The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-29
( SATURDAY. OCTOBER %, 1901.
R,,ssia's Side.

B Russia's Side.
when the news first came that the
Russian fleet in tho Baltic had inaae an
n tack upon British fishing vesselJ, The
nimes-Dispatch said that 1t was manifest
on the face Of 1t that the attack was
due to some unaccountable mistake on
DIN he part Of the Russian officers. IT IS
absurd.n we remarked, ITO suppose that
Russian officers knowingly and deiiper-
+ ately fired volloy after volley into de-
fenseless fishing vessels.
we withheld further comment until the
statement Of Admiral Roles tyensKy
should be received This statement and
IS others made in connection with It throw
an entirely new light upon the unfortu !.
nate incident. It Is given out by the AS
ISOLATED Press correspondent at Copcn-
haren that tho Danish minister OF ma
rine was Informed that several ships were
= chartered by Japan at Hull TO attnck the
s Russian squadron in the North sea. me
# Russians were Informed of this, and Ad-
miral Rojestvensky was on the alert.
Tho Admiral now states that the North
Il sea incident was caused by two torpedo
Il boats advancing without lights. and un-
def cover of darkness against the Rus
y sian vessels leading the detachnent-
When the detachment turned en- Its
searchlights and opened fire, the presence
&c several small steamboats, resembling
steam fishing boats, were discovered. lie
insists that the detachment endeavored to
snare these, and ceased firing as soon as
Tie torpedo boats we're out Of sight #
ii is admitted on oil sides that torpedo
boats were present for one OF the com
II pIaints of the fishermen is that such a
& boat remained behind after the Russian
fleet had departed, but that the crew
gave no assistance TO the distressed fish
et-nen. The fishermen seemed TO be-
leve, and outsiders thoroughly under
stood. that this torpedo boat was a RUS
sian vessel belonging TO the Russian
4 fleet. Yet Admiral Rojestvensky afflrms
that there was not q single Russian tor
pcdo boat near the detachment at the
Il time and none was left behind. Cons
sequently," he adds, "the vessel remain
81 ing near the small steamboats, was that
torpedo boat which was not sunk, but
only DAMAGED The Fishermen supposed
it was Russian. !. and were indignant
a. because 1t did rot sad, tie victims, but
1t was foreign, and remained until morn
Ing seeking the other torpedo boat, Its
consort, either to repair damages. or
through fear of betraying itself to those
who were not ats accompices.'
In other words. the Admiral declares
that two foreign torpedo boats came out
from among the fishing vessels and made
an attack under cover of darkness upor
d his feet; that the searchlight revealed
Enthusiastically their presence and theil
hostile purpose; that he fired upon Their
and. he Is confident, sunk one Q!
them and drove the other off; that Whri
his fleet finally departed, the surviving
torpedo boat Was Jeff behind, and ha
5e, Il was this boat which the fishermen
saw. and OF whose henrtlessl:ess thu,
complained. under the belief that !: wa.
a Russian vessel, but that it was not ant
could not have been Russian vessel, q.
there were no Russian torpedo bouts witi
the fleet. OF course. he Indignantly de
MES that he fired upon TIE fishing ,es
sells, and explains that III thee as:
also on the spot fishermen imprudent.,
dragged into the enterprise, ] beg, in III
name of the whole squadron, to expires
my sincere regret TO the unfortunat
victims OF circumstances uadcr wn'tii n