The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-11
both Of Them
POOR MARKSMEN.
English Officers Claim to Have
Been With Admiral Togo's
Fleet.
GRAFT RAE OF THE RUSSIANS
OF THE RUSSIANS
Steal the Money Intended to Be
Used BY Them in Target I
Practice.

(From Our Regular Correspondent.)
WAsH1Nu rON, D. c., July 1o.--1t Is
now known that two English officers Wit
messed from the deck OF one OF Admiral
Togos warshps the operations OF his
feet against the Russian navy at Port
Arthur, and possibly in the japan Sea
battle With RoJestvcnsky also. These
officers managed in some way not
fully explained. to get aboard the vessel,
and they have now made report to
their government. This report Ia not ex-
pected to be made public. but an Ameri-
can naval officer has seen portions of 1t
tsand several OF his comrades know Of It's
( general nature.
The Englishmen were not at all en-
thusiastlc In their praise of the Japanese.
And this refers alike to the characters
OF the officers and men and to their
seamcnshIp. The report says that the
Japanese expected the Russian vessels
to sink the japanese ships in the first
fighting around Port Arthur harbor,
but hoped to be able to lnflict such dam
age upon the Cars vessels as to JUS
tify the sacrifice.
POOP Marksnen.
The Workmanship OF the Japanese
gunners is said to have been very poor.
much poorer than that OF British or
American gunners. The officer from
whom informationn concerning the report
is obtained said to-day that the English
men declared that such Workmanship
would not have been tolerated in the
navy OF the United States or Great
Britain. and that all that saved the jap
anese from destruction was the fact
that the Russian gunners were even less
sklllful. When the Japanese command
or saw this he closed in on his antago-
nists and generally managed to sink
them
'"rhe magnitude OF the victory of Togo
over Rojcstvensky Is very greatly less
ened since the developments indicating
the conditions which existed in the Rus
sian navy" said the officer with whom
talked. 1T was impossible for COM
mander TO fight successful engagement
with his crew in semi-mutious state,
and have no idea they had ever had any
practice worth the name. An American
can form no idea OF the rottencss Of
conditions In the Russian navy. Several
years ago the Asiatic squadron OF our
navy was at Chefoo. A Russian vessel
came into the harbor. and the officers
of the war vessels OF various nationalities
which were wintering there called to
pay their respects. The Russian cap
tain was invited to visit the club which
the officers had established on shore.
and he was asked to bring his officers
with him.
Are Not Gentlemen.
II shall be most happy to do SC" re-
Piled the officer. 'rbut cannot bring
my officers. They are not gentlemen
..Imagine an American captain say
ing his officers were not gentlemen.
while this Russian vessel was in
port her captain was invited to- din
ner on one Of the war vessels. He de-
clined.s saying that he had to put to
sea the next day. to be gone several days.
engaged In target practice. Three days
later an officer who had not seen him
for few days mentioned tho fact. and
asked him where he had been.
81 have been at sea three days en-
gagged In target practice was the un-
blushlng reply, though the Russian caps
tain knew that the American must
know that the Russian ship had not left
the harbor, and had not even had up
steam. afterwards learned that 1t Is
the genral custom for Officers in tn Rus
sian navy to report so many days spent
in target practice at cost Of a certain
amount OF ammunition. There is not a
grain burnt. and the sum appropriated
for the purpose is divide among the men
In command Of the vessel.
Not Grain of Powder.
IT am reliably informed that the Care
vitz. one OF the finest battleships In the
! Russian navy, which was lost at PORT
| Arthur. had never had grain OF powder
burnt on her when she went into the bat
| tle."
In this connection the officer I have
quoted relates a story which very clear
| Nv Illustrates the way the Russians have
| of doing things. Over o hundred years
ago the Empress Catherine was walking
| In the ground at Pcterhof, the imperial
| palace, when she started to pluck some
beautiful roses near the walk. She re-
| considered. ard calling guard, directed
| that sentinel be kept at the rose bed
until she countermanded the order.
One day few years ago Alexander ILL.,.
father OF the present Gear. was walking
through the Peteyhof grounds. and OBJ
serving a sentinel pacing n boat at q
spot where there was nothing but trees
and shrubs, and he asked why he was
there. The soldier could not explain,
and the car began to investigate. In
the course OF week 1t was learned that
the Empress Catherine had ordered the
sentinel kept there to guard rose tree,
which had long since disappeared. But
the sentinel continued to pace his boat.
OBITUARY.
Mrs. Reuben Burton.
Mrs. Reuben Burton died very sud-
denly at 1920 o'clock yesterday (Monday)
afternoon. In her home. No. 10 West
Main Street. sl
Mrs, Burton was the wife Of Reuben
Burton. OF this city. and was the daugh-
| ter of Green and Mary LlnAcOnlh Grlmo9,