The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-07-18

SAN FRANCISCO, July 1.-THE
ease with which the japanese captured
Port Arthur during the recent war
with China is explained to some extent
by an article in the Japanese Gazette,
which arrived on the last steamer. Ac-
cording to the Gazette, the commander
of the Chinese forts was a native OF
Japan and who had acquired favor in
Chinese counsels through a long resi-
dence in the Flowery kingdom and in
tentionally caused the shots from the
guns to be misdirected so they would
fall short of the japanese warships.
Having betrayed his adopted land for
the land of his birth the disgraced
A., commander appealed before the vic
torious Japanese general and acknow-
lodged his treason and committed
suicide in their presence. The article
continued:
Resistance Was Weak.
When Port Arthur was attacked by
the Japanese army and navy the lat
ter, after getting within suitable range,
opened fire on the ports near the coast.
The batteries on Hwangchin Hill
answered from heavy guns. These
were the strongest forts at Port
Arthur, their armament being four
Krupp guns of no less than 80 cent
calibre. The squadrons, approaching
within range of such ordnance, ex-
pected a terrible cannonade, and were
not a little astonished by the weakness
of the Chinese resistance. 1t is true
that they opened fire upon the ships,
but the shells always fell snort OF the
mark. The sailors supposed this fail
ure to be due to the inferior gunnery
of the Chinese, and greeted each shell
as it dropped into the sea with loud
Shouts of derision. The officers, how
ever, We're puzzled by a performance
to them ineXplicable, inasmuch as they
Knew that the artillery in the
its handling could not possibly
lack force. Meanwhile the celebrated
naval station of China was stor1ned
from the Landslide, and the defend
ers Of the fort on Hwangchin Hill
We're either killed or made prisoners.
their retreat having been cut off by
the invaders.
When the officers that had defended
the fort on Hwangchin Hill were
brought before the Japanese general
one of them, apparently an officer Of
distinction, stepped forward and thus
addressed the generals:
Asks a Favor.
81 was the commander of the forts.
but now that I have incurred ire
mediable disgrace. I should like to
ask, as a special favor, that L be per-
mitted to commit suicide in your
presence"
Such a request was not only con-
trary to the ordinary habits of the
Chinese, but, what was far more sur
prising, it was conveyed in perfectly
correct japanese. One of the officers
to whom the captive had addressed
himself, asked him where he had ac-
quired the japanese language so well.
The prisoner replied that he was orig
inally a native o. Higo, whence he
crossed over to China many years ago.
Subsequently, by some chance, he at
tracted the attention of the Viceroy Lii,
who gradually promoted him. till at
last he was appointed commander of
the fort. After making the confession
the officer insisted upon committing
suicide, notwitFls Binding the renon-
strances of the japanese generals.
Making a profound distance he sat
down and slew himself according to
the strict canons of the Japanese sam
IRA. The officers were much struck by
his manly conduct, and caused his re-
mains to be inferred with due cere-
T0OnV