Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-11
GREAT BATTLE IMMINENT.

GREAT BATTLE IMMINENT. Kuropatkin Taking Offensive, Push.
 ing Enemy Back on Liaoyang.
 LONDON, Oct. 11.-A dispatch from Mukden says that General Kuropat- kin's advance to the southward has been pushed forward with much initial success. General Mischtschenko, with his Cossacks, penetrated to the rear of the Japanese lines, compelling the Jap anese to abandon several positions.
 It is reported that the Japanese have retreated to Liaoyang and that they have evacuated Toyanchan, Saimatse, the Fenshiu pass and Kwandyancyan.
 Advices from St. Petersburg, dated this morning at 2:15, say that battle upon which the fate of the campaign in Manchuria depends seems only a few days ahead. General Kuropatkin has cast the die at last, about faced his army and is marching resoutely against the enemy as if resolved to do or die.
 According to unofficial reports, Field Marshal Oyama at the first sign of General Kuropatkin taking the offen- sive began drawing in his line and concentrating upon fortified positions north of Liaoyang. According to the latest reports from Mukden, the Japa- nese outposts are being driven in all along the line.
 The strategy of the forward move ment will be concealed, as were the preparations for the advance, so that all surmises as to where General Kuro- patkin intends to strike are mere guesswork. It is not clear whether General Kuropatkin contemplates a blow on the left, center or right of the Japanese army, but the fact that stress is laid upon the capture of Bentsia- putze, which opens the road and lords to Bensihu, twenty miles east of Liao- yang, where General Kuroki crossed, and that Cossacks are already reported in the neighborhood of the stream might foreshadow an exact reversal of the battle of Liaoyang, this time the Russian commander thanking and turn ing Aaoyang with his left, as Field Marshal Oyama did with his right.
 On the Stock Exchange Japanese bonds fell off one-half to point.
 A dispatch from General Sacharoff to the general stan confirms the news that Bentsiaputze has been occupied by the Russians.
 Before the Russians took the offen- sive in Manchuria special prayers were offered in field chapel at Mukden.
 The service concluded with sermon by the grand almoner, who, addressing General Kuropatkin, said:
 'srhe old time warrior was told on departing for the field, Return with your shield or upon it. But today say to you, Go with the cross and in the faith of Christi"
 A Mukden report says that the Rus sian forces have crossed the Hun riv- CT, and sappers have rebridged the Sakhe, while General Mischtschenko, with his famous fighting force of pick ed Cossacks, has reoccupied Yentai.
 Russian cavalry forces have also crossed the Tai river, the Japanese hastily retreating, thus stopping their attempted western hanking movement. This will cause General Kuroki to stop his fianking movement to the east, with an alternative of exposing him. self to the liability of being cut off.
 Tn the meanwhile the bulk of the Japanese army $ reported to be mass cd in positions occupied by them after the battle of Liaoyang. There the big battle will surely take place.
 A Chefu report says that there has been no fighting of importance at Port Arthur since the last big assault on the fortress, Sept 19 to Sept 23.
 The Japanese landed force from Tache bay on Oct. 9th, and the Rus sians retired in the face of superior numbers. The next day, however, the Japanese were driven out by an artil- lery fire, one gun which they had mounted being destroyed.