The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-09-13


not cease before 10 o'clock at night.
1t is estimated that 1000 Russian
shells were thrown into the valley be-
yond the south road. where the only
evidence of the presence OF the Japa-
nese was a Red Cross camp.
At nightfall General Stakelberg's
corps had lost 5000 men.
During the night of the 3Ist the
Russians deemed the position of the
enemy 10 be SO threatening that they
made preparations to fall back.
The cannonading came to an end
when the sun went down. Throughout
the night of September 2 IL broke out
again fitfully, but the periods We're of
short duration. The morning of Sep
tember 3rd showed that General Ku-
roki had not attained his object, but
the victory OF the Japanese over the
Russians appeared to be complete.
Russian troops and refugees from
Lao Yang in rickshaws were found
all along the railroad and the main
highways on the way to Mukden. The
Russian press censors, Nhom were sta
toned at Lao Yang. Yentai and Muk-
den, had fed to Harbin.
The night of September was mark
ed throughout by furious rife firs
outside of Lao Yang. The Russian
troops were in a highly nervous and
excited state. They were convinced
that the JAPANESE were creeping for
ward irresistibly at this time
September Bro saw the resum ption
of the cannonading at dawn, and the
vast clouds of smoke which arose slow
ly from the burning warehouses in the
foreign settlement at Lao Yang could
be seen for distance of ten miles.
When the correspondent passed the
fire-swept bed Of the Taitse river on
his way into Liao Lang at noon Of
q h0r no
retired from the immediate front to
shelter behind the south wall of the
city. On getting into Lao Yang it
was seen that Japanese rifle bullets
were falling around the railroad sta
ton. and that all the stored lumber
and wooden buildings in that vicinity
were in flames.
During the night of September 4th
the Russian sentries were drawn from
Lao Yang. The pOntOon bridges
across the Taitse river were hurriedIy
removed. the Japanese entered and
took possession of the city, and the
correspondent taken prisoner before
he was aware Of what had occurred.
The battle of Lao Yang is accepted
here as determining The mastery of
Manchuria. In it the Russians were
fully equal in numerical strength to
the Japanese, who had approximately
100000 men in the field. The Russian
artillery was superior in range and
rapldity Of fire to that of the Japanese
The Russians forced the japanese at
tackers to take dangerous positions by
intrepid assault. In many instances
the Russians lost more men behind
their breaStwOrkS than did the attack
ing Japanese.
On the morning of September /, all
the non-combatants were ordered to
leave Lao Yang, and the Russian COM
m1SSary of police sent an order to the
Chinese magistrates of the city that all
Chinese must leave Lao Yang within
two days. The Japanese were seen to
be in possession of the Russians at
ShushaE. and it was learned also that
General Stakelberg had withdrawn
during the night.
The Chinese at Lao Yang became
alarmed. and they began secretly to
make Japanese flags. There was much
confusion throughout the city The
proprietors of foreign shops made
frantic efforts to sell their stocks on
the streets at ridicuously low prices to
any one who' would pay cash. or en-
deavored to have their property load
ed on railroad cars. The flight of Jap
anese shells over the railroad station
stampeded them, however. and they
fled in disorder glad to get away with
their lives.
The foreign military attaches who
were in Lao Yang were taken north
under escort.
The correspondent noticed, on this
morning, an unbroken line of ammuni-
ton wagons, batteries of artillery and
Russian troops using the railroad
bridge to get out of Lao Yang to the
north.
1t became known that General Ku-
| rokf was making a dash around the
| Russians left for the railroad, point
| Is miles north of here. He crossed the
Taitse river the night of August 30 and
took the SPLENDID Russian defenses at
| Pensihu with very little effort He
| continued to advance steadily and
| turned the Russian left. His army
| covered Is miles in quick time. The
! effect of its movements was to force
| the Russians tn leave Lao Yang and
retire in the direction o. coal mines
east of Yertai.. He threatened to cut
| General kuropatkin's army of seven
corps in two.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press was eating lunch at the railroad
| station at noon when the nrst Japa-
| nese shell struck the foreign settle
| ment. Within fifteen minutes time all
the troops, hospital attendants and
| merchants and other people in the vi
| cinity had cleared out and only a few
/
shells continued to fall in the settle
| ment. Chinese. under the direction of
| Russian officers, were maE;ng hurried
| efforts to remove the stores and am
munition from the railroad sheds. The
| Japanese came from Shushan and 4
| Russian shraonel fire was soon turn
| ed on the battery there.
The fighting around Lao Yang be-
gan at daybreak September 2. when
4 shells were thrown N FROM tho
| Japanese line
General Kuroki severed his connec-
ton with the Japanese center army
and left Anping road until protected.
His army was in front of the last Rus
sian position in the coal mining dis
trict to the east of Yentai.
The importance and effect of Kuro-
ki's dash to the rear of the Russian
army was particularly noticeable this
| morning. Near Yentai the Russian