The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1906-07-26
COMMISSION ASKS
DEATH OF STOESSEL
Recommends That He Be Exc
cuted for Surrendering Port
Arthur TO Japan.


Londcn. July % A dispatch TO a
news agency from IS Petersburg
says the report of the commission
appointed toir quire into the circum-
stances attending the surrender OF
Port Arthur, recommends shat Lieu
tenant General Stoessel, the former
commander OF the fortress, be sen
ienced TO death and that Lieuten.
ant General Euck, who commanded
The fourth East Siberian division AT
Port Arthur. he condemned to TWEEN
~ years In the galleys.
Is IL added that the commission
considers that General Reuss should
be expelled from the army and shat
Admir4. Airxttf, former yiceroy IN
the Far East, should be reprimand'
ed.
iOTt aTILuE was eutieuuctcu w
the Japanese Ian, l, 1905, alter a
siege lasting 0 months and 23days,
For u month prior TO the surrender
,he japanese had been advancing
their lines. until it was seen they
would surely take the place by
storm soon. Kuropatkin had be- n
driven back and resistance was USE
less and Is was to avoid needless
sacrifice of lives that the surrender
vas made.
At ) O'Clock Sunday afternoon
Jan. /, Russian bearer of q flag OF
truce bore the following letter TO
Gen Nogi from Gen. Stoessel;
Judging from the general condi-
Ton OF the whole line OF hostile po-
sitions held by you find further re-
ristance at Port Arthur useless, and
,or the purpose OF ling need
less sacrifice Of lives propose TO
bold negotiations with reference to
tapitulation,
should you consent to the same
you will please appoint commission
ers Tor discussing the order and con-
disions regarding surrender, and al
70 a place for such commissioners to
meet the same appointed by you.
81 take this opportunity to convey
20 your excellency assurance OF my
respect"
just previous to this he sent this
message to the Gar:
We shall be obliged to capitulate,
but everything lie In the hands oil
God. We have suffered fearful losses.
Great Sovereign pardon US. We have
done everything humanity possible.
Judge Us, bus be msrciful. Nearly i
months Of uninterrupted struggles
have exhausted US.
"Only one.quarter Of the garrison
10 alive and OF this number the ma
iority are sick and being obliged to
Be on the defensive, without even
short intervals for repose are worn
30 shadows
Determined to the last that the
enemy should profit as little as pos
sible by their victory the Ruesi Ans
spent their last few hours in the fort.
Iess In blowing up the principaliorts,
som pleting the destruction Of the
cruiser Bsyan and in demolishine
such other boats as were unable to
Zee Only six destroyers out OF the
once powerful Port Arthur feet were
seaworthy. 1t is estimated that
100000 men were killed on both
sides during the siege, and 65 pei
cent OF the garrison was put out Of
action.
A Russian naval officer among the
defenders OF the fortress wildly de
scribes the condition In Port Arthur
1t the moment OF surrender Hessys
"Nothing could withstand the
Japanese. Had Gen. Stoessel waited
longer the whole garrison would
have been corpses. Gen. Smyrnof
himself favored surrender, end tn.
garrison, csonred by q daily hurri
cane OF fire, unanimously supported
him