Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-11
GEN. STOESSEL
BEGINS FIGHT
FOR LIBERTY
NOT iUILTY is HIS PLEA AT
C0URT-MARTIAL
TELEGRAM FROM czAR AIDS
OMMANDER
of He Is Guilty We All Are" Is the
Attitude of a Majority of
Two Hundred Wit
nesses
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
ST. PETERSBURG, Dec. 1o.-Before a
brilliant assemblage of 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
January 1, 1905 In firm tones and with
quiet manner the general pleaded not
guilty to the charge of needlessly sur
rendering the fortress and thereby hui
initiating the Russian army.
The court was convoked by Judge
of the court to proceed with the trial of
the four officers charged with the respon-
sibility of surrendering the fortress on
terms dishonorable to the garrison and
humilitating to the prestige of Russia.
He then called the roll of 200 witnesses
including Gen. Kuropatkin and Vice Ad
miral Wiren.
Several of the witnesses were absent,
but the court decided to proceed with the
trial. The entire afternoon was taken up
with the reading of the volumnous in
dictment.
The trial took place in the auditorium
of the Army and Navy club. The room
resembled more social gathering of Of
ficers of high rank than the scene of
court-martial. Among those present were
sailors and witnesses, Gen. Kuropatkin,
Gen. Rennenkampf, Vice Admiral Wren
and scores of other prominent leaders in
the Russo-Japanese war.
Witnesses Wear Medals
There were also present 200 officers and
soldiers who had been at Port Arthur and
who today were clad in their full dress
uniforms with stars and decorations. Gen.
Stoessel was alone in civil attire, and this
made him conspicuous. He wore proudly
around ,l1is neck the Gordon of the mill
tary order of st. George which was con-
ferred upon him by the emperor during
the siege, ana on his breast was pinned
the cross of George III. awarded for con-
spicuous bravery in frontier work. The
same coveted decorations was worn by
many of the witnesses and spectators.
Empty sleeves and crutches, especially
among the men who had been at Port
Arthur, showed that many of them had
seen hard service during the war. The
other accused officers, Gems. Riss and
Smirnoff, came to the court clad in their
uniforms Gen. Smirnoff, who is bitte.'
enemy of Gen. Stoessel, ostentationsly
seated himself as far away as possible
from the central figure of the proceed
ings.
One or two incidents showed the attitude
of the court to BE unfavorable to Stoessel
His personal request that two additional
witnesses be called in was dismissed with
out ceremony.
Physician Testifles
One of these witnesses, DIR. Roseanoff.
was chief of the Red Cross within the
fortress. At the preliminary hearing he
testified at the time of the surrender
Gen. Stoessel had 5000 able-bodied men to
defend the Notifications, and the cold
winds at the time made 1t difficult for the
soldiers even to hold their rifles. Gen.
Naien, the other witness excluded, is the
author of deposition similar to that of
DIR. Roseanoff The general commanded
the firing line at Port Arthur.
witnesses of all ranks declared the trial
to be an insult to Gen. Stoessel and to his
army. A prominent colonel said: 'If
Stoessel is guilty we are all guilty"
1t Is generally understood Stoessel is in
possession of weapon in the shape Of
telegram received by him before the sur
render of Port Arthur, in which the em-
peror said
Don't push the defense to extremities.
meaning by this to spare the lives of the
Russian soldiers when their power of re-
sistance was exhausted as the emperor
feared that the Japanese might repeat
the feat of former capture of the fort
ress, when they put to death 10000
Chinese