Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1904-09-21
SOLDIERS ARE MERC|LESS
BELL!GERENTS At PORT ARTHUR
IN TERRIBLE STATE.
Lieutenant Radzivii Carries Dis.
patches From Russian Comm ander
at Port Arthur to General kuropat.
kin-He Says Red Cross Flag Is
Ignored Entirely.

| ignored Entirely.
| Chefoo. Sept. 20-According to Lieu
tenant Prince Radzivil of the Russian
army. who has reached here from
Port Arthur bearing dispatches from
Lieutenant General Stoessel, the com.
mander in chief of the .orces of the
Russian stronghold, to General Kuro
patkin, the temper Of the belligerents
at Port Arthur has reached an abso.
lutely nerciless stage.
1t was set forth in dispatches some
weeks ago that serious suspicious were
entertained by both belligerents that
the other was misusing the Red Cross
flag. The suspicious have been in.
creased by the commission of various
acts by the soldiers of both armies un.
til now even flags Of truce or surren-
der are not respected by either side.
Prince Radzivil declares that the
men Of both armies are absolutely ve-
nomous in their antagonism. Lieu
tenant General Stoessel has addressed
his garrison. saying that the present
mood Of the Japanese indicates clearly
the necessity of resisting them to the
last drop Of Russian blood. because
II the Japanese soldiers entered the
fortress 1t undoubtedly would be i'm.
possible for their officers to control
them and prevent a massacre. For
this reason Lieutenant General Stoes-
sci is making no objections to civil
ians leaving Port Arthur. When the
300 women who are In Port Arthur en-
gagged in hospital work were advised
to leave they replied that they would
rather face the possibility Of massacre
than desert their posts.
In consequence of the fact that flags
Of truce are ignored, numbers Of JAP
anese dead which have been lying on
the slopes Of the hills for weeks past
are still unburied. The stencil from
decomposing bodies when the wind is
in the right direction is almost unen-
durable. The Russian soldiers. who
are in some cases posted only SO PAGES
from The heaps of decaying dead. have
constantly to wear over their noses
handkerchiefs soaked In camphor. as
otherwise they would be unable to re-
main at their posts.
In the course Of the assaults which
took place In the four last days Of Au.
gust. two companies of Japanese SOL
diers. according to Prince Radzivil,
found themselves at the mercy Of the
Russians and hoisted a white flag. To
this, however, the Russians paid no at
tenti0n and continued to fire volleys
rapidly right into the heluless ranks
of the enemy, while the Japanese
troops were in the rear OF the cOmpa-
nies that had raised the white flag
saw what their comrades had done and
expressed their disapproval OF the sur
render by firing into their rear. AS a
result OF the fire from friend and foe,
900 men were annihllated. The dead
fell smong the decomposing bodies Of
previous assaults. For days after
wards the wounded men in this area
raised futtering handkerchiefs In their
hands in plea for help. but the Rus
SLAMS we're afraid to venture out to
give succor. Within week the last
arm had made its last unregarded
prayer Tor help and the shambles was
a quiet but ghastly field Of horror.
Among the heaps Of dead the prince
saw two soldiers. one a Russian and
the other Japanese, lying locked in
q dea.h embrace. The teeth Of the
Japanese were sunk In the Russians 8
throat, while the Russian had forced
two II his fingers into the eye sockets
Of his antagonist. The prince cited
this as merely an incident denoting the
feroci.y of the conflict before Port Ar
thur.
How RadzivIi Got Away.
Prince Radzivil. another Russian Of
ficer. two civilians and one woman, the
wife Of q Russian STAFF officer, left
Port Arthur the night Of September
l6, on a junk and have arrived here.
Prince Radzivil got into Port Ar
thur a fortnight ago.
Plenty Of Food and Ammunition.
In lis interview with the correspon.
dent. the prince said:
"The stories in circulation concern.
ing the shortage Of ammunition and
provisions at Port Arthur are not true.
There Is an abundance of ammunition
for both large and small arms, and
plenty cl preserved food. The use Of
Chinese shells was merely a saving
measure.
Il left Lieutenant General Stoessel
In the best Of spirits. He is encour-
aged by the heroic example set by the
wounded men, of whom 5000 out Of the
Original 5000 in hospital have returned
to the front.
There has been no fighting since
September I, with the exception Of
artillery and outpost exchanges. The
Japancke shells. however have done
great damage to the hospital and other
buildings In Port Arthur. but the loss
Of life from the commandments have
been very light.
Head Of Red Gross.
Mime. Stoessel. wife of the general.
is at the head Of the Red Cross work
In Port Arthur"
Attendance at Worlds Fair.