Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-12-02

Recent dispatches (via St Peters
burg) from the front told of the death
OF General Kuroki and the shipment of
his body back to Japan. The dis
patches stated he was killed BY The
bursting of a shell at Lilac Yang. The
report lacks confirmation.
General Baron lite Kurokl was a.
veteran of four wars. He was known
for his personal bravery and his cool
ness and imperturbability on the battle
field. He was 81 years old but seemed
much younger. He was as light upon
his feet as a man Of 80. In the a
for the restoration of the mikado in
1858, he fought for the mikado against
his own clan of the Samurais. Many
stories are told in Japan of his achieve
ments In hand to hand comhats. Ten
years later he helped suppress the in
surrection. In the Chino-Japanese war;
he commanded the division which cap-I
tured the dozens of forts defending
We Hal Wei. There the men under his
command charged fort after fort Ia thes
face or cannon and In spite OF an int
cessant fire from the Chinese fleet. In
the BoXe war of 1900 he commanded al
part OF the Japanese force that SO dis
tinguised itself in the relief Of the lei
cations.
First Known at the Yaiu.
In the present war readers of news
from the front first learned of General
Kurokf at the battle of the Yalu river.i
To the casual reader ne was unknown,
But as the news of that fight leakedt
through the watchful Japanese censor
ship it dawned upon the world that
General Kuroh was a general Of ~genius.f
Since hat time there has been Fungi
Wang Chang, Hal Cheng, Tie Pass,
Lao Yang and Shakhe river, below
Mukden. These battles have been mile
stones marking the victorious progress
of the intrepid general. At every
battle he outfought and -outgeneraled'
his Russian opponent. He has not lost
a battle since the war with Russia be-
gan, and has done more fighting than
any other general with the Japanese
forces. Since the three japanese ar
mics had been merged for the at
tack upo Lao Yang GeenraI Kurokf,
has commanded the right wing. General
Nodzu and General Oku commanding
the other two. The daring flank move
ment that turned the tide of battle
against Lao Yang and forced them TO
retreat was executed by Kuroki, who
ran the risk of having his entire force
cut off and annihilated. In the eight
day battle below Mukden Kuroki's
forces bore the brunt of Kuropa<kin's
fierce attacks, for it was around the
Japanese right that the Russians hoped
TO go TO the relief of Port Arthur and
also to cut the Japanese line OF COM
munications. But Kuroki stood firm
and turned back the Russian assault.
From Yalu to Shakhe.
IL nothing ever had come from Toxic
concerning the character of the COM
mander OF the Japanese right wing, the
march from the Yalu to the Shakhe
would be enough to portray the man.
Wal correspondents with the right
army have only indicated some of the
characteristics. One said he talked lit
tie and smoked innumerable cigarets.
Grant seldom talked and smoked in
Vulnerable black cigars, Another told
Of his calmness On the battlefield. his
few orders and his wide reaching,
thorough information about the country,
the inhaitants, the enemy and his grasp
of the most minute details Of his entire
command. His f~acorite position WAS on
q hill, field glass in hand, the telegraph
instrument close by, his fingers on the
pulse % the battle. in ali tiIe new spa
per reports which emanated from the
front there has appeared no interview
from General Kuroki.
Practically nothing is known, outside
OF Japan, of General, Kuroki's family
on his training. He was q Samurai,
which indicates that he came of a race
OF lighters, and that for principle he
opposed his own clan. He was made
q baron for capturing Wei Ha Wei in
the Carbohydrates war He took up
the subject of the Japanese cavalry and
brought 1t TO a high stage of efficiency
in the present war. He was an admin
istrator Of the first class. He was q
OF the war council before
taking the field and his ultimate knowl-
edge OF the topography OF northern
China is said to have been remarkable.