The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-10
Think Russia Has Lost.
pAY nEFoRE THE FALL.
Oyama Promised MuI1den to Hi
Troops .bY Friday.


Mukden, March 9, 4 a. m.-Midnight
closed the tenth day of the Titanic
struggle for the possession of Mukden
and the mastery of a great empire; the
tenth day of unceaSing conflict under
exploding shrapnel, the roar of cannon
and the whistling of bullets; the tenth
day without sleep and without food.
The combat is fast reaching a point
where it is a question not so much of
turning columns, of tactics and of STRAIT
egy as it is whose strength. energy and
-cartridges will last the longest.
Gray coated Russians, patient, un-
complaining, strong Of soul, chung dog
gedly to positions against an enemy
whose attacks go to the very point of
insanity and desperation. For 4S hours
the Japanese have not eaten They are
starving and exhausted, but Field Mar
shaI Oyama himself has told them that
the city will fall and the slaughter stop
on Friday and their confidence in their
leader increased their strength tenfold-
! On Wednesday when the Russians
| took Ushuntun, a few dozen Japanese
clung to the thick walled temple and re-
fused all overtures to surrender. Can
non were brought up and preached the
walls but the daredevil courage of the
1 defenders continued under the fire and
finally, when defense was hopeless, they
\ blew themselves skyWard with the
ruins of the temple One survivor,
rather than surrender, threw himself
| into a stone trimmed well and perished-
/ And vet the rank ana HE ana 1nIerlOE
| leaders, stern in their sense of duty, are
as unsparing of themselves as of the
men whom they led to death Stern
! Oyama drives and drives his troops
northward to encircle the city With
every fresh fianking movement the iron
! band closes nearer the railroad and
under this menace the first and third
armies were forced last night to aban-
don the mighty foruncatlon IN the
! Shakhe river, give up the impregnable
Poutiloff hill and retire to the line of
the Hun river
Today the Japanese are pushing their
columns north and northeast lombard
| ing villages which are keys of the de-
fense and hurting men, some of them
veterans of the years campaign and
others middle aged reserves fresh from
Japan against Russian positions Often
they are Tepulsed and sometimes they
master the advanced line, but at enor-
nous cost.
individuals and small parties have
reached the railroad, cut the telegraph
wires and dislodged a few rails, but
the damages were quickly repaired
and the perpetrators usually killed or
wounded.
Around the village of Pachiatzu
there ragged a fierce struggle. A vet
eran regiment of the imperial rifles
distinguished itself and especially
members earning st. George crosses
time and again in supporting and res
cuing raw regiments.
Lieut.. Colonel Sapotski, a brilliant
and beloved officer. one of the heroes
of Lao Yang, who chose to die rather
than surrender, was killed at Pa
chiatzu.
| Just behind Pachiatzu, under the
shadow of a clump of pines in the
park of the imperial tombs. sits the
commander of another division, Col.
Launitz directing the attack on San
taitz and the defense of Ushuntun.
with a swish like that of the silken
skirts of well dressed dame shimose
shells and occasional bullets whistle
by- Every few minutes the bell OF
! the telephone at his feet jingles and
he reports to the commander of the
army. Now a Cossack orderly gallops
up and reports that the Russian
fcontinned on Page six.l