The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-02-24

HANGED
Officers Disguised as Coolies
Captured.
EXECUTED BY RUSSIANS
They Tried to Blow up a Bridge
and We're Dealt With
as Spies.
EXECUTED BY RUSSIANS

l 80 f'~S'
ST. PETERSBURG. Feb. pa par
| ~ OF japanese officers who were cap
tured by the Russians in Manchuria
have been hanged as spies. They were
attempting TO blow up the railroad
bridge over the Sungan river at the
time they were taken and were dis
guised as coolies. They were arrested
| just as they were about to make the at
tempt Inquiry revealed that they were
japanese officers of the general staff
namely, Colonel Assai Of the engineers
and Lieutenants Zonelolascha and Ka-
ourata OF the sappers They were all
hanged on capture in culyerts of the
bridge
General Sakharoff, chief of staff of
the military district of Turkestan, has
| been appointed TO act as minister of
was during the absence Of General
Kuropatkln.
Adyices from Chefu say trains of
twelve cars, each with eighty soldiers
aboard, are now arriving at Port Ar
thur every ten minutes.
Russian re-enforcements are being
pushed forward to the Yalu from the
station at LaichenE
The railway administration has placed
two trains, each of eighteen ears, sta
tionary at Dalny, to remove to the
north the hospitals, the officials and
the workmen should the japanese
lombard
Mines have been laid at Dalny seven
teen miles from the shore
Neutral vessels which arrived after
the hostilities began experienced great
difficulty in clearing from that port.
The captains of the boats were not al
lowed to command their vessels until
they had entirely passed the mines,
naval officers doing the plotting.
1t is reported that 10000 more Japa-
nese troops have landed at Chemulpo
and that the japanese have landed at
Pigeon bay and at Talienwan.
The war will end in August or Sep
tember in the complete defeat of the
Japanese" says high authority in in
innate touch with the Russian war
plans, whose opinion can be taken
faithfully to reflect the belief In the
highest official quarters He adds:
How the japanese can hope TO sue
ceed when our army in the east is
strengthened TO a point equal or supe-
rior in numbers TO that of our adversa-
ries we are honestly unable TO compre-
hend. 1t will not be difficult TO place
100000, 100000 or even 100000 addi-
tiona men in the field if necessary.
When our forces are concentrated and
ready they will finish by driving the
Japanese into the sea"
NJ. JeletZ, military expert who is to
accompany General Kuropatkin to the
front and whose opinions are conse-
quently Of increased value, predicts
that the japanese will make their base
of operations along the line between
Pingyang and WOnsan, Korea, relying
upon protection from their feet against
flank attack.
The japanese army will from this
line have to march 200 miles over
mountainous country to the YalW river,
where they will find the Russians
strongly intrenched. If they succeed
in forcing this line back they will find
another strong Russian line extending
from the Yalu to Mukden They may
then divide their forces, using one-half
to hold the Russians in check while the
other half goes south to besiege Port
Arthur, In this event the Japanese will
be liable to flank attack by the north
ern Russian forces from Kirin.
The apFG!ntment Of Admiral Maka-
rolf to command the Russian Pacific
feet is gaZetted.
Foreign Minister LamsdOrff has sent
the following circular to Russian rep
resentatives abroad:
"Slnce the rupture of the negotis
lions between Russia and Japan the
attitude of the Tokyo cabinet has con-
stituted open violation of all custom
ary laws governing the mutual rela
tions of civilized nations. Without
specifying each particular violation of
these laws on the part of Japan the i'm
perial government considers it neces--
sary to draw the most serious atten
ton of the powers to the acts of VIC.
leacc committed by the japanese gov