The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-03
STOESSEL AT PORT
 ARTHUR SUCCUMBS
lcon.inued from pase oae.,


 s-The Russians in the casemates firing not more than once to the 200 shots sent by the Japanese. When the as sault came, they repulsed> the enemy with bayonets. But the men them selves who have existed for three months on reduced rations were go worn out 1t is marvellous they stood the final strain so long. "Yesterday General stoessel would still fight His wound, which was re- ceived early in the seige. had been bothering him. but his determination to fight while one man stood had not been diminished.
 But we cannot nght.' said his gem erals. Our men cannot move. Tney sleep stanidng. They cannot see the bayonets at their breasts. We can or der. but they cannot obey
 Then you generals fight, said Stoessel, clenching his fists. He seemed fanaticai on the subject, but finally he was brought to see req son by the insistence of his subordi- Inates-Admirals Lochinsky and Wire in, Generals Smyrnoff and Fock and many others, sometimes with broken voices urged the step which all dreaded so long.
 q am sure Port Arthur would have sought terms a month ago mad 1t not
  bulldog tenacity, steadily refused to permit such action to be taken. He had told the Emperor that he would never surrender and he meant to keep his word.
 "The Japanese artillery was excel- | lently served. They had 400 guns bear ing on 203 metre hill. They advanced
 their trenches while the artillery was smelling the Russians out with a Nf to1 taH ho Russian positions.
 Tn personal combat the~ Japanese | were greatly inferior to the Muscoyite. One Russian could take care of three Japanese in bayonet fight and some of our soldiers have records vastly higher than that. The Japanese are good, brave soldiers. although I have | little liking for them.
 Tt cost the Japanese s0.000 men to
 take the fortress, while some say they
 have lost over 100000. The number of our own dead is not known, even to the high officers.
 The fighting since August has been
 merciless. When Rihlung Mountain
 was taken 500 men who occupied a casemate were not able to emerge, so
 quickly came the rush of the Japanese.
 The Russians tried to emerge by the
 use of their bayonets in the face of I II | died-trying to resist machine guns with bayonets alone. The Japanese did not give them chance to become prisoners, but the men would have pre- ferred death anyway.
 Realize this end! Picture a fort
 strewn with shells and you have a pic-
 ture of Port Arthur.
 l "One peculiar incident of the siege
 was Fort No. B. where for three months
 the Japanese occupied one part of the fort while the Russians occupied the
 other. They fought ceaselessly, as-
 countermining.
 Once when Japanese prince was killed the Japanese sent to negotiate
 a truce in order that they might se- cure the body from heaps of others
 wSfch had long remained unburied.
 The Russians received the envoys cour-
 teously and fin an easy manner, as if l they had untold breweries working, gave them the last bottle of beer at
 Port Arthur with the idea of creating an impression of plentitude. As a mat ter of fact the only real ration for
 three months consisted of rice, which | ultimately caused hundreds to fall sick
 ofscorbut. a disease much like beri-
 beri. Last month the rations were re-
 duced 40 per cent
 Nothing was too great 8 sacrifice in
 order to impress the enemy that all
 was we'll inside the fortress. l This is the first potato have tasted
 for two months and is this really. truly | steak?"
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