Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1904-03-24
oklRMlsHiNG OF A HEAVY ORDER
BUT RUMoRs OF A BIG FIGHT
DENIED.
RUSSIANS TO BURN NtUCnWANG
WILL NOT ATTEMPT TO DEFEND
IT AGAINST JAPANESE
ATTACK.

In force, composed of 1900 Cossacks
and several batteries of horse artilr
cry, made dash on the Japanese line
bstween Pingyang and viii. They
opened fire on the outposts, but Jap
anese reinforcements we're hurried
forward and the Russians, quickly re-
tired. The report states that the JAP
anese force merely deployed into line
Of battle, but that It did not reply to
the Russian fire.
Eight Japs Captured.
Kobe, March %. - 1t is reported
that q body of Cossacks captured
Japanese major and five other officers
and two civilians In the vicinity Of
VIII. All were sent to Irkutsk. The
Japanese were supposedly engaged in
mapping the country. The Russians
In the neighborhood OF the Yalu have
sent a communication to the Korean
authorities stating that any one sup
plying fodder or any military provis-
Ions to the Japanese will be consid-
cred the enemy Of Russia and will be
aiable to be shot on sight.
OFFICERS Commit Suicide.
Shanghai, March %. - News from
Port Arthur, dated the 18th, states
that an elaborate system Of barbed
wire barricading based on the South
= African plan has been constructed en-.
circling the land approaches. Dyna-
mite mines have also been laid and
guns from the disabled battleships
have been mounted behind the new
earthworks. Arctic weather prevails
1T Port Arthur and the population Is
demo7alized. Several officers have
committed suicide under the strain
caused by the reverses: Over fifty
soldiers have been shot for desertion
in the past two weeks. The total
casualties at Port Arthur to date are
said to be 265. A cargo Of cattle has
been successfully landed and three
more cargoes are anxiously expected.
The Russians have not made any
elaborate preparations to hold Neu-
chwang, the plan being to withdraw
after burning the town IL the Japanese
attack it. A few temporary forts,
however, have been erected in the
rear of the town. The first firm Rus
sian stand will be at Liaoyang, where
reinforcements are arriving nightly.
No Big Land Battle Vet.
Paris, March PA dispatch from
st. Petersburg, received last night,
says that there is absolutely no change
1T Port Arthur. Everything there is
quiet. The rumor Of great land bat
tie is denied. There las been some
diminishing Of a very heavy order be-
tween scouts between the Russian line
at Yalu and the Japanese line from
Pingyang to Gensan, but no actual bat
tie. The distance between the main
armies is still too great for general
action. The bulk OF the Russian army
has not yet crossed the Yalu.
Expect the Japanese.
Yinkow, March %. - The Chinese
viceroy, Yuan Shi Kai, is sending
large reinforcements of troops to
guard the Chinese Eastern railway at
Shanhaikwan and at Yinkow, in ex-
pectation of Japanese landing. The
ice, however, will hold another ten
days and landing cannot possibly be
effected before it breaks up.
Three refugees arrived yesterday
from Vladivostok afer railway jour-
ney Of eight snd half days They
state that the effect of the Japanese
bombardment was slight. The town
has been deserted By all civilians and
provisions are short There were four
cruisers and one volunteer steamer in
the harbor when the refugees left. The
garrison is a strong one. The COM
mandants are very confident that the
japanese can make no impression on
Vladivostok, either by sea or land.
Ready to Succor.
V1adivostok, March %. - The Rus
sian military plans are proceeding sat
isfactorily along the main coast and at
Sakalfn island. Many inhabitants con-
tinue to migrate to Khabarovsk and
Nikolsk, and some women and chill
sdren are returning to Russia.
The first detachment of the Red
Gross from Russia has arrived and has
been distributed among the field hos
pitfalls. More than hundred nurses
have been sent from here 20 Man.
churia and Korea.
The delivery of Russian mails to the
Frontier and to the ports is working
fairly we'll and the telegraph erce''enf'