Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-04-29
A JAPANESE TRAITOR.
How He Betrayed Official Sc
crets 10 Russia.
STIRRING EPISODE OF THE WAR.

Arrest and secret Court Martial of
Colonel Hanxoku. whose TreHeherS
Upset Japan's Plan 10 Invade Man
churia shot Immediately After
ward within the Palace walls.
This is the story OF japanese trai-
tor. a japanese Benedict Arnold. says
the Tokyo correspondent OF the New
York Post Since the beginning Of the
war il has been evident that the Rus
slams have been supplied with an In
innate knowledge of prospective Japa-
nese movements. The original plans OF
campaien~were evolved in Tokyo and
surrounded with great secrecy. Apart
from the elder statesmen and about
eighteen high staff officers no one in
the empire was aware of the objec-
tive points of landing troops from
which the first strike was TO be made.
Soldiers were moving by thousands
entrained from all cities. embarked
from all ports, but no one knew more
than the fact that Japan was carry
ing war to the mainland. Precautions
to conceal army movements have been
the most thorough in history, TO the
dismay of foreign and native CORE
spondents.
But the japanese officials found that
their secrets were leaking.
The First and Second army corps
were to be landed high in Korea and
I Al, 80 ri ri Nnk1pn l.inn-
yanchon and other various points. AS
! fast as troops landed the Russians
formed in front. All kinds of impedi-
ments lay in the path of invasion. The
I army office at Tokyo was battled. The
! first thought was that Russia's opposi-
ton and anticipation Of the movement
1 of imperial troops was superior craft
"a mastery campaign of defense. But
the idea of treachery soon replaced
! this first thought, and the government
/ set out to be sure before going farther.
! Nine spies-Japanese officers disguised
as coolies-were sent out from Tokyo.
! A number were ordered to work along
the Transsiberian railway; the Others
were scattered along the Yalu frontier.
Every one of the nine was captured
! speedily, unerringly, and put TO death
by the Russians. Without aid from
Japan-description, etc.-this could not
have possibly happened.
Then it was that the staff officers,
and even the elder statesmen, were
placed under the character racking
espionage of the Japanese spy system,
and the land invasion had to wait. The
old and later records of each individ-
ual in the secrets were overhauled and
scrutinized. No one was exempted
whose knowledge might have been
sold 10 the enemy. Every man was
followed logged, watched. These
methods finally seized upon certain pc
culiarities in the life and days work
of Lieutenant Colonel HanZoku of the
general staff.
HanZoku had been buying presents
like race track winner. The women
of his acquaintance received valuable
jewels. The Yoshuwara knew HanZo
ku, and the bank of the city showed
deposits in his name. All of which was
not in the reach of a lieutenant colo
nel's salary. Hanzoku was a hard
drinker, a gambler by European in
stincts. frequenter of uncertain clubs
and an idol of the geisha girls. He
bore the distinction of introducing pc
ker into Japan. He was, however, q
graduate of German university, q
military tactician of worth and had
been decorated for intrepid service dur
ing the Chino-Japanese war. On &C
count of the latter service he held Q
good position on the general staff.
1t has been asserted that before the
withdrawal of the Russian embassy
one of the attaches arranged with
Hanzoku to furnish st. Petersburg
with detailed plans of Japan's pur
poses. The Russian attache and Han
zoku had been very friendly, having
been students together in Germany
1t is asserted that Hanzoku was a
year ago in a very bad state financial
ly and that he lost during game his
last piece of property.
The details of actual evidence
against Hanzoku cannot be had. Nc
word of the affair has even reached
the columns of the japanese press, but
within the last few days the lieuten
ant colonel was arrested, tried by court
martial and shot by detachment OF
riflemen chosen from the Imperial
guards. Between the end of the tria
and the sound of the shots there were
only few hours. Hanzoku was
watched over by heavy guard ant
was not allowed the honor of killing
himself Moreover, he was not per
mtted to communicate with his fam
lily. 1t is said that he was executed
within the palace walls and buried a