Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-19
FOREIGNERS FEARED.
The Real Reason for the Attack on
the Russian Heir in Japan.
ANY NUMBER OF FANATICS THERE.
The Law Stretched to Inflict Sufficiently
Severe Punishment.
EXTRACTS FROM PRIVATE LETTERS

NEW YORK, Sept. 18.-From private let
ters received from Japan the following ex-
tracts are taken They give the sequel to
the attack on the Czarowiteh Of Russia,
near Otsu, in Japan, last spring, in an ac-
count of the trial and conviction of his as
sailant.
'The attack on the Czarowitch," says the
writer, "created great stir in the world, If
one can judge by papers we received here.
But an account Oft the trial does not seem
to have been published. The Japanese
Government was very much frightened
when the news of the affair reached here
(Tokio), for it was feared that it would have
an injurious effect upon the negotiations
then being conducted for the revision of the
treaties with foreign countries.
"The trial was held at Otsu, and before
judges and lawyers sent from the Supreme
Court at Toxic because the court of Otsu
professed itself to be not competent to try
the case, which was one of assault. The
laws which would deal with an attempt on
the life of one of the royal family were held
not to apply to foreign royalty, so the
offending policeman was charged with as
sault with intent to kill.
HAD NO ACCoMPLICEs.
s'The evidence clearly showed that the
man was fanatic and had no aecomplices,
and that it was purely his hatred of foreign
ers in general, and Russians in particular,
that caused the attack. Long before the
coming of the Czarowitch the native news
papers had been full of the alleged Russian
designs upon the integrity of the Japan
ese territory. The ambitions of Russia to
possess port on the Pacific that is not
81 ho1f fho 10
their seizure of parts of Northern China,
and the fact of their casting longing eyes
on Korea: all this was described in language
not calculated to quiet most excitable peo-
pie These same papers said, too, that Rus
sia had virtually taken Sagalien from
Japan, and now she wanted Yasso, that the
purpose of the Czarowitch's visit was to
spy out the land and take notes, so that in
the future he would know just where to
come and what to seize upon.
''The prisoner (the attacking policeman)
was named Tsuda SanZO. He was an old
Samural and had fought in the Satsuma re-
bellion on the side of the Mikado and had
received a medal for gsllantry in action,
had been honorably discharged from the
army and admitted to the police force, but
the incendiary opinions of the wretched,
living newspapers had inf1amed his imagina-
ton, and having a good chance to rid the
world of Russian and hated foreigner at
one blow, he tried and failed. The failure
was due solely to one remarkable fact; the
sword with which he cut the head Of the
Czarowitch was made abroad-in England
or Germany. Had he used a Japanese
blade the White Gear would to-day be
mourning his eldest born.
STRETCHING THE LAW.
sTsuda Sanzo was convicted of assault
with intent to kill. The limit of punish
ment allowed for this offense, according to
the criminal code, lis Imprisonment for three
years In spite of this, Tsudo was sem
fenced to penal servitude for life. He is
now at Yesso, at one of the convict stations.
The Japanese say that he will commit sui
eide if opportunity offers.