Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-12-20
TOLDpfAN EYEWITNESS
Story of Butchery at Port Ar
thur by a Correspondent.
CHINESE BEGAN THE BRUTALITY.

and Children In Their Blind Rage.
NEW YORK, Dec. eo.-The World today
prints the following special ndvices from
its correspondent. James Creelman. who
was with tho japanese army, dated Port
Arthur. Nov. 81. via Vancouver. Dec. 10:
The struggle for the emancipation Of
Korea has been suddenly turned into n
headlong, savage war of conquest. IL Is
no longer conflict between civilization
and barbarism. Japan for the last four
days has trampled civilization under the
feet of her conquering army.
The taking OF Port Arthur and the pos
session of one of the most powerful strong
holds In the world was too great n strain
upon the Japanese character. which re-
lapsed in n few hours back into the bru-
fish state from which it was awakened q
generation ago.
Almost the entire population found in
Port Arthur has been massacred, and the
work of butchering the unarmed and I'M
resisting inhabitants has been continued
day after day until the streets arc choked
up with mutilated corpscs.
In spite OF the yastncss of the battle field
and strength OF the batteries masscd In
this mighty chain of land and sea forts,
the taking OF Port Arthur Is robbed Of Its
dignity as a battle by the fact that large,
we'll trained army attacked n mere rabble
IHEEE was u ETGstI u0.tt vi
and scientific mancuvcring of the troops
among the cannon crowned hills, but the
infantry fighting was incidental, and the
butchers bill, as the hardened cam
paigner would call IL, was insignificant.
The Japanese lost about so dead and ESQ
wounded in carrying n fortress that
would have cost them 10, 900 men had IL
been occupied by European or American
troops
China ut Japan's Mercy.
China is now Mt the mercy of the island
empire In few days the fierce Seminal
troops will be ready to leave Japan to join
Field Marshal Oyama's army, and then
the third and final movement toward Pc
king will begin.
Up to the moment Port Arthur was en-
tered can bear witness that both of ia
pans armies now in the field were chival
rous and generous to the enemy. There
| was not n stain on her flag.
At 10 o'clock in the morning tho Chi
ncsc advanced out of the Port Arthur
forts and surprised n small body Of Japa-
| ncsc cavalry scouts in the wide valleys.
The Chinese had three field guns
| l arrived at the monument fort just in
| time to see Nishi's advance brigade take
up its position and send thanking columns
around the hills to cut Off the enemy In
the rear. The valleys behind were filled
i WITH EuSnlnk alOnR Ut lne Top VI
| their speed to the rescue below in the plain.
| could see the Chinese advancing in
three columns from the southwest and
northwest Away to the left were the
Japanese cavalry in n cloud Of dust, cut
| ting their way back on the main road
| through the lire of tossing red and
/ white standards. The cavalrymen had
dismountcd and were firing carbine vol
lcys while few squads OF Japanese infan-
trymen were lying in bitches. earth seams
and along the roads keeping up brisk
pcppering.
There were at least l. 500 Chinese in the
three columns. Suddenly the enemy
caught sight OF our rapid flank movement
and began to retreat. The Japanese had
lost eight men in the fight. and AZ were
wounded. No man can say how many the
Chinese lost. l saw the japanese dead on
the road, with their heads gone and Their
bodies mutilated. Several corpses wers
without hands, two had been butchereo
like sheep. and their hearts and liver:
We're torn out. \ japanese horse had beer
killed and the Chinese had cut steaks from
the launches in the middle of the fight.
As the japanese rc-enforcements bcgaT
double quick the enemy disappeared
through the ravines into the Sushiyeh val
ley and returned to Port Arthur.
That night General Nishi and his bri
| RaIt lnONtu Oub ilitp tht Ntthtg anu oCNh
pied Scdeski, n small village. Next morn
ing the main body of Yamaji's division
arrived at Beikashi. n village in the sam
| valley.
The Chinese Outfianked.
While the council of war was proceeding
the Chinese began to realize that the JAP
anesc had established their mountain hat
terriers on the hills commanding the LEI
center of the Chinese position and decide
to advance out of Port Arthur and dislodg
them. Then began n tremendous artillcr
fight.
Within a few minutes regiment afte
regiment could be seen running in cloud
! of dust across the head of the valley int
the ravincs leading to the support Of Oh
japanese artillery position. The air wa
filled with shells, and the Chinese graz
ually concentrated their fire until the tres
began to disappear from the western slop,
The Chinese columns marched out of POI
Arthur in three columns.
One descended from the Two Drago
forts and the other two came out Of ii
Port Arthur valley. Shells began to Dire
upon us from all sides The Nerfo fort
the giant guns of Ogunsan and the Oh
nesc field batteries turned fire against u
for Isuyama was the key, and, once IL fel
the whole left flank of the Chinese woul
be exposed. The taking of Isuyama WI
| tnc SlEnal IOr fthSSaEuWa 10 attACk u
forts on the right wing.
As the batteries splintered the hillsid
and sent clouds of earth up out of Il
plowed ground the infantry line kneelir
at the base of the slope in front of Isuyan
opened fire and kept up steady Solleys &
ten or fifteen minutes. General Nishi WI
below directing the attack.
Suddenly the men stood up and advan
ed in the teeth of the guns. firing CONT
! uously as they marched. On, on press
L the slender black line, with trails OF fl
and smoke running up and down q
ranks. Then the battalion in tho rayi
moved forward on the right to attack q
side of the first fort.
As the line reached the foot Of the ste
scarp in front of the walls it sudden
swung around and joined the column
the right, and the united battalions rush
up the steep bank toward the side wa
while the Chinese shells tore gsps in the
ranks.
BY this time mountain battery b
been hauled up n dizzy ridge, where Val
ali stood. and five minutes afterward t
six guns were in position.
We were dropping shells inside on
+ first fort With ringing yell the JaI
\ nese dashed to the fort and scaled the RAJ
~ parts. shooting and bayoncting the fyi
garrison and chasing the enemy along
connecting walls.
a cheer went up from the hills a
valleys as the victorious troops pushed
to the second fort, and finally drove
fugitives out of the rcdoubt down into
Port Arthur valley.
- The Second Fort Taken
Isuyama fell at sos after an hour
-. 90 minutes fighting The Japanese a
and siege guns werc pounding away
| tho Seyen forts and Yamaii's mount
batteries Joined them IL was q colo,
duel.
From Shoju there shot out stra
sprays Of fire The arsenal In Port
thur had caught fro and was rippi
mn roaring and rafting. vomiting fame