The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-13
FOUGHT HAND TO HAND.
Russian Captains Account of the Cap
ture of His Ship.

! ture of His Ship.
Chefoo, Aug. 13.-In discussing the
Ryeshitelni affair Captain Ching says
that when the Japanese destroyers
entered the harbor of Chefoo he sent
an officer on board and assured Com
mSnder Fujimoto that the Ryeshitelni
crew had signed a parole. Later the
admiral followed his messenger and
personally repeated this information
at length, whereupon Commander
the Ryeshitelni. Admiral Sab next
sent an officer in small boat to the
l1ghtship which was near the Rye
shitelni to watch developments.
Captain Shestakovsky feeling inse-
cure, requested that his ammunition
and one torpedo be. returned to him
or a Chinese cruiser prepare to guard
him. To this the Chinese officer on
ordered merely to report develop
ments. Accordingly Captain Shesta-
kovsky assembled his crew and ad-
dressed them, saying that an attack
was possible. All the men of the Rye
shitelni slept that night on deck with
life preservers under their heads.
When the lieutenant from one of the
Japanese destroyers boarded the Rye
shitelni at half past o'clock in the
morning the crew which brought him
with bayonets affixed to their rifles
in their hands, followed their officer.
Captain ShestakoVSky protested
against this, saying:
Il am unable to resist, but this is a
breach of neutrality and courtesy
Captain Shestakovsky then secretly
commanded one of his lieutenants to
prepare gunpowder with which to
blow up the Russian destroyer. To
gain the time necessary to make ready
argued international law with the
Japanese officer, whose reply to all
the contentious of the Russian officer
was, come to the open sea and fight
or prepare to be toWed out"
In the meanwhile the command was
issued quietly to the Russian soldiers
to resist the japanese. with their fists
in the manner which would be shown
them by their captain.
Continuing his account of the oc-
currence Captain Shestakovsky said:
THE Japanese officer told me to sur
render, and that as a prisoner my life
me that / struck the Japanese before
intended to. I was afraid that the
explosive to blow up our vessel had not
yet been prepared. My blow knocked
the lieutenant overheard. In going he
dragged me with him. He fell into the
water I chung to his throat and pun
melled him until my hold was broken"
The crew of the RyeShitelni mean
while had begun fighting with the Jap
anese sailors. who used their rifles and
bayOnets. The fighting men scuffled
struggling pairs after the example ac-
cidentally set by their captain. Captain
Shestakovsky, seeing his men fighting
on the deck of the destroyer. attempted
to climb back on board and command
them. He was snot at four times and
while in the water he received a deep
wound in the right leg.
There were 81 Russian officers and
men on board the Ryeshitelni and up to
this hour 80 have been accounted for.
A number of the Japanese attackers
also are believed to have persisted.
Being unable to regain the deck of mis-
in IN xOv To-
ward a nearby junk. from which ne
was driven away by blows with boat
hook. He remained in the water for so
minutes, swimming, in spite of his
wounds. and was finally picked up by
one of the three boats sent out by the
Hal Yung. Captain Ching cared fol
the Russian captain. and two of his
lieutenants In mis- own cabin. The
Russian sailors rescued by the boats
from the Hal Yung exchanged their
drenched clothing for the uniforms of
Chinese sailors. in which garb they were
brought ashore today to the Russian
consulate.
Before leaving Chefoo, Commander
Fujimoto sent an outline report of the
occurrence of the night to the japanese
consul here. This differs from that sent
in by the Associated Press only in that
it does not say that the Japanese
fired at the Russian sailors while the
latter were in the water Tt adds that
the commander was acting under his
admiraFs orders to fight or capture the
RyeShitelni.
Captain Shestakovsky is unable to
explain why his vessel was not sunk by
the explosive made for that purpose
He declares that he is disgraced, al
though the Russian refugees here in
sist that he is a hero. His sailors say
that he told the Japanese officer to
kill him, but that he would never sur
render.
The nature of Capt. Shestakovsky's
mission to Chefoo is not known, al
though it is doubtless important. Dur
ing the interview with the Russian cap
tain regarding the capture of his yes
sci. it was inferred that plans and i'm
portant papers were burned on board
the Ryeshitelni before the Japanese
boarding party arrived.
The local consuls are making careful
reports of the occurrence to their re-
spective governments.