Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-08
RESULTED A DRAW.
Bloody Fighting West of Mukden-
japanese Nearing Tie Pass.

MUKDEN. Tuesday March T. IL PM
The chief objects of the bloody Titanic
combat west of Mukden today were the vii
lagos of Ushuntun seven miles west Of
Mukden station and Tatchekiao, where the
results practically were draw, but a fur
ther turning movement has developed. The
Japanese extending their forces Still
further toward Tie Pass.
At dawn today, after a night broken by
irregular musketry fire and cannonading,
the fight began at Ushuntun and Tatchekiao
both of which are large villages nesting
In groves of tamarinds now bare of leaves.
The houses are constructed with thick walls
and the villages are surrounded by high
clay ramparts converting them into forti-
fications impervious to rifle bullets.
1t was most difficult to approach these
villages and each house had to be taken
singly by hand-to-hand combats. The Rus
slams, who held Ushuntun for night, were
forced to withdraw at dawn the next day
by fearful fire of Shrapnel and shimose
Shells under which the village seethed as
If in a cauldron. But reinforced by bri-
gades of rifiemen and reserves, the Rus
slams again advanced to the attack.
Under the eyes of General Kaulbars who,
with his staff, moved about where the hail
of iron was thickest and who seemed to
bear a charmed life, the rif1emen deployed
over the ploughed fields If at maneuvers,
and without firing shot, though bespat
tered by the continuous bursting of shrap-
mel and lead, they pushed eagerly forward
in close Skirmishing order, captured the
village and advanced on the Japanese
tanks.
The fight then grew more bitter, the Japa
nese attacking madly but at in the after
noon, the Russian position became secure
and General kaulbars, who had spent most
of the day at this point moved off to visit
the other Russian positions, the Japanese
bidding him adieu with a burst of shmose
shells
Opposite Tatchekiao the fighting was of
an equally desperate nature. The Russians
established themselves in the villages of
Tsunhuanche and LiudvGofan, but night
fell with Tatchekiao i'll in the hands of
the Japanese. NorthWard of Tatcheklao
the cannon also roared.
There regiment under the command Of
Colonel Zapolsky clung tenaciously to viii
lage under a shower of Shrapnel.
Toward evening General kuropatkin rode
out of Mukden in automobile and ex-
amined personally the positions of the sec
ond army.
At the close of the fighting this even
ing the infantry on both sides were short
of ammunition and the night was devoted to
replenishing supplies of individual soldiers.
Southwest of Mukden, at the Chantan
pivot fight, the Japanese succeeded in es-
tablishing themselves in the southern part
of the village. but later were expelled by
the Russians.
Reports received here say the repeated
attacks of the Japanese on Poutiloff and
Novgorod hills have been repulsed with the
heaviest losses.
A division of Russian cavalry which was
patrolling the Lao valley and cut of
March by the rapid adance of the Japan
succeeded today in rejoining the Rus
sian army without sustaining any losses
and taking number of prisoners.
This has been a regular spring day. The
ground is becoming damp and in low places
the mud is showing itself.
An attack is expected to take place to-
morrow on the Russian center.