The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-05-18
A MEETING WITH KuRoPATK1N

British Army Officer Encountered Him
 Under Peculiar Circumstances in
 Transcaspia.
 It was under somewhat peculiar cir
 cumstances that first met the un-
 fortunate general who has just been
 relieved of his command in the Far
 East, writes Captain H. J. Cunningham
 in Mainly About People, referring to
 Gereral Kuropatkin, In the spring of
 ary of Persia, after a long and tedious
 journey by caravan from India. We
 had crossed the range of mountains
 separating Persiaa aand Transcaspia, and while descending the northern slopes came to a stand-still opposite a
 wooden post painted with diagonal stripes. It was the Russian boundary.
 My muleteer-a craven Persian for
 whom anything Muscovite possessed a
 holy terror-refussed to proceed
 further, although we were short of
 desolate nature of the region we had
 just traversed. I did not possess a
 Russian passport and things began to
 look decidedly unpleasant, when my musings were cut short by shout in
 Russian. What are you doing there?"
 Looking up beheld a mounted Cos
 sack armed to the teeth and gesticulat- ing wildly. explained the circum- stances as best could, but it was not
 until I produced some cigarettes that
 my newly made acquaintance seemed 1 I.I es,,,a f1 Ixy
 though that my little gift might be a forerunner of something more sub stantial for he calmed down, and said
 he would go and see his commandant. Presently the Cossack returned with |intimation that his commanding officer would like to See me, and shortly after ward we decended a mountain path, at the foot of which we were brought face
 to face with a little rectangular fort. It was what is known as a "Cossack
 post" one of the manay erected along
 the frontier and garrisoned as a rule by an officer Casually lieutenan9 and dozen men. Its only entrance consisted of wooden gate, which we
 passed through, and then found our- selves in a courtyard about fifteen yards square and surrounded by a high wall. As soon as the gate closed behind us, the commandant emerged from a low mud building, saluted me, and offered refreshment for man and beast. He ushered me into one of the only two apartments at his disposal
 and introduced me to his wife, a pleasant girl, about 20 years of age. They could not understand French, so was obliged to converse in Russian; but I gathered sufficient to under stand that the life is far from cheer full in these lonely spots. At the con- clusion of the meal mildly dropped a hint to the effect that I would no longer put them to inconvenience and was ready to resume my journey. To my surprise, however, the lieutenant | informed me that was his prisoner!
 pointed out that my presence was due to share the same fate as my friend, Lieutenant Davison who had been trapped by Captain Gromchevsil6i, under very similar circumstances on the Pamirs the previous year. I point ed out that my presence was due to his own invitation, etc., but all to nc avail. When. after two days, my cap- tor suggested that it would take some time for reply to come from St. Petersburg, I considered that things were going too far, and asked if, I might send note to General Kuropat- kin. He aeceded to my request, not without some reluctance, and a messen- ger was dispatched to the headquarters of the general at Ashkabad, the eapi- tai, of Transcaspia. In two days I re- ceived reply couched in the most courteous terms and far exceeding my smost sanguine expectations. In short,