Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-12-02
ECHOES FROM The WAR
How a Nude Japanese Hero
Routed a Russian Force.
LARKING ON THE FIRING LINE.


A copy OF the Ki1kod1 Magazine,
printed in English. but edited 10y Jap
anese. has been received az Terre
Haute. Ind, from Tokyo by friends OF .
man in TIE American navy. Among
the articles is the story OF The Naked /
Hero" who has received the special
attention of the emperor and is talked |
about in all Japan. The article says !
that Lance Corporal 0hashi gained |
the sobriquet by which he is known !
throughout the army, THE Naked He
TO-" in the battle OF Chiutiencheng on
May l. The story is told as follows,
says the Cincinnati Enquirer:
our readers will remember that In
this battle our troops had to cross sew
eral streams in order 10 reach the en-
emy's position on the other side of the
Yalu. During the engagement the main
body of the Imperial guards arrived
on the left bank of the Aiho and found
that they must cross the stream to Mt
tack the enemy, who were strongly
posted ON the right bank. There was
no bridge, and Lance Corporal Ohashi,
Seventh company, Third regiment, I'M
perial guards. was selected for the hon
orable but dangerous task OF wadlng
the river to test its depth. Divestlng
himself of his uniform and taking with
him only a short sword. lie jumped into
the river which lie succeeded in cross
ing safely, despite the hail of bullets
showered upon him.
'When he had thus demonstrated the
Portability of the stream he was fol-
lowed by the whole regiment. and the
enthusiasm was so great that Ohashi
never paused to resume his uniform.
which his comrades brought but naked
as he was, headed the charging col
umns. The sight of the naked warrior
was enough to strike fear to the hearts
of the Russians, who fed before him.
One man concealed himself behind
bush and took deliberate aim at him
with musket. But our hero saw the
musket and quick as thought Selling
the weapon. killed its owner with one
blow from the stock. The enemys out
posts having been carried, the column
advanced some 1000 meters to where
the enemy's artillery was posted at the
top of a steep hill. Ohashi. still too
busy to resume his garments. was
again in the forefront of the charge,
personally killing two men and max
ing one prisoner, and it was remarked
with wonder that. although he had
been target and in the thickest of the
fight, he did not receive scratch. The
emperor was much delighted when he
heard of the exploits Of Ohashi and
examined with much interest the mus
ket with which Ohashi killed his enc
mics"
| suppose it is because of the tremen-
dous restrictions put upon them that
the special correspondents in this Rus
so-Japanese war have given US so few
of those little glimpses into the individ-
ual realities of war that make one feel
akin with the soldiers fighting and dy-
ing for the two countries, says a writer
in NJ A. P. But now and then one does
come across some of these glimpses.
Here is one such tidhit The scene Is
described in a letter written by Cap
tain Bliznetsky, Russian officer:
MANY of our men out of bravado
gamble, jump for coppers and cut sim
liar capers while under fire. However.
l think the severest test of GOODNESS is
writing letters while shells are explod-
ing around. | have tried to do it my
self, but produced queer scrawls.
Yesterday l witnessed this scene:
The Japanese were pouring in a ire
mendous fire, and four or five shells
had burst quite close. In the trench
where | lay down four soldiers were
collogung together over the love let
tiers which the only literate one in the
lot was writing for the others Say
something fowery-something about
the heart and the needle true to the
pole said one. A storm of bullets
whistled past You wouldn't like those
about the heart said the letter writer.
"'And tell Pulcheria I've got 20 ru-
bles since the war began and killed
twenty Japs.' continued the amorous
Ivan. Draw it mild I'll say ten,' re.
torted the letter writer. Here a shell
burst, and the conclusion tore the
letter out Of the learned mans hand.
"'Can you give us some paper, your
honorT l tore the back from letter
and the amorist continued his work
Begin: Pulcheria these are my re
poets, and | love you But here an
other soldier, impatient. snatched the
paper and said: Write for me: Ekateri
government of Kharkov. My beloved
Ekaterina, the bullets are whistlint
past, but that only makes me think Of
you. | have been wounded twice, an(
Colonel Friedericks says am the brav
est man in the army. Think Of tina
and yet love you
"A bullet pinged and went through
the hero's coat sleeve. A minute late
the letter writer fell dead"
What the battle of Liaoyang in tn
Russo-Japanese war meant to man.
corps may be judged from the follow
ing letter from private In Genera
Zarubeyeff's division, says the Londol
News:
1T was left to our men to keep of
the Japs, under their General Oku
They made six attacks upon us In tw
days The slaughter was awful. Il
the Third battalion were five me-
(here follow names) from Andreyevc
and all are dead Toporsky had hi
hral taken cit..n y. ,...d th'
shell, without bursting. went on cleai
through his brother Luka. myself
saw Yakovlef bayOneted by Jap