The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1904-09-07
RUSSIANS FALLING BACK
Kuropatkins Formidable Lines at Lao
Yang are Badly Broken.
Excltement in St. Petorsbure.

Excitement in ST. Petersburg.
The news OF the occupation OF Lao
Yang and the withdrawal of the Rus
sian army to the right bank OF the
Taitse river reached only a small Sec
ton OF the people Of st. Petersburg at
late hour Thursday night and caus-
ed intense excitement and disappolnt-
ment. The majority Of the inhabitants
retired to rest, believing that Russian
arms had again been successful and
that the Japanese attacks had been re-
PEELED Ugly suspicious. however, had
been rife during the day, owing to the
absence Of press telegrams from Liao-
Yang, leading to the belief that the
communications had been cut by Cen
eral Kurold.
The following statement was obtain
ed by the Associated Press from the
war Office at 10 o'clock p. M:
General Kurokis army crossed in
force to the right bank Of the Taitse
river and it, therefore, became neces-
sary for the Russians to be in a posi-
tion to repel blow in this direction.
80 w" VI tlliS ucNcIODLlSuL III IuS
operations General Kuropatkin decii-
ed to abandon his positions on the left
bank and to concentrate his whole ar
my on the other side OF the river. This
position Is the strongest, both in char
acter and in site The great issue will
be finally decided there.
by withdrawing to this position the
Russian avoids ho
ing divided by the river and enioys
the advantage Of compactness.
General huropatkin's move, there
fore, is not to he considered as a re-
treat, but rather as the carrying out
Of a we!l-defned idea"
The News from Toxic.
Toxic dispatch Of Thursday night
says: At daybreal the Japanese army
on the left delivered fierce and suc-
cessful assault against the heights TO
the west Of Hsinlingtun and the high
ground to the west of Shushanpao. 1t
pierced the Russian lines and letor
forced the retirement Of the Russian
troops from their position on the right
ana center. Marquis Oyama tele-
graphs that his losses in these as
saults were heavy 1t .s believed that
General Kuropatlin has been swesp.
inEly defeated
JaPs Caught in Pitfalls.
/ Inc battle Wednesday was Of the
most desperate character, II raoed
continuously from dawn until mid.
night and the slaughter must have
been immense.
AT in the evening. after hoId,no
MS outer positions all day in the
race OF the most desperate charges,
"ohcrai huroratiiin gave the order TO
retreat upon the main works about
the city. The Japanese assaults dur.
ing the day had been olrocted primer.
ipaiiy against the Russian center a lit
I lie east OF Maetung hill, near tho rail.
road and three miles southwest OF
| L!so-Yang. Nothing approaching the
severity OF the Infantry and artillery
! fire had bacn heretofore experienced in
wa:.
| AS soon as the japanese found that
! the Russians were retiring from their
outer positions southward. they reslm.
/ od tho attack there, although it was
then quite dark Thus pressed. the
/ RussilnB arrested their movement TO
| the rear and again faced the Japanese.
/ win view Of eventual retirement
from their enter positions. the Rus
/ Sans had dug a large numOor OF pits
with stakes Concoaled in their bot.
! toms. The pits were fully concealed