The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-04-30
TOGO AT
IT AGAIN
japanese Admiral Keeps Pt.
Arthur Guessing.
ANOTHER BOMBARDING
Japanese Story Of the Transport
Sinking Differs from the
Russian Report.
ANOTHER BOMBARDING

LONDON, April 30-A dispatch from
ST. Petersburg says report has been
received from Viceroy AleXeleff stating
that several japanese warships were
sighted of Port Arthur early Friday
morning comprising fleet of ten cruis.
ers and six torpedo boats, and for
time they were lying In an adjacent
bay.
The viceroy also reports that Japa.
nese cruisers and torpedo boats were
seen In Usuri bay, adjacent to Vladi.
Yostok.
This report has aroused anxiety. Ma.
val circles are speculating whether the
enemy will venture to attack Vladivos.
tok.
A Tokyo report says seventy-three
Japanese We're killed or drowned as a
result of the sinking Of the japanese
transport Kinshiu Maru, which was
torpedoed by the Russian armored
cruiser Rossia.
The Kinshiu Maru parted from the
convoy OF torpedo boats In a fog and
at 1l:30 D. m. met the Russian feet.
She was ordered TO stop, and the Ros-
sia steamed alongside, summoned her
navigating officers on board the Rossia
and sent searching party on board
the transport. This party discovered
two companies of soldiers concealed
below and reported the fact to the
ROssia. The latter discharged a tor
pedo, which struck the Kinshiu Maru
amidships and broke her in two.
While the transport was sinking the
soldiers on board Of her rushed on
deck and fired volleys from their rifles
into the Rossia, and as the Kinshiu
Maru sank several OF the soldiers COM
mitted suicide.
Three boats which foated free from
the wreckage were the means OF saw
ing forty-fve soldiers and nine OF the
Kinshiu Maru's passengers and crew.
Two captains and three lieutenants
were among the soldiers drowned. The
survivors succeeded in getting ashore
and were conveyed by steamer to Gen
san.
Later advices from Gensan confirm
the reports that the Japanese soldiers
refused to surrender to the Russians
at the sinking of the Kinshiu Maru,
preferring death. One noncommission-
ed officer committed harakiri accord
ing to the ancient custom, and the
others used rifles to kill themselves.
The official reports agree in placing
the number OF men lost at seventy
FIVE II is not known how many Japa-
nese the Russians took from the ship
or rescued after she began sinking. 1t
is possible that more survivors will be
found, as one of the Kinshiu Maru's
boats is still missing.
A report from Admiral Yeszen says
after the descent on Gensan the Rus
sian squadron returned to Vladivostok
and late during the night OF April 20
started on another expedition. At Q
o'clock on the evening of April 81,
when 800 miles out, the squadron sight
ed Japanese steamer with war stores
on board Her crew, consisting of If
teen Koreans and twelve Japanese,
were placed in safety, and the steamer
was sunk by pyroxylin cartridge
fred from the Gromoboi by Lieutenant
Polotnikoff.
The same night at about IL o'clock
when the squadron was twelve miles
off Plaksin bay, Korea, large Japa-
ness transport, the Kinshiu Maru, was
Overhauled Her commander mistook
the Russian for Japanese squadron
and signaled:
II am bringing you coal"
The Russian commander promptly
signaled in reply:
"Stop instantly"
The crew Of the transport then rec
ognized their mistake and began to
lower boats and steam pinnaces with
the greatest haste and endeavored to
escape. But the Russian steam cut
ters captured them all.
The transport was armed with four
Hotchkiss guns. At the outset 1t look
ed as If no one was left on board, but
on examination it was found that the
cabin was locked and barred. Therein
the Russians found six infantry Off
GERS, who surrendered without resist
4 "a I ON. lhoard tha.