Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-18

| st. Petersburg, March 18.-Lieu1en-
ant General Smirnoff probably was fa-
tally wounded in duel fought here
this morning with Lieutenant General
Fock. The men met in the riding
| school of the chevalier guard regiment
and fought with pistols, standing close
to each other when the shots were ex-
changed. The duel was caused by the
memorandum written by Smirnoff on
the siege of Port Arthur, in which he
questioned the courage of Fock The
latter considered his honor and repu-
tation involved and challenged the au-
thor of the memorandum to test his
courage.
Exchange Four Shots.
| The riding school was placed at the
disposition of the combatants by the
commander of the regiment and the
duel occurred with the full knowledge
and appreciation of the military au-
thorities. It was witnessed by several
| officers of high rank. and it is even
| reported that several women were
| present.
| Shortly before 10 Generals Fock and
| Smirnoff appeared at the riding school.
Without saluting they took their places
| assigned by their seconds. For Smir-
noff the seconds We're his brother-in-
law, Vladimir Purishkevich, a member
of the duma, and Captain Schultz, Of
the navy, while for Fock. Captain Sido,
adjutant to General Stoessel, and Lieu-
tenant Podgursky, one of the Port Ar
thur heroes, officiated. The distance
between the combatants was twenty
PAGES. The duelists were instructed
to open fire at the word of command
and to continue until one or the other
was killed. At Fock's fourth shot
Smirnof groaned and sank forward.
He was wounded in the abdomen and
above the right hip. He was carried
on litter to the military hospital,
where the doctors this afternoon en-
plcyed the Roentgen rays to locate the
bullets. The word "fire'' was given
each time by General Kireieff, Rus
sian authority on dueling. At the sec
ond exchange Fock's coat was perfor-
ated At the third exchange, Smir-
noff accidentally fired prematurely,
but Fock declined to shoot at the de-
fenseless opponent, and the fourth and
final shots were exchanged. The duel
will be followed by another between
/ Eock and General Corbatoffsky, COM
mander of the western front at Port
Arthur, who severely criticized Fock
during the court martial
Cause of the Duel.
| Snlirnoff was acting commandant Of
the Port Arthur fortress during the
siege and at the time of it's surrender
! to the Japanese. After his return to
Russia he prepared a secret report II
the defense of Port Arthur. which was
the basis Of the indictments on which
! Generals Stoessel, Fock and Resse
were tried for their lives before SUI
preme court martial. The outcome Of
| the trial was the sentencing to death
Of Stoessel, which finding was later
commuted to ten years imprisonment.
while Fock was ordered to be repri-
manded for a disciplinary offence.
Smirnoff, also on trial before the court
martial. was charged with having
| failed to remove Fock from his COM
mand, altho he suspected an agrees
! ment between Stoessel and Fock t.
surrender the fortress. He was acquit-
ted on this charge.
| Corbatoffsky sent seconds somO
time ago to Fock, but failed to pro-
| cure permission to fight the duel