The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-03-04
THINK OF RETRDATINC
FURIOUS BATTLE BEING
FOUGHT ALL ALONG
THE LINE.
Russian Army in Tight Place
1T May Be Crushed Military
Experts in st. Petersburg
Deliberate on Ordering
aRetreat to Harbin

St. Petersburg, via the frontier,
March 2.-OHcials circles at the
Russian capital have been seized
with great alarm, owing to the om-
inous news from the Far East, and
conference has been held of the
military experts, who discussed the
Japanese movement and debated at
length what action the Russian gov
ernment should take at the present
time to uphold General Kuropat
kin.
| It is felt that the japanese have
him in very precarious position
and one in which it may be neces-
sary for him again to order a gem
eral retreat. 1t is recognized that
I the Japanese movement at this time
is prompted by desire to crush
| General Kuropatkin in the belief
that Russian defeat at this time
would compel the czar to sue for
peace because of internal conditions
in Russia.
Facing this fact, the Russian
military experts feel that General
Kuropatkin should goto any length
to maintain his positions, for the
present at least. Failing In this,
however, there is a growing belief
that the Russian forces should
abandoned Mukden and retreat to
to Harbin, taking possession Of the
well.nigh impregnable fortifca'
tions that have been built there.
! While this would mean the aband'
onment of all Manchuria to the
Japanese, the Russians could retair
i all the territory beyond that point
ls.ad would also be able, to preyent
the Japanese from taking Viadivos'
/ ltok.
It Is reported that at the confer
ence one Of those present, who il
recognized as one Of Russia's ables
military experts, declared thatmst
ters had so far progressed that th'
Japanese would probably be abl
to take Mukden, no matter hoy
igood defense General Kuropatkil
put up. He is said to have pointed
:: out the superiority Of the Japanes
artillery, their greater numerica
strength, and to have stated tha
in his opinion it would be bette
for Russia to abandon all of Man
! churia to the Japanese withou
Z much more than perfunctory re
1 distance, rather than to lose severs
thousand men and then to be oblig
( ed to surrender it anyhow.
/ He is said to have pointed OF
\ that, were the Russians to retire
{ Harbin, good excuse could be gi,
\ en- for the movement, but, wei
4 they to wait until they were defea
ed and compelled to retreat ther
: they would be able to do nethin
and would likely have to acceI
humiliating terms of peace, an
then be compelled to face revol,
! ton at home.
: This sentiment is said to hay
: met with the approval of many
: those present at the conference, br
it was finally decided to- wait an
see how the present movement W.
I. likely to turn out.
t
Albany, N. Y, March 1.-Anotl
er chapter was added today to tt
famous Albert T. Patrick case whe
/ David B. Hill appeared before. tt
court of appeals and argued for
: new trial in the case of the ma
convicted of the murder of Willial
Marsh Rice, the Texas millionair
Mr.. Hill used as the basis of his a
ir- gument for a new trial the repo
tfhs th Of the special committee of tt
en- en- Medico-Legal society, appointed
m investigate the effects of the emball
ns Ds ing before rigor mortis on congo
al ton of the lungs, without Withdraw
~ ing blood from the body. The r
he he port was wholly in favor Of the cor
n n. victed lawyer, every member of tr
III committee signing an opinion th'
NJ N: Rice did not die from chloroforl
ct poisoning, and that the conditio
'e: Of his lungs ives entirely due to tx
@. nc embalming process employed b
,er sr the undertaken. In its report II
i, committee said, In part:
M M ''It would be impossible for an
in one to discriminate from the DOS
III mortem appearance between tt
ed cause of death or as the result
on the embalming process, as stated
the evidence. No one could trutl