The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-10-27
THE STORY OF LAO YANG
~ WIN II. Brill
Newspaper Enterprise Association.

~ WIN y. Brill
Newspaper Enterprise Association.
(Continued.)
FIELD HEADQUARTERS SEC
oND CORPS IMPERIAL JAPANESE
ARMY, Sept. 1.-The battle Of Shan
sam-po was won last night. 1t was
won by a brigade although there were
divisions engaged. 1t was won by q
comparatively few, men and Of those
few more than half lie stark and
cold upon the field today. The battle
was won in the charge upon the cen
ter of the Russian position, the
charge on what we have called Green
hill for want Of better name.
Green hill Is the center of the posi-
ton and 1t is one Of the nastiest po-
sitions troops were ever sent to take.
The hill is perhaps 200 feet high and
It rises from the plain in a gentle
slope followed by a very steep rise.
The Russians had this hill strongly
fortified with three lines Of trenches.
All day yesterday the Japanese lay
at the foot of this hill in trenches
which they had hastily thrown up
during the night. Last night they
charged-and they took the hill. That
it was one of the most desperate
charges imaginable everyone who has
seen the hill today knows.
The strongest line of defenses on
~, 1t Ut
We knew that yesterday and the day
before; we have seen them today and
that has only verified our previous
opinion. For two days the Japanese
artillery played on these trenches
with little apparent effect. While the
artillery was firing on the trenches
the soldiers were not there. They
were safely ensconced in the bomb
proofs in the rear playing cards and
drinking vodka. But when the charge
came they were there and they fought
like demons.
Took Hill at Night.
Last night the men of Nagoya were
sent to take the hill. These soldiers
who have done splendid work all the
way north from Nanshan hill had
been lying in the trenches at the foot
Of the hill all day. The order came
for them to take the hill and-well,
they took 1t.
In command of the brigade which
took the hill was Major General Ko-
DANA. We met the general on the
hill this afternoon. He shook hands
with all Of US and gave us his card.
He posed for a photograph without
objection. He smiled all the time he
talked to us, through our interpreter
by the way. 1 tried to get General
| Kodama to tell me the story of that
charge.
1--WE were ordered to take the hill
and we took it," he said.
Wasn't 1t pretty hard fightingr
suggested.
"Oh, yes, but we expected that"
Not another word could get out
of him.
We had seen the hill and we had
seen the trenches, a description OF
the fight was not necessary. We
knew what 1T had Deen.
The first line of trenches which
the Nagoya men were sent to take
were about half way up the hill
They took them, but at cost that
it is even now hard to estimate
Starting from the shelters at the foot
of the hill where they had been all
day lying in the little shallow holes
which they had dug with their bayo-
nets or sheltered behind the scores
of conical Chinese graves which COW
err the plain. they went up the first
easy slope of the hill at rush with
out stopping to fire.
Fought Nand to Hand.
The fire from the Russian trenches
was terrific and every step of the up
ward course was marked by the death
of soldier. But they kept on until
the trenches were reached and then
fought the Russians hand to hand.
driving them out Of the trenches at
the point of the bayonet. The loss
at this trench was something appal-
ling, but 1t did not stop the onward
rush of the conquering Japanese.
Across the trench they went treading
on the mangled bodies Of friends and
foes that filled the trench to over
flowing and on they went up the now
steep sides of the hill to the main
trenches on the crest. The bullets
rained down that hillside like hail
but they did not stop the desperate
uprush of those brave little soldiers.
Hundreds Of them fell. but on they
went to the very edge of the trench
where, with bayonets and clubbed
muskets. they struggled desperately
until they won the trench. When we
reached the hill this morning the
bodies had not been moved from the
trenches. There they lay. japanese
and Russians in inextricable con-
fusion as they fell in that bloody
hand-to-hand fight.
Enemies Embrace in Death.
In several cases Japanese and Rus
slams lay actually in each others
arms. Death had been dealt out In
every conceivable form. Bullets had
done their work. scores Of lives had
escaped through CHASTITY bayonet
wounds and here and there a skull
had been crushed by dubbed musket
Again we saw war in all it's horror.
And then we heard that among the
victims of that terrible charge was
an old friend, Major Tachibana. He
| was the ofiicer who took us to his
quarters and gave us tea and beer
and little candy hearts with notices
on them. stood uncovered beside
his dead body today. His servant
stood by and told us the story, the
tears running down hts face the
while. The major had been on duty
at headquarters in the commissariat
but he had been relieved at his own
request to take active service with
hts battalion.
When the charge was ordered. Ma
jor Tachibana led his battalion. the
sword Of his ancestors in his hand.
Up the hill he went through that
awful storm Of bullets. cheering on
hts man TUice he met Russian of-