The Minneapolis journal., 1904-08-12
Japs Capture Destroyer.

At $3.50 o'clock this morning the
Japanese torpedoboat destroyers ASA
shio and kasumi, which entered the
harbor under cover of darkness last
night, sent a boarding party against
the Russian torpedoboat destroyer
Ryeshitelni, which had previously
been disarmed by the Chinese. After
a fierce fight the boarding party hoist
ed the Japanese flag on the Ryeshitel-
nj and towed her out of the harbor
in northerly direction.
OF her crew Of forty-seven, seven
teen have been accounted for. Cap
tain Shestakovsy is reported killed.
American consulate. Some We're
picked up by sampans and three, In
Guiding a lieutenant, were rescued by
a lightship.
The Japanese assert that they sent
in a gig to the Ryesitelni under a
flag of truce, q lieutenant and inter-
prefer, who made a demand that the
Russians come outside and fight. The
Russian captain replied that his ship
had been disarmed, her engines dis
abled and that the whole matter was
in the hands Of the Chinese. The
Japanese We're asked to investigate
the disarmament. The Japanese in
terpreter says he overheard the Rus
sian captain gave a hurried order In
a low tone, the words not being dis
| tinguishable to the interpreter. I'M
! mediately following, the captain seized
| the Japanese lieutenant and jumped
| overheard with him.
Meanwhile the Japanese destroyers
| had their searchlights turned on the
| Russian ship from the deck of light
ship, where observers could see this
act, which was followed by the shoot
| ing of rifles and saber strokes and
| Russians jumping overheard.
The fighting had lasted ten min
utes when an explosion followed. The
explosion blew away the main bridge,
but did no damage to the hull. The
Russians by this time were mostly
overheard. The japanese at once
hoisted their flag.
Presently a searchlight from the
Chinese cruiser Hai-chi disclosed a
Chinese cutter alongside the Asashio.
It remained here only a minute and
where it stopped an equal length OF
time. The cutter then returned to
the Hai-chi. The inaction of the
Chinese fleet is unexplained.
1t is believed serious internationa.
complications will result from the in
cident.
There are unconfirmed stories ir
circulation that the Japanese fired, a
the Russians when they were in the
water and that they refused to rescue
any of them as
Destroyer Disarmed.
The disarmament of the Ryeshiteln
was completed last night and her fias
was hauled down, the crew singing
the national anthem. Tears courseC
down the cheeks Of Captain Shestakov
sky during the ceremony. 1t wa
evident all the preceding day that ths
necessity of abandoning his ship
which had served him SO we'll, greatl.
affected the captain, who won consid
cradle renown while at Port Arthur
It is thought that when he discernet
the purpose Of the Japanese he CAV,
a hurried order to blow up the ship
intending to end his life and that 0
his assailants with the loss of the ship
One Of the reports in circulation
states that the captain, who was Sc
u verely wounded, was rescued and |
n now being secreted by his friends. I
is presumed that the captain wa
} wounded by the Japanese sailors VIII
were wrestling their lieutenant from
him.
| Later reports claim that a majorit.
of the Russians reached shore safely
It will be some time before this is &C
| c11ra to1v 6otarpoir1