The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-03-09
" Eft EsDAY. MARCd 2. 1904


in fo7ce OF the japanese on Liao Tung
peninsula and the land investment Of
Port Arthur will not begin for fort
i. night, according to advices received
here from what are believed to be re-
liable souces. It was expected that the
attack upon the fortress would take
place yesterday or today. but these
later adviccs, without explaining the
reason for the delay, show that there
has been change in the original plans.
Army officers here think that the
japanese have decided that, with the
railroad connecting Port Arthur with
the outside world cut, thus prevent
ing supplies from reaching the place
two weeks privation will render the
final assault easier. Moreover as Port
Arthur can be safely left as it is for
the time being, the japanese troops
may be employed instead in northern
Corea and near tie Yalu river, where
they are now most needed
NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENTS
ALLOWED.
London March 3.-Hardly a word Of
news from the seat of war, with the
exception of the Russian official dis
patches, is published here this morn
ing, and it now seems clear that the
story in The Morning Telegraph, two
days ago of bombardment of Port
Arthur by the japanese Oh Feb. 29,
is nothing more than a e-echo of pre-
vious attacks.
From Yin Kow comes an uncon-
frmed report that 800 bandits, armed
with modern rifles, have attacked a
Russian post to the west Of Haicheng
(Haicheng is 80 miles east by north of
New Chwang. There was severe
fighting, and both sides lost heavily
This report is discredited at Yin Kow,
but If it is true it indicates that SER
ious danger is confronting Russia in
these we'll armed brigand bands.
According to The Daily Nails ac-
count of this affair, six japanese found
among the bandits were killed. This
would tend to show that the japanese
are organizing the bands The reports
received here from Toxic declare that
Japan las granted permission for 50
foreign newspaper correspondents to
accompany the Japnaese forces. Seven
teen of these correspondents are Ameri-
cans. The date of their departure has
not been fixed.
A mile and quarter Of the Siberian
railroad, according to the Toxic re-
ports, has been destroyed in the
Ninguta district, between Vladirostok
and Harbin.
The Tien Tsin correspondent of The
Standard cables that the Russians are
fortifying strongly points south of
Mukden. Thousands of coolies who
are working day and night on the
ramparts and entrenchments of Hal
cheng are compelled to labor without
pay.
Heartrending stories are appearing
in the English newspapers of the
suferings of refugees from Port Arthur
On the train journey to European
| lands.
It is bitterly cold and there is scar
city of food and water. Several chill
dren have been suffocated under the
rugs and shawls with which they were
covered in attempts to keep them
warm. Owing to exposure and ex-
haustion, an epidemic of influenza has
broken out among the refugees.
Maj. Gen. Plug, Viceroy Alexieff's IS
chief staff, sends in the following
telegram dated March 2:
* According to additional informa
tion which has reached me, our
patrols, having passed the night versts
(eight miles, FROM Ping Yang, ap-
preached that town on the morning Of
February 90. They were closely
| ,,o,,;,n T,n,,,oo ,o+ro1 of eoron
officers. LIEUT. Ionic Hakcf attacked
this patrol with three Cossacks, forcing
it to retreat at gallop towards the
gates of the town.
1.-The presence of our patrols near
Ping Yang caRsed great alarm, and
soon the enemY's sharpshooters man
ned the wall and towers and opened
fire, expecting an attack. According
to the report, our patrols approached
within 700, PAGES of the town which
they found to be surrounded by old
and new ramparts. These, however
were not yet occapied by the enemy,
and it is supposed that the Japanese
have not more than LOCO men in Ping
Yang
st. petersburg, March I'm dis
patch to the Gar Viceroy Alexief
asys:
Admiral Stark, telegraphing from
Port Arthur today, March 2, says the
enemy did not appear off Port Arthur
on either February 28, February 20,
or March /. Reconnaissance made by
cruisers and torpedo boats over a
radius of sixty miles from Port Arthur
also failed to discover the enemy's
vessels -
Seoul, March The Corean Gov
eminent announced this morning that
the Corean minister to St. Peters
burg had been recalled This is taken
as an announcement that Corea has
decided to make common cause with
Japan against Russia.
CLOSING IN ON RUSSIANS.
Chefoo, March "A number of ia
panese transports, escorted by six