Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-12-13
NOT Gull TY" PLEA
OF GEN. ST0ESSEL
PORT ARTHUR DEFENDER DENIES
HE COULD HAVE RESISTED
JAPANESE LONGER.
TRIAL IS WORK OF HIS FOES,
Officers Who Survived Terrible Siege
Hardly Control Emotion When Their
Leader Is Court Martialed.
DoDGEs BEING CALLED


ST. PETERSBURG. Dee. 1O.-Be-
fore a brilliant assemblage of his old
comrades in arms, Lieut.-Gen. Stoessel
was today placed on trial to answer
with his life and reputation for the loss
of Port Arthur on the list of January,
1905. and i'll firm tones and with conf
dent manner the general pleaded not
guilty to the charge of needlessly sur
rendering the fortress and thereby hui
initiating the Russian army
The trial took place in the auditorium
of the Army and Navy club. The room
resemhled more a social gathering of of
ticers of high rank than the scene OF
a court martial. Among the judges,
spectators, and witnesses were Gen.
Kuropatkin, Gen. Linevitch, Gen. Ken
nenkampf, Vice Admiral Wren and
scores of other leaders in the Russo
japanese war. There were also present
200 officers and soldiers who had been
at Port Arthur and who today were
clad in their full dress uniform blazing
with stars and decorations.
Stoessel Proud in His Trouble.
Gen Stoessel alone was i'll civilian at
tire, and this made him conspicuous.
He wore proudly around his neck the
George, which was conferred upon him
by the Emperor during the siege, and on
his breast was pinned the cross OF
George Ill, awarded for conspicuous
bravery in frontier fighting. This same
coveted decoration was worn by many
of the witnesses and spectators. Empty
sleeves and clutches, especially among
the men who had been at Port Arthur,
showed that many of them had seen
hard service.
The other accused officers Gems. Fock,
ReiSs and SmirnOff, came to the court
clad i'll their uniforms. Gen. Smirnoff,
who is bitter enemy of Gen. St0essel,
ostensibly seated himself as far away as
possible from the central figure of the
proceedings.
600 Witnesses Called.
The court was convoked at noon by
Vice Admiral DoubassOff. He declared
it to be the duty of the court to pro-
coed with the trial of the four officers
charged with the responsibility of sur
rendering the fortress on terms dis
honorable to the garrison and humiliat-
ing to the prestige of Russia. He then
called the roll of 600 witnesses, includ-
ing Gen. Kuropatkin and Vice Admiral
Wren. Several of the witnesses were
absent. but the court decided to proceed
with the trial.
The entire afternoon was taken up
Will TIE IcduIuS O1 TIE NOluulllOuS anu
detailed Indictment. The recital brought
the spirit of strife and war into the
courtroom, and the men who had de-
Tended the fortress against the onslaught
of the Japanese listened today with rapt
attention to the story of their work.
From time to time, when particular
events We're referred to nervous muir.
muir ran through the hall. Many of the
witnesses still suffer from the effects of
the siege, and it was clear that they
were controlling themselves with diff
Guilty.
Court Acts Unfavorably.
One or two incidents showed the atti-
tude of the court to be unfavorable to
StoesseI His personal request that two
additional witnesses be called in was dis
missed without ceremony. One of these
witnesses DR.. ROzanoff, who was chief
Of the Red Cross within the fortress at
the preliminary hearing testified that at
the time of the surrender Gen. StoesseI
had at his disposal only 5000 able
bodied men to defend the many miles of
Notifications and that the bitter cold
winds prevailing at the time made it diff
ticult for the soldiers to even hold their
rifles IN their hands. Gen. Maiden. the
other witness excluded. is the author of
a deposition similar to that of DR.. Ro-
zanoff. The general commanded the fir
ing line at Port Arthur.
Officers Are with Accused.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press spoke with witnesses of all ranks.
From these conversations it was clear
that the trial was making a most pain
full impression upon them. They de-
clared it to be an insult to Gen. Stoessel
and to his army.
The defenders of the fortress. thew
said, were being thus ungratefully re-
warded for having expended life and
strength in the soul-racking defense.
While the witnesses are not partisans
of Gen. Stoessel, they are plainly of
the opinion that the generals detractors
and prosecutors. who personally took no
part in the hardships endured by the de-
tenders of the beleaguered port. are now
seeking to rehabilitate the sins of the
war office at the expense of the Port
Arthur garrison.
colonel said to the correspondent:
If Stoessel is guilty we all are guilty"
The absence of ex-Viceroy Alexieff
from the trial is interpreted to mean that
the government is not willing to enhance
the ma gnitude of the proceedings. Alex
left escaped going on the witness stand
with difficulty.