Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-10-20
IN FULL RETREAT.
Russians Had Whole Regiments
Moved Down by Japs.
LOSSES GREATER THAN LAO YANG.
wounded Soldiers Are LimpiBg into
Mukden for Help and shelter
Fierce Hnnd-tO-Hand
Conflicts.

Fierce Hunu-tO-Hhhu
Conflicts.
London, Oct. 15.-The Russian at
tack failed everywhere and they are In
full retreat along the whole line, pur-
sued by the Japanese. Thirty Russian
guns were captured and the Japanese
turning movement is pressing the Rus
slams back to Mukden. The Russians
made 16 counter attacks with splendid
bravery, sacrificing themselves freely,
but unavailingly
A dispatch from Toxic to the Stand
ard says: 1T is unofficially reported
that the Japanese right army has sue
cecded in isolating force of three or
four divisions of Russians in the Ben
sihu-Kiatoan district 1t is rumored
that Kuropatkin himself is with the
force which seems doomed to destruc-
ton. The central army captured ii
guns and the left army 25 guns, while
the spells of the right army are ex-
pected to be still more valuable. 1t is
believed here that the disastrous ad-
vance was forced on Gen. Kuropatkin
from ST. Petersburg. In any case his
move was an unexpected Godsend for
the Japanese army"
Russian Gunboat Wrecked.
st. Petersburg, Oct. ia special
dispatch from Chefoo rerorts that the
commander of the Russian gunboat
| Giliak in the harbor OF Port Arthur
has been killed and that many sail
ors have been wounded Possibly this
refers to the reported wrecking of
Russian warship by japanese land bat
| teries.
PitiabIe Feature of Bloody Drama.
Mukden, Oct. 14-Wounded soldiers
are being brought in from all direc-
tons Men afoot are limping in, using
their guns as crutches, the less severe
ly wounded supporting their comrades
after a first aid dressing on the firing
line. Even across the fields you meet
them taking the shortest and straight
est road for help and shelter. 1t is the
most pitiful feature of the bloody
drama being enacted at the front,
when, stiffening with wounds, pain
racked bodies sink to the roadside after
the support of the danger and glory
of the active fight have been with
drawn. In the distance the sounds OF
battle are still plainly heard.
Gar Nicholas in Despair,
St. Petersburg, Oct. 15.-The great
feeling of concern which exists in high
circles in the Russian capital by no
means equals the foreboding Of coming
disaster pervading the general public
which is indulging in the deepest pes
simism. In the absence Of official news
the public is being fed on the widest
rumors of defeat suffered by Gen. Ku-
ropatkin.,- The fact that no word re-
garding the battle has been officially
given out only confirms the popular
fear. The explanation offered that to-
day was holiday does not suffice to
allay the apprehension.
Gen. Kuropatkin's report OF the re-
suit of the days operations has
reached Emperor Nicholas at Tsarkoe
Selo. The emperor himself is repre-
scented as being bitterly disappointed
and spending hours with his cabinet,
studying out with the helf Of his mill
tary aides the reports of the battle.
The general staff, however, by no
means despairs, though admitting that
the tide the last two days has been
against Gen. Kuropatkin, and the gen.
eral staff says the battle is not yet
over and that in any event there is no
question Of rout.
The depressing feature Of the situa-
ton Is that every one is willing to be-
lieve the worst. Thus, reports from
Toxic and elsewhere stating that the
Japanese are advancing and the Rus
slams falling back are accepted with
faith based upon the previous Rus
sian retreat.
The dispatches from the front give q
vivid picture of the desperate charac-
ter of the fighting along the whole line.
The Russian plainsmen have been
again forced to engage in hill fighting,
which is little to their liking. There
have been desperate and repeated at
tacks upon almost inaccessible posi-
lions which leave no question of the
resolution and gallantry Of the Rus
sian forces. Guns have been captured
and recaptured in fierce hand-to-hand
fights, while a pitiless downpour Of
rain, the inevitable accompaniment of
a great battle, has flooded the trenches
and drenched both armies without al
laying the desperate conflict.
The latest word directly from the
field of battle is the Mukden dispatch
to the Associated press in which 1t is
stated that $4,000 Russians had been
wounded, which, together with yestsr-
days casualties, would maSe the total
probably exceed the figures Of Lao
Yang and make the fight rank as one
Of the bloodiest battles in history.