The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-07-28
how JAPANESE
MEET DEATH
Striking Heroism Of Soldiers on
Transport.
aNEINa Of THE EINgHIUMARU.

/ SINKING OF THE KIEsHIUMARU.
Tragic END Of officers and Wen when
the Vessel was rorpedoed BY RUS
SLAMS some Committed suicide.
others Kept Up Hot FIRE and
sank Cheering and singinw.
Death rather than submission was
! tie fate which was voluntarily chosen
| by the soldiers ara others who were
on board the transport ISlnshiamaru at
! 6iensan when the Russian warships
+ suddenly appeared on the scene. Tie
Kobe Chronicle reprints from a native
i paper a most interesting account OF
this stirring incident of the war, says
the London Telegraph, II appears that
the men had been ashore scouting and
had then re-emharked. The eseorting
torpedo boat destroyer dotilla put to
sea and the transport followed, but
soon the vessels were separated in a
( fog, and when this lifted the Klnshiu-
maru, thinking the squadron 70 Re the
ships. Captain Yagi Of the Kinshiu
maru, thinking the squadron 10 be the
/ Japanese, altered her course and steer
ed toward the warships, when the sig
nal stop" floating from the mainmast
and the firing ol a blank shot across
/ the Kinshiumaru's bows brought the
ship to standstlil. This turn OF events
naturally caused surprise and astonish
ment on board the transport. but moth
t ing could be done in the way of cscap-
ing. Lieutenant Commander Mizogui-
chi. who had charge of the work of
the transport, proposed visiting the
4 warships and taking such measures as
required by circumstances This was
agreed to be the best course, ana, hay
/ ing said farewell to the military officers
ia command Of the troops ana accom-
panied BY Captain Yagl Paymaster
Ida and an interpreter, Mr. Kondo,
the lieutenant commander rowed TO
the nearest warship, whence as Is
known, the party never returned and
are now prisoners Of war at Irkutsk
i on board the KinshiumaFu the mill
tary officers assembled in the saloon
and took counsel as to their course 81
\ action. The officers We're Captain
shilna, Captain Sakurai. Lieutenant
Terada, Lieutenant Yokota and Ensign
4 Higaki. After the conference Captain
Shlina went into the between decks,
where the men had been ordered 70 as
sembie. and gave orders as to the
course to be taken by them Meanwhile
both the transport and the warships
had been lowering boats aud three
officers boarded the Kinshiumaru and
ordered the troops to las down their
arms and surrender stating that il
they did 50 they would be taken On
board the warships The soldiers We're
| given an hour in which TO arrive at q
decision and having allowed Tic crew
of the steamer and the passengers To-
take 70 the boats the naval officers 70
turned to the squadron
It was now past midnight. with Q
bright moon and clear sky. 4 great
silence prevailed on the transport.
which now had only troops on board
and few blueiackets and coolies Cap-
tain shiina once again inspected his
men. who were found In perfect order,
some motionless. but Others fixing bay-
onets or loading their rides. preparing
for the end Sergeant Major Washi
was collecting the maps. sketches, etc.
kept by the officers Sergeant Okano
gathered Iii the note books Of the men.
and maps and note books were thrown
into the engine room FIRE a corporal
ordered the men 10 take OF the num-
bers on their shoulder straps 50 that
everything should be destroyed which
would prove Of any value 10 the enemy
afterward.
Ii was past ] o'clock on the morning
Of April 26 when the Russians dis
charged torpedo against the fore part
Of the transport. ON thls Captain
Shiina went into the tween decks and
freed the men from military discipline.
They were told to take what course
they thought fit, as nothing could be
done to avert disaster The men. anx-
ious to know the fate Of their officers,
swarmed up the conpnnionways to the
saloon. found the doors locked and 40
sound Issuing therefrom. Inside We're
the officers, who had agreed 70 sink
with the steamer imprisoned In the
saloon SO that they should not fall into
the hands Of the enemy. Particular
and scrupulous to the last, the officers
had persuaded Captain Sakurai, who
did not belong to their regiment, Of the
inadvisability of his dying With them.
Captain Sakurai, an old experienced
officer regarded by the general staff as
one Of the smartest officers Of the army
iii northern Korea, left his comrades,
and the manner Of his death Is I'M
known. According to report, however.
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