Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-19
FORMER COMMANDER OF vLADl.
NosTok FLEET TELLS OF
1sIs HIS CRUISE. .sJsl
HAKODATE WAS
NOT BOMBARDED
Japanese Merchantmen Were Not Fir
ed Upon, He Says, But One Was
Sunk and Another Released.-Japan.
i ese Force Russians Back.

eSe Force Russians Back.
Paris, March 1S. - No reports
/ have been received at the foreign
Office or elsewhere confirming the
: bourse rumor of a great Japanese
defeat which. probably grew out OF
d the unconfirmed Shanghai report
Of the defeat of 200 Japanese by a
Russian force of 300 men.
St. Petersburg, March, 1s. - Admir-
al Stackelberg who on account of ILL
ness has turned over the command OF
The vladivostok squadron to Captain
Reitenzstein, has arrived in ST. Peters
burg. He gives an entirely different
version of some of the reports eman-
ating from Japanese sources, regard
,ng the events before he left.
To Create Impression.
The cruise of his squadron from Feb
3uary 9 to February Is in Japanese
waters was made by order of Admiral
Stark, for its effect upon the popula-
ion of northern Japan.
Says Did Not Fire.
Admiral Stackelberg denies that he
1red upon the Japanese merchants
{ nen in Sugaro straits. He says the
ships were captured and that while at
lempting to convoy them to port a
Terrific blizzard sprang UP and not
wishing to endanger the Russian
cruisers, after taking off the crews
and passengers from the merchant
men. one ofs sthesl tier, loaded with con
,lraband rice was sunk and the other,
which was worthless tramp steam
ar was released to carry to the Jap
lnese the story Of the presence of the
Russian warships in those waters for
s.he moral effect.
Hakodate Never Bombarded.
There never was any bombardment
Of Hakodate. which is heavily fortified.
The admiral rexpressed an opinion that
lhe war will be Of long duration.
STORY Of Hardships Fake.
Tho correspondent of the Associat.
Sd Press on crossing Lake Baikal
writes:
THE stories that soldiers were froz.
IN to death while crossing the lake
provoke mirth. Personally am con.
Finced that the men are not suffering
from cold. Huts at frequent intervals
provide warmth and refreshment. The
weaker. men were driven across in
Bleighs, well wrapped in fllrs. The
nod tI0 II ltc,tc ok ~
tWenty-six miles, comfortably in one
day
Japanese Diet Meets.
Toxic. March 18. - In accordance
with the recent imperial rescript the
special session of the Japanese diet
opened today. NJ. Matsuda, leader. OF
the Seivukad party formed by Mar
q,,is Ito, was elected president of the
house of representatives. The diet
will be formally opened by the EN-.
peror on Sunday or Monday.
Still Says Japs Lost.
Port Arthur, March 17..-(D (Delayed)-
According to information received
from the Russians at Shanghai, during
the fighting at Port Arthur February
10 and IL, the battleship Mikasa was
struck by ten projectiles and serious.
ly damaged. Two Japanese battleships
and two cruisers have been docked for
repairs at Nagasaki and Sasebo. Two
thousand wounded men have been TAX
en- home to Japan. All the Russian
wounded and sick at Port Arthur are
making good progress toward recov
cry.
Japanese Gain on Land.
Chemulpo, March 1.-THE advance
most of the Russians across the Yalu,
and there are now but few of the cars
troops left in northern Corea. Many
engagements have taken place, but
they were generally slight skirmishes
and the casualties were small.
Z In every town from which they drove
the Russians the Japanese placed
strong detachments of troops. Ameri.
can refugees who have arrived here
say the whole administration in north
ern Corea is in the hands of the Japan
ese.
Many Japs Would Fight.
At Hal Ju, where the main body of
the army is landing, direct from Japan,
5000 troops in addition have been land.
ed from Chemulpo during the last week
and 1000 more are expected at once.
A missionary who arrived here to
day reported that all the Americans
formerly in Sun Chun were in Ping
Yang, and were considered safe.
Among them is the Rev. Cyril Ross,
his wife and two children, from Chi.
cago.
Chinese Work Under Lash.
Chefoo, March 18.-Two Chinese
junks have arrived from Port Arthur,
having escaped from the harbor. They
report that only Chinese less than Is
and more than so years of age have
been allowed to leave. The rest are