Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-21
TWENTY THOUSAND INVADERS
MEET A SUPERIOR FORCE OF
RUSSIANS UNEXPECTEDLY.
RETURN TO MAIN BODY
TO ESCAPE A BATTLE
Official Statement of Japanese Losses
by Sinking of Cruiser Yoshino and
Battleship Hatsuse Shows First Ac-
count was no Exasseration.

~ y 4 g X 4 q u |" y sMsx i
Il Tien Tsin, May 49, (Delayed) @
y 1t is announced from authentic v
s Russian sources that the Japan IS
$ ese army on the Yalu today sus- =
tained a severe defeat and was
driven back to Feng Wang Cheng. y
Y London, May 20. - The Japan :.
$ ese legation here gave out this :;
morning the following dispatch Is
from Toxic:
y The enemy's forces participating y
. in fight near Kin Chou on Lao .
* Tung peninsula May 16 consisted $
OF the Fiftieth, Fourteenth and Six y
& teenth sharpshooters with eight y
y quick firing guns. They left on the .
= field thirty dead officers and men. :
According to the prisoners the enc y
my's casualties were over 800. :"
London, May 20. -. The Japan .
= csc legation today received the fol- y
q lowing official dispatch from To- $
y kio dated May 20:
"A portion of one army COM
- menced landing at Taku Shan,
. west of the mouth of the Yalu
river, yesterday"
8 Paris, May 20. The corresponds !"
8 ent at st. Petersburg of the Echo
g de Paris, says:
g 1.-THE Russian cruiser Bogatyr y
e grounded during fog on the rocks
= near the entrance TO Vladivostok.
= Its position is critical. The crew .
. was saved"
y Chicago, May 20. "A Daily =
- News Che Foo special says: cat =
II 1o:3O o'clock this morning tre- =
Il mendous explosion was heard in y
.k the direction Of Port Arthur. 1t is
s. impossible to ascertain the cause.
ss 4 q Il * #* u st = y
New Chwang, May 20.,-The reports
of the Japanese retreat to Feng Wang
Cheng are officially confirmed.
Japanese forces numbering 10000
came upon $4,000 Russians in strong
position on Monday, sixty miles west
of Feng Wang Cheng. 1t being unwise
to risk battle the Japanese retreat
ed in good order and with great rapid
ity
Rumor Of Heavy Losses.
Unofficial Russian authority says g
pitched battle was not fought, but ru
NOR says there was considerable loss
on both sides during a clash with Cos
sacks who were harassing the fanks
of the Japanese. This division, pre-
sumably was executing reconnais
ance.
Japs Rejoin Main Body.
Pursuit was checked when the mair
body of the Japanese was rejoined.
Explains Japanese Movements.
This news apparently accounts fol
the withdrawal to an unknown destin
alton of the warships and transport
from Tower Hill, ten miles north o.
Kai Chou and of the renewed defensive
activity at New Chwang.
Yalu Army Divided.
The latest authentic reports show
that there are two divisions of the va
lu army. One is moving on Hal Cheng
and the other is going towards Lilac
Yang. 1t is believed the Russians con
centrated their forces and struck the
enemy south of Lao Yang, driving the
japanese back. Reports say the Jap
enese loss was heavy.
Heavy Loss of Life.
Toxic May 20. = The loss Of life in
CURED by the sinking of the cruiser
Yoshino included Captain Sayeki, com
mander Hirowateri, three first lieuten
ants, five second lieutenants, five mid
shipmen, paymaster, a surgeon, three
engineer cadets and eight boatswain':
mates. Of the crew the number los
is unknown.
Losses on the Hatsuse.
Those who went down with the bat
tleship Hatsuse were Commando
Tsukamoto, Commander Viscoun
Nire. Commander Arimeri, five secont
lieutenants, five sub-engineers, two sur
geons six midshipmen, four cadet en-
gineers, and ten non-commissioned OF
ficers. 1t is not known how many o
the crew perished.
Not a Submarine Attack.
The Hatsuse was sunk by coming il
contact with a submerged mine, ant
not py an attack by a submarine boat
Other Vessels Safe.
The report that the battleship Shik
ishima was damaged and the battleshil
Full sunk is denied here.
The Japanese Account.
Toxic, May 20.-The following off
cial statement has just been ISSUED
here:
"A section of infantry of the Liat
Tang forces went in the direction Q