The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-15

III NOiiliiAoiA with all my CoIili ducSs WACu
l saw the two japanese officers who
| had so bravely given up their lives to
/ their country, fall under the fire of our
men, 1 could not but feel that their lot
was hard one"
You were present at the trial?" I
asked.
Yes; first saw the two spies ar
rested, 1 attended the court martial.
and was present at their execution.
will tell you all about it in detail. 1
am haunted by that horrible sight. and
cannot shake off the recollection of it."
For good half-hour the invaded
officer was engaged in relating the fol-
lowing to me, only pausing a moment
as the pain in his right knee. which
had been struck by a piece of Japa-
nese shell, became acute
II can assure you that when the two
accused We're led into the little room
of the Chinese 'fansa.' which had been
turned into a court martial hall by the
military authorities of Hardin, the
judges as much as the public, consist
ing almost wholly of officers, could not
conceal their feelings of admiration
and, indeed. enthusiasm, for the DOOM
ed men. For, after all, they had been
moved by the nobest motives; as pa
triots they had resolved to use every
means in their power to assure victory
itated as soldiers at the orders of their
superiors to march to certain death.
THE formalities of the court-mar-
tlal were of the simplest order, and the
hearing of the trial offered little of
interest, seeing that the accused open
ly, and not without a certain patriotic
pride accepted the responsibility of the
crime weighing upon them They gave
their names and rank without the
slightest tremor of voice
'Tehomo Jokoka, A years old, col
onel of the staff passed out first from
the military academy of Yeddo,' said
the elder of the prisoners. a short,
thick-set man of strong and energetic
countenance.
"'Teisko Joklxi. 81 years old. captain
or the staff said the other, taller and
slighter in build than his comrade, with
thin and deeply bronzed face. AS he
gave his name he turned a somewhat
disdainful look on those in court. A
moment later he added:
Buddhist
And you, colonel asked the pres
ident of the court, are you of the same
religion as your co-accused%
" No, sir. 1 am a Christian
Seeing the looks of establishment
produced by this declaration, he added,
quickly:
AZ am all the same a true Japa-
nese, born of Japanese parents. But
in my youth I was won over by the
soft word of Christ, and was converted
from Buddhism
"Col. Jokoka spoke in English, and
it was a subject of King Edward en-
ployed in the Russo-Chinese bank who
translated his testimony. A Chinese
acted as interpreter to Capt. Jokki.
THE explosive substances found on
their persons were now shown to the
prisoners: but they did not seek to eX-
cuIpate themselves. nor did they deny
in any particular the decorations of the
Cossacks who had arrested them. The
interpreter next translated to the Off
GERS the military public prosecutors
charge, demanding for them death by
hanging.
Il watched the faces of the two men
when this was read out. Not a single
muscle did they move. Impassive as
statues. they betrayed by no outward
sign the painful workings of their
brain. Their advocate pleaded for a
remission of the death sentence to one
of hard labor. in consideration of the
full avowal they had made. The
speech for the defense made no impress
sion on the two prisoners, and not
word did they utter.
Knowing that the law admitted of
a reduction of the extreme penalty, we
all expected a lighter sentence than
that of capital punishment; but after
a elaboration of half an hour the tri-
bunal condemned the two officers to
the maximum punishment, namely,
hanging.
"Jokoka and Jokki heard the SEN
tence with as unconcerned an air as
if it had fallen upon strangers to them.
Indeed, had the verdict been a lighter
one, they would probably have shown
surprise. The sentence was to be car
ried out in the early hours of the fol-
lowing morning. Only its confirmation
by Gen. Kuropatkin was awaited.
"A telegram from him was not long
in coming. The commander-in-chief
of our forces approved the verdict, but
wishing to spare the Japanese the hui
initiation of the gallows. ordered that
as brave soldiers they should have an
honorable death, and be shot.
Il was present when the command
ant read out Gen. Kuropatkin's order
to the prisoners.
1T is we'll, was Jokokas reply. I
am readyv
His comrade said nothing. his most
disdainful look expressing indifference
as to the death that awaited him.
'Jokoka asked leave to write to his
family, and embraced Jokki. The lat
ter now opened his lips.
ole more Tranquil imam you, Colo
nell
How SOP" asked the other.
I have done my duty to my coun-
try and my Maker. You have only
earned the thanks of your country
What do you mean. captain?
81 have often thought. colonel, of
what you have told me of Christian
ity. You boast of it's superiority TO
my creed. Well. / find that you are
not in accord with your Christ's teach
ings. l, on the contrary. have nothing
to reproach myself with
You are perhaps right. captain.
But now I have a favor to ask of you.
Will you authorize me to perform the
first really Christian act which has
been allowed me in my life? You
know that I have still a bundle of
notes of the Chinese bank. There are,
perhaps, a thousand rubles. / want
to hand over this money personally
to the cOmmandant to give to the Rus
sian Red Cross, for our enemies
wounded. Do you agree to this?
"Jokki stood rejecting a moment.
Then he said: "'I have always felt
great affection for you. colonel, and
IL this makes you happy, give the
money to our enemies
when the commandant returned to
the prisoners Jokoka handed him n
sheaf of white bank notes, with red
Inscriptions. saying:
There are about a thousand rubles
here. We beg you to give the money
to your Red Cross
81 But had I not better send It to
your families?