The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-14
KURoPATK1N LEADS THE FIGHT.
Horror of the Battle Is Intensified by
Cold and Rain.


st. Petersburg, Oct. 14.-1:50 a. m.
Desperate fighting and losses on
both sides with varying succession the
Russians-such is the summing up of
the situation by General Kuropatkin
in a telegram filed October 10. There
is no sign of the battle slackening-
On the contrary, General Kuropatkin
telegraphS that he had ordered the
army to resume the fight with una
bated vigor today.
General Kuropatlin himself is in
the thickest of the fighting and Gen
erai Sakharoff. his chief staff. is per-
Sonaliy directing recOnnaiSSanceS. The
conflict has been most desperate at
the center and on west flank The adj
vance guards at. those points had to
be repeatedly reinforced, owing to the
great pressure of the Japanese attacks.
At nightfall on October II the Rus
sian right was withdrawn from its
main position, but one of the aban-
doned positions was retaken at the
point of the bayonet during the night.
Contrary to Field Marshal Oyama's re-
port no indication is given in General
Kuropatkin's telegram of an envelop-
Ing movement by General Oku.
The only positions captured by force
were at the center where the Rus
SLAMS were compelled to retire during
the afternoon. There is no mention
OF the loss of guns. The war Office
declines to deny that there was such
loss, but explains that such an in
cident was quite possible while posi-
tons were changing hands but that
even If it is true, it is of no material
consequences.
According to kilograms from Russian
correspondents the horrors of the battle
were intensified by bitter cold and
General Mistchenko, who had been re-
ported to be raiding in Korea played a
conspicuous part in the fighting on the
Russian left flank. According to the
latest news of the fighting in the direc-
ton of Bensihu the Russians were
striving for the possession of pass but
no news was received from there yester-
DAY. The pass alluded to presumably
IS the house pass which is mentioned
IN General Sakaroffs telegram of Oc-
tober IL. HUI pass is eight miles due
north of Bensihu. Should this pass fall
INTO the hands of the Russians it would
involve the capture of Beusihu, thus
opening the road to Lao Yang. Ac-
cording to the belief OF the general staff
General Rennenkampn has not pene-
trated as far as the Taitse river but he
Is cooperating in the attempt to cap
ture Bensihu.
In the midst of the anxiety and sus-
pense involving in the great fight south
OF hukden comes also the first word in
many days from the gallant defenders
OF Port Arthur. While General Stoes-
sells report of condition of affairs atPort
Arthur is no later than October z, it
showed the garrison at that time was
IN unimpaired shape, and making a
heroic defense against a series of the |
most bitter assaults in all the history of |
sieges. The cloSeness- of the fighting
and the deadly character of the at
tempts are shown by the fact that both !
sides are using hand grenades and that !
the Japanese after a bloody capture of !
the important signal station were I'M |
able to hold the position in face of the |
fire from the fortress.
The failure of the Japanese to hold a |
footing once gained in the circle of in |
forts n
satisfaction as indicating the skill with |
which the defenses of Port Arthur /
were arranged, the main line of forts
supporting each other so as to render
any one position almost certainly I'M
tenable even if temporarily captured |
by an enemy. But the reckless ferocity
of the assaults by an overwhelming
force of Japanese seems to make it |
certain that Port Arthur can only be
held by an immense expenditure of |
ammunition and it is becoming a seri-
long even the great supply known to
exist in the fortress can last in the
face of Japan attack.
The most serious feature of General |
StoessePs report from q strategic point |
of view is the fact that the Japanese
have gotten mortar battery in posi-
ton to bear on the inner fortress.
Emperor Nicholas held a council of
war today at which it is believed the II
appointment of Kuropatkin to the post
OF commander-in-chief in Manchuria
was decided upon
Oku Bagged rs Guns.
Toxic, Oct. 14.-The latest kilograms
from the front indicate the continual
ton of Japanese success.
General Oku's left army alone bag
ged Is guns.
The Russians made two desperate
counter attacks against the Japanese
but were repulsed with heavy slaugh-
ter.
The Japanese commanders in their
reports give expression to their admir-
alton of the valor of the Russians
The Manchurian headquarters, in a
telegram sent today, reports as fol-
lows:
''Since the last report our right army
has been continuing a vigorous pur-