The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-11-01
RUSSIANS FIRED ON
OWN TORPEDO BOAT
ACCORDING TO BRITISH NAVAL
OFFICER,

London, Oct. 29.-Uondon Times.)
AN officer of the British navy, whose
name your correspondent Is not at
liberty to mention, predicted last night
that 1t would be demonstrated In the
inquiry at Vigo that the Russians fired
on their own torpedo boats and prob
ably sunk one of them. AS a corrol-
larry to this prediction, the officer ex-
pressed the belief that 1t would be
made clear that Admiral Ro!estvensky
knew this when he wrote mis- report
which was published at considerable
fulness in yesterdays papers.
According to the Russian admirafs
account" said the British officer, the
Baltic feet was divided in three de.
tachments on entering the North sea.
The first detachment was made OF
transports and torpedo boats, in the
second were four battleships, includ-
ing the flagship, and in the third de.
tachment were number of cruisers
and battleships. The first detachment
was ordered to proceed to Cherbourg
and started off with the intention Of
proceeding there over the most direct
route. The admirals detachment
sailed for Vigo, the intention being
that It should make that port ovm the
shortest possible route. Well, the ad-
miral's detachment went astray and
was long way off the proper course
when it committed the outrage on the
gamecock fishermen. My belief is
that the torpedo boat detachment also
went astray and ran up against the
admirals detachment just at the time
when the fishing feet was sighted by
both.
"As soon as the torpedo boats were
made out the admiral said to himself:
Here are those Japanese destroyers
they said were after me-" and he at
once gave orders to fire on them. He
says that he sank one torpedo boat,
and | predict it will be found that 1t
was one of his own fleet. Probably
he damaged the other one, and may be
1t was because 1t had to make repairs
before 1t could proceed that the story
was told of a Russian boat detach-
ed by the admiral to watch develop
ments.
Members of the crews of the fish
ing fleet, you will remember, said
that the Russian vessels hung about
the scene of the outrage until 6
o'clock Saturday morning. Or may be
oh m U
for survivors from its mate. There
is little doubt in my mind that this
explains the entire affair and in this
connection it is quite significant that
when the Baltic fleet passed Dover
on Saturday, the torpedo detachment
was not sent in the lead but brought
up in the rear.
Now when the inquiry at Vigo
begins it will be proper to ascertain
If any Russian torpedo boat is miss
ing. IL that Is the case the question
will arise If she is the boat that the
Russian admiral sank II will also be
advisable to look over the. other tor.
pedo boats and see If any of them
bear marks of shot. / do not believe
that, II there is any one in that con.
dition it will be possible to repair her
SO her injuries will not show
IL have no private information re.
garding this horrible affair and what
] offer is only theory. But l be.
lieve the theory corresponds closely
to the facts. 1t certainly is compat.
ible with common sense and all known
facts regarding the outrage and that
is a vast deal more tnan can be said
Of the Russian admiral's report. That
man is either the victim of a delusion
or else he is a downright liar"