationalities, and we believe we
may say that every male resident of Yokohama was
there. The profound solemn silence that prevailed,
the sad, though stern, countenances of all this con-
course—was a tribute to the memory of the
slaughtered British officers which will reach higher
than the highest mausoleum ever erected ; we trust
it may reach, with some consoling tone, the hearts
of their relations, their brother officers, their fellow
soldiers, and all who knew these two estimable men
from whom they have been for ever in this life
oevered in so sudden and so heart-rending a manner."
Subjoined is the verdict at the inquest held on the
bodies of the unfortunate officers :
That Major George Walter Baldwin and Lieut.
Robert Nicholas Bird were cruelly murdered near
the town of Kamakura on the 21st of November
instant, about four in the afternoon.
That from the evidence brought before them
the jury have no doubt that the atrocious crime
was the act of Japanese swordsmen unknown.
The jury further find that this attack must, in all
likelihood, have been made on both sides simulta-
neously, and by a party of five or six ruffians at the
very least, but possibly of even greater numbers.
The jury are further of opinion that the Japanese
evidence read in court is utterly worthless, and that
there must be ample testimony in the possession of
the Japanese authorities, or attainable by them,
descriptive of the whole circumstances of the
tragedy.
(Signed) G. ROCHFORT, Capt. 20th Regt.
(Signed) CONROY FAME, Capt. 20th Regt.
(Signed) J. ALDRIDGE, Capt. 20th Regt.
Approved,
CHARLES A. WINCHESTER, Consul
(Signed) and Coroner.
Speaking of the funeral, the Japan Herald says :
—We could scarcely be expected to note a descrip-
tive account of this heartrending ceremony, but
have since obtained the following particulars :
The coffins, which were on artillery carriages,
drawn by the men of that corps, were first followed
by Lieut.-Col. Browne as chief mourner ; the pall
of that enclosing the remains of Major Baldwin
being borne by Colonel Penrose, R.M.L.I. ; Major
Miller, 67th; Major Ord, 20th; Major Wray, R.E. ;
and those of Lieutenant Bird by Lieutenants Fraser,
Webster, Wahal, and Barlow, all of the 20th. The
firing party consisted of 240 rank and file of the
20th, under command of Captain Rochefort. We
must not, however, omit to add, for the information
of the friends of the deceased, who will doubtless
desire to acknowledge for themselves the considerate
condolence, that not only were there present, as we
have said above, the ministers, consuls, and naval
and military officers of all foreign powers, but
that a detachment of 150 men of H. I. M.t.s
Semiramis, under command of Lieut. Mict, formed
a part of the mournful cortege. And now, having
" buried our dead," we rejoice to be able to add
here intelligence which will we doubt not be received
with universal gratification. We know, from the
best authority, that Sir Rutherford Alcock is reso-
lutely determined by every means at his command,
to urge and, if necessary, compel the Japanese
authorities to do their utmost to discover and de-
liver up the murderers; let none therefore imagine
that in that quarter there can be any irresolution,
torpidity, or disinclination sincerely to follow this
matter to its end ; we believe Sir R. Alcock would
value this discovery—this retribution, more than he
ever valued any honours or praise which have been
showered upon him ; we believe his heart is in it.
We rejoice, too, to be able to say that we have the
best authority for believing that the charge which
we have so often heard generally made, even in
official as well as in far less influential quarters,
that " the Japanese authorities make it their policy
to shroud and conceal offenders against foreigners"
is now, this time at least, being most satisfactorily
disproved.
,The Japanese authorities are, we know,
professing to do their very utmost to bring the
assassins to justice ; we have good ground for the
belief that they are sincere in their professions.
The Overland China Mail, of Dec. 15, has the

•
following remarks
" The question that arises is simply whether or
not Sir Rutherford Alcock, who has always been
sufficiently pugnacious, if not more so, will avail
himself of the very powerful armament now at his
command in Chinese waters or on shore at Shanghae,
Hong Kong, and Japan, to ' strike a blow' at the
Japanese authorities, which will suffice to remind
them that the lives of Englishmen are respected by
their Government. The question of the assassina-
tion of foreigners in Japan has now, we think, com-
to a Lead, It is many years ago since we pointed