The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-11-18
Expected TO Relieve Port
Arthur.
GARRISON WILL HOLDOUT
Main Forts Still in Possession o
Defenders and the Supply Of
Ammunition IS Good.

| LONDON, Nov. 1S.-A special dis
patch from st. Petersburg this morn
Ing says that rejoicing over the I'M
daunted spirit displayed by General
Stoessel in his telegram of congratula-
ton to Emperor Nicholas on the ami
versary of his accession to the throne
and officially announcing the failure Of
General Nogi's nine day attempt to
present Port Arthur to the mikado as
birthday gift is tempered by private
information that the gallant command
tr of the garrison has been wounded.
| General Stoessel was struck in the
mead by splinter from shell while
he was personally directing the repulse
Of Il particularly desperate assault, but
| fortunately the wound is not serious,
| and General Stoessel has not been
| obliged to relinqush command. Cen
sral Stoessel is regarded as the heart
| and soul of the defense, and his death
Or disability, which would cause him
to relinquish command, would be re-
| garded as an irremediable misfortune.
General Grippenberg and staff left
wilma last night for the front.
Vice Admiral Bezobrazotf, who has
just returned from Vladivostok, has
been interviewed at Moscow. He said
the recently constructed Notifications
at vladivostoll make the position there
stronger than ever. The entrance to
the harbor has been thoroughly mined.
General Stoessel's report is by no
means unfavorable. While the garri-
son is now hemmed in in the citadel
itself. not one of the main forts has
been taken. The garrison has been
provisioned. fresh ammunition has ar
rived, and General Stoesse expresses
confidence that the defense can be
successfully maintained until the ar
rival of Admiral Rojestvensky's second
Pacific squadron.
Everything has continued quiet at
Mukden up to the present time but il
is believed that fighting will be re-
newed today.
The report of General Kuroki's death
persists, but Chinese deny il.
1t is reported that the American con-
sui general at Chefu has cabled the
state department at Washington that
the situation al Port Arthur is extreme
ly critical The outer forts have fallen
into the possession of the Japanese.
Three japanese torpedo boat destroy
ers are lying outside of Chefu harbor
The Russian crew of the torpedo boat
destroyer blown up are transferring
arms and supplies to a Chinese cruis-
er, which is posted in front of the Rus
sian consulate.
Advices from Chefu say that fighting
ut Port Arthur has taken place nightly
since the japanese began their general
assault on Oct. 20. according to Cap
tain Renberg, a pilot, who was pas
;enger on the Russian torpedo boat de-
'troyer Rastoropny.
The Japanese trenches the captain
'ays, are closest to the forts on Rib
ung and Keekwan mountains and to
'ther forts on the northeastern group.
The three japanese torpedo boat de-
troyers which entered the harbor to
.scertain If the Russian torpedo boat
destroyer Rastoropny was here disap-
'eared for time but have reappeared
gain.
The japanese consul sent cutter to
meet them and informed the nearest
estrOyer, the Kasumi, that the Ras-
oropny had been sunk. The consul
avs this was the first the ships knew
the sinking of the Rastoropny The
,asumi transmitted the information
y wireless telegraphy TO the Japa-
csc flagship, whereupon the destroy
RS disappeared in the direction of Port
.rthur
The sinking of the Rastoropny by the
ussians relieved the japanese of an
position. A repetition of
he torpedo boat destroyer Ryeshiteini
lcident would have aroused indigna-
on, while n failure to destroy or cut
lie Rastoropny out would have appear
like admitting previous wrongdoing.
A Hardin report says that orders
i've been given to the Japanese troops
shoot any one in Chinese garb OBJ
rived approaching the line, for fear
icy may be Russians in disguise
Notices have Eeen posted offering
ward Of $25 for every Chinese spy
ptured.