The St. Johns herald., 1896-02-08
TURNED TRAITOR.
Strange Story of tho Capture of
 Port Arthur.
Commander of Kwang Chin Forts Was a Japanese Who Caused the Guns to Be Badly Aimed So That the
 Fleet Was Cninjured.

The ease with which the Japanese captured Port Arthur during the war with China is explained to some extent by an article in the Japan Gazette. Ac- cording to the Gazette, the commander of the Chinese forts was a native of Japan, who had acquired favor in Chi nese councils through a long residence in the Flowcry kingdom, and intcn- tionaily caused thc 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 commander appeared before the victorious Japan csc generals, acknowledged his treason and committed suicide in their pres ence. The article continues:
 "When Port Arthur was attacked by the Japanese army and navy the latter, after getting within suitable range, opened fire on the forts near the coast. The batteries on Hwang Chin answered from heavy guns. These we're the strongest forts at Port Arthur, their armament being four Krupp guns. The squadrons approaching within range of such ordnance expected a terrible cannonadc, and were not little aston ished by the weakness Of the Chinese resistance. It is true that they opened fire upon the ships, but their sbcns d. ways fell short of the mark. The sail ors supposed this failure to be due to the inferior gunnery of the Chinese. and greeted each shell as it dropped tx%@ 41a viii, 1<,,.1 e.i,@ ~Nf T rision. The officers, however, were puzzled by performance to them in- explainable, inasmuch as they knew that the artillery in the forts, what ever the faultiness of it's handling, could not possibly lack force. Mean while, the celebrated naval station of China was storned from the Landslide, and the defenders of the fort on Hwang Chin hill were either killed or taken prisoners, their retreat having been cut off by the invaders.
 "When the officers that defended the Fort Hwang Chin were, brought before the Japanese generals one of them, apparently an officer of distinction, stepped forward and thus addressed the generals:
 I was the commander of the forts, but now that have incurred irrerne- diable disgrace I should like to ask special favor, namely, that I be per mitted to commit suicide in your pres cnce.
 ''Such a request was not only con- trary to the ordinary habits of the Chinese but what was far more surpris- ing it was conveyed in perfectly cor rect Japanese. Che of tho officers to whom the captive had addressed him. self asked him where he had acquired the Japanese language so well. The prisoner replied that he was originally native of IIigo, whence he crossed over to China many years ago. Sub sequently by some chance he attracted t,le attention of Viceroy Lii, who gradually promoted him till at last he was appointed commander of the forts.
 'After making the confession the officer insisted upon committing sui eide, notwithstanding the reInon- strances of the Japanese generals. Making profound obcisance, he sat down and slew himself according to the strict canons of the Japanese sanurai. The officers were much struck by the manly conduct and caused the remains to be inferred with due ceremony"