The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-04-29
JAPANESE
TRANSPORT
Sent to the Bottom with 200
Soldiers on Board.
REFUSED TO SURRENDER
The Ship Was the Kin Shiu Maru
and the Russians Claimed
Carried 5000 Men

LONDON, April %. - Late advices
from st. Petersburg say two Russian
torpedo boats belonging to Admiral
Yeszen's Vladivost0k squadron sank Il
| japanese military transport, the Kin
shiu Maru, of 1900 tons, during the
night of April 20, with all on board
with the exception of seventeen on
GERS, twenty soldiers, siXty-fve Of the
crew and eighty-five cody carriers,
who surrendered.
The remainder Of the soldiers, about
200 of the rank and file, who were TO
| form landing party, left without Off
GERS Obstinately refused to surrender
or go on board one of the Russian
ships and offered armed resistance to
the Russians They were sent to the
bottom with the transport
The Kinshiu Maru was laden with
rice and other military stores and
about 1,j0O tons Of coal, She was arm
ed with four Hotchkiss guns
Admiral Yeszen reports. that besides
the sinking of the japanese steamer
Goyu Maru at Gensan on April 25 the
Russians sank al sea tie same evening
the japanese steamer Nak8mura Maru
Of go tons, whose crew was saved.
The satisfaction of the people of st.
Petersburg at the exploits of the Vladi-
vostok squadron is tempered with ad-
miration for The bravery of the Japa-
nese soldiers who went down with the
transport and who preferred death
rather than surrender.
Rear Admiral Yeszen's report says
that 200 men went down with the ship.
The admiralty admits that the men
acted heroioally, but holds that Admi-
raj Yeszen had no other alternative
than TO sink the transport. as he could
not spare prize crew or hamper his
swift squadron with a slower steamer.
1t is pointed out that the officers on
board the Kinshlu Maru appreciated
the situation by accepting imprison-
mentrRther than death.
St Petersburg is loaded with ru-
mors regarding the sinking of the Jap
GneSe military transport the Rinshiu
Maru. One report has It that $500
men were aboard the transport when
she went down, but the admiralty in
sists that there were only 200.
Ii Is said that the emperor is highly
indignant over the affair and that he
will relieve Yeszen and order him to
be court martialed. 1t is stated by
naval experts that no other course
could be pursued and that the admiral
only fred when the japanese cate
gorically refused to surrender and
adopted hostile attitude.
A report from Tokyo says:
"The commander of the Japanese
naval detachment sent to the Yalu re-
ports that while ascending the river
the Russian artillery fired upon the
detachment from the bank opposite
Yongampho, but without effect.
Russian cavalry appeared at the
delta of the river, but retreated upon
being fired upon by the japanese naval
detachment About 100 Russian cav
alrynen fred upon the Japanese
steam launches, whereupon the Japa-
nese torpedo boats answered, and the
enemy fed behind the hills, leaving
many wounded.
A LiAoyang dispatch says Major
Togo TatEozero, member Of the gen
eral star of the Japanese army, who
iS q prisoner here, having been cap
tured at With, where he had lived
since January last, states:
''The Russians will be driven as far
as Baikal. Farther than that we do
not wish to go, but we will return TO
ManchuFia and open it to the trade Of
the world.
I'VE know perfectly well that the
Americans were never our friends, be-
cause in the far east they were always
our opponents We are afraid that If
Japan lie victorious the British and the
Americans only will benefit. 1t would
be foolish for Japan to ally herself
with the United States, because the
Americans do not intend to help us,
but rather wish to exploit us"
The delay Of the forward movement
Of the japanese army into Manchuria
is due to the exceptionally severe
weather 1t is reported that there is
considerable suffering among the Jap
anese troops due to illness and the cold
vvaather