Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-11-01
Strange WAR Stories
Japan Wants Big Inden-
nifty from China.

Made OF Clay-Deeds of Heroism
Among japanese Troops-Conij
tion of Sheng's Property.
Washington, Oct 29.-The japanese
legation received a dispatch which con-
firms dispatches from Shanghai, of a
second victory of the japanese army
under Marshal Yamagata. The tele-
gram is dated from Hiroshima and
reads as follows: Before dawn of Oct
26 our army under Marshal Yamagata
attacked K1u-Len-Cheng, one of the
important strongholds upon the Chi
nese frontier. The place was defended
by 10000 Chinese troops under Generals
Liu and Song. They fled after Offering
only a slight resistance and the Japa-
nese forces took possession of the forti-
fications and the city. They captured
thirty large field guns, an immense
quantity of rice, food of other kinds,
ETC., and more than three hundred
tents. The japanese loss was twenty
killed and eighty-three wounded. The
Chinese lost more than two hundred
killed. The exact number of their
wounded is not known"
1t is believed at the Japanese legation
that the General Liu mentioned in this
dispatch in the noted Chinese COM
mander who played such a prominent
part during the Tonking difficulties,
and to whom it was recently reported
Viceroy Ii had offered the chief COM
mand in the Chinese army.
Some interesting intelligence from
the seat of war in the east Is contained
in recent mail advices at the legation.
In the opinion of the Japanese press,
there can be but one termination of the
present struggle, and that is the total
overthrow and humiliation of the Chi
nese arms. The Nippon leaves it to the
judgment of the cabinet to determine
wkat terms shall be dictated to the
middle kingdom after the fall of Pc
king, which event 1t speaks of as
though 1t were an accomplished fact.
1t advises the government, however,
that China is ready at any time to re-
sort to perfidity and foul play and
therefore, whatever promise she makes
must be guaranteed by ample security.
Speaking of the war indemnity which
China must pay, the Nippon suggests
sum amounting to ten times as much
as the actual war expenses incurred by
Japan; sum sufficient for improving
the military system of Japan also to
lessen the fighting capacity of China;
to makey China pay at once the whole
sum agreed upon Withdrawing the
Japanese forces from her capital; to
make China agree to the temporary oc-
cupation of part of her territory If
the payment be in several installments
or as an alternative taking from China
so much of her territory as may be
useful to Japan from an economic or a
military point of view.
An essentially Oriental story is told
In Tien-Tsin illustrating the venality
of some of the Chinese officials. A
gentleman residing in that city ordered
a Chinese mason to bring the neces-
sary clay to make some repairs in his
fireplace. The mason appeared the
next day with carload of what APP
peared to be cannon balls, but which
We're really sundried globes of clay
painted black Some time before hos
tilities with Japan began, Viceroy Ii
inspected a number of vessels belong
ing to the northern squadron. Many
of the ships were insufiiciently sup
piled with ammunition, the money
paid out for that purpose having been
otherwise appropriated" AS this
story would probably not meet with
the approval of the viceroy, a number
of bricklayers We're at once set to
work manufacturing fake" cannon
balls out of clay after which they
were painted black These innocuous
missiles were then smuggled aboard
several of the vessels and when the in
spection was held proved a complete
success.
Numerous deeds of heroism are re-
corded among the Japanese troops.
While body of newly enlisted men
were marching to the front one of the
soldiers was taken violently i'll. He
was removed to the nearest hospital,
but refused to unclasp his sword belt
or surrender his gun to the attending
physicians. That death was near, he
knew, and he deemed 1t a disgrace to
die before fighting for his country, his
gun was precious charge and he
would hold it to the last And so.
clasping the gun to his dying breast in
full uniform, he calmly met his death.
No less heroic was the act of bug
Ter in the battle of Song g-Hwan. He
had been told to blow the charge, and
had just given blast when a bullet
struck him full in the breast, inflicting
fatal wound. Several of his COM
rades ran to raise him, but he and they
at once saw that nothing could be
done. They told him to lay the bugle
aside, urging that any fresh exertion
would only make the hemorrhage more
quickly fatal. His sole reply to this
was to raise the bugle once more and
for the last time to his lips, and with
final clear ringing charge" the bold
spirit passed away.
London, Oct. 29.-'rne Shanghai cor
respondent of the Central News says
all the Soochow property belonging to
Sheng, the taotai of Tien-Tsin, has
been seized and sealed by the governor
in obedience to orders from Pekin.
Sheng is the official who bought Ger
man rifles for 100000 taels and sold
them to the government for 100000.
When the fraud was discovered Ii
Hung Chang slapped his face. The
seizure of his property followed quickly
upon the denunciation of the board of
eensors.