The Western news., 1904-09-14
kUROPATk|N IS At MUKDEN
RUSSIAN GENERAL RETURNS AT.
TER INSPECTING FORTS.
Russians Continue to Retreat North
Ward-Chinese Bandits Shooting and
Torturing Russian PatroIs-Fighting
at Lioayang Fiercest PossibIe-Rus-
SLAMS Retreat Was Mastery.
London, Sept. 13.-The Daily Mails
Sinmintin correspondent, cabling,

London, Sept. 13.-The Daily Mails
Sinmintin correspondent, cabling,
says:
General Kuropatkin has returned to
Mukden after inspecting the fortiiica-
tions at Tie pass, work on which is
not well advanced, but which is being
hurried along At the present time
dangerous and costly efforts to delay
the Japanese are being made.
Il learn from the Russian sources
that the emperor peremptorily COM
manded Kuropatkin to retake Lao
yang.
'"rhere is no abatement in the re-
treat of the Russian forces northward.
The noise of a fierce engagement was
heard south of Mukden Friday night
"The whole line of retreating Rus
SLAMS when within five miles south
east of Mukden was attacked by Jap
anese marksmen, who were invisible
amid the millet. The Russian troops
sent to Tapinshan retreated with heavy
losses.
''Cninese bandits are swarming the
district and have stopped traffic be-
tween Sinmintin and Mukden, shooting
and torturing to death Russian pa
trolls"
Twelve Days of Awful Fighting.
The Morning Posts correspondent,
in the field with General Kuroki, de-
asscribes the operations against Lao
yang as IL days of the hardest pos
sible fighting and marching on short
rations with temperature of 100 de-
grees in the shade and frequent falls
of rain. All of this, he says, was
borne splendidly, though the men were
worn out after the tense struggle.
Recounting the general lines of
fighting, the correspondent says:
''On September 2, while the other ar
south. the turning force continued
stubbornly fighting the foe. But slow
advance was made, and step by step
was the only advantage gained.
"On September the attack of the
japanese first army had been check
ed. The enemy were much stronger
than we, they having five divisions
holding the northeastern heights. Our
position for the time was critical in
view of the possibility that the enemy
might have attacked us in force, but a
mixed brigade and later the left col
umn reinforced u.s. making our posi-.
tion safer.
"On September the enemy was in
full retreat and the first army was
ordered to pursue. General Kuropat-
kin's retreat was mastery. He held
the northeastern heights to the last
possible moment and secured safe re-
tirement for his army and his guns. -
kuroki in Jeopardy for Time.
Bennett Burleigh sends to the Daily
Telegram from the Japanese head
quarters long description of the fight
ing. He said in part:
General Kuroki, who was hotly at
tackled by Kuropatkin and was for a
time in jeopardy was unable to get
astride the railway, otherwise Lao
yang would have been the Sedan for
the Russians.
What surprised me more than any
thing else was the wonderful manner
in which the Japanese continued for
whole week their awful lombard
ment of the Russian positions. 1t was
the fiercest artillery attack, perhaps
in history. Tens of thousands of shells
were thrown daily, but the supplies
of them seemed inexhaustible. The
Russians only replied spasmodically
but their rife fire was often the
heaviest"