Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1905-01-06
AN INCIDENT OF
LIAOYANG BATTLE
Tragic Experience of Wounded
Japanese and Russians.
FEARFUL sUFFERINGs ON A HILL

How Bitter Foes. Ere Dnrknrss Tn
veIoped Them. Became Comrades,
Sharing Their Black Bread aud
Rice-Heroism of Two russians
Who Sacrificed Their Lives Trying
to Alleviate Agoniss of Former
Enemies.
\ tragic incident OF the battle OF
I.laoyang is thus described by Man
churian correspondent OF the London
Standard
| tell the story as IL was told TO me
by an officer of General kurokis stan.
ON bare hilltop. strewn with the
debris of war, lay fourteen wounced
soldiers Through the long, hot day
tney had fought, and now the tide or
battle had swept past, leaving them
like wreckage cast up by AN angry sea.
Eight were bearded men, and six were
smooth faced japanese. The golden
mist that glowed among the giant mil
let was tinged with crimson. Night
was about to add her terrors to the
stricken field. AS the shadows stole
I'D the mountain strange fear crept
into the hearts OF these men. Their
ewes grew wide with dread at the
sights and sounds amid which they
might sleep the sleep that knows no
waking. Darkness could not hide the
horrors that had burned into their
brains. To each grim detail the wan
ing light gave new and awful realism.
4 ore It fear fell upon the survivors
and drew them together. 1t was
slow and painful muster. Shot through
the legs. Sato crawled to Tanaka.
whose foot had been shattered by
shell. With one arm hanging limp,
Yamada tore a sleeve from his shirt
and pressed it against hole in his
side. Nakamura had bullet In his
brain and lay on his back sebbing out
his life through frothing lips. A shot
had entered Matsumotos right shout
der passed through the muscles of his
back. came out at the waist and lodged
in his cartridge pouch. His foot slip
ped in pool Of blood, and he fell upon
a Russian kneelng, with rife clasped
in his arms. The figure rolled over
Kmura was hopping the blood from
his brow and had ripped up his trou-
sers to dress a wound in his thigh.
At last the muster was complete, and
the little group Of Japanese began to
attend to one anothers injuries. The
Russians were less seriously hurt and
assembled more quickly. Sato had TAX
en- off his puttees and was binding them
around his leg when he saw the eight
bearded men. Instinctively he looked
round for a rife, but Tanaka laid a
hand on his arm Don't you see that
they. too, are wounded?' Sato went Oh
winding his puttees and took no more
heed of the enemy, Having dressed
their wounds. the men began to look
about them. and presently the eyes Of
the two groups met. Long and earnest
ly they gazed, each striving to learn the
others thoughts. Many stories they
had heard of atrocities. Of murder and
mutilation and horrors OF which men
speak in whispers. The Russians were
eight and the Japanese only five, for
Nakamura did not count being as a
dead man. Would they fight? Would
they wait until the night and steal up
on them unawares? Did they see how
sorely stricken were their enemies
Would they avenge the slaughter OF
their brotherss TO these inward ques-
tionings they sought answer in the
faces turned toward them. "They look
very fierce with their great boards, but
their eyes are gentle" 1t was Tanaka
who spoke, he who had checked the I'M
pulse of his comrade. They are brave
men," added Kimura, who had bound
his leg and was whisking the flies from
the mouth Of Nakamura. Yesterday
when we stOrmed the hill the Rus
slams made counter attack. They
were led by young officer. who fought
like lion with his whelps. He fell.
pierced by many wounds, and was
about to hand his sword to Lieutenant
Katsura, but our officer motioned to
him to put back the weapon and said,
NO. cannot take from a samurai his
soul The Russian understood He
was Of the samurai" LET us beckon
to them to come over" suggested Ia
naka. "rhey will then know that we
have no evil design
The signal was given, and the eight
bearded men came without hesitation
Gravely saluting, they seated them.
selves on the ground by the side of
their friends the enemy. or one an.
others language they understood not
word, but speech il habit. and it Is
not to be suppressed merely because il
is useless. The men talked, and their
voices grew louder and louder, az
voices are apt to do when they pro
duce no impression. When your words
are simple and clear it IL hard to dis.
tingush between ignorance and deaf.
ness After a time the visitors fell
back upon signs, but to the Japanese
signs are as unintelligibls as Sanskrit
Then they began to examine one an
others wounds and shook their heads
over the PROSTATE body of Nakamura
whose breath came in sharp gasps
through bubbles Of foam. Kimura put
his hand into the pocket of his tuniC
and drew forth book. 1t was man,
ual of conversation in Russian and
Japanese. collection Of formal phra Sc,
and stilted sentences such as no sane
lips would ever frame Yet they serv.
ed. for presently Kimura and one OF
the Russians were husily turning over
the pages and putting their fingers on
words. Before night came these men
were comrades, sharing their black
bread and rice. Sympathy gsvs them
understanding. and, though they spoke