Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-18
Associate of StoesseI in a
Military Duel.
SMIRNOFF BADLY WOUNDED
Trouble Grew Out of the Port Arthur
Trial.
MET IN THE RIDING HALL
Authorities Knew in Advance and
Gave the Affair Their Approval.
Ladies Present.

Special Cahlegram to The Star.
ST. PETERSBURG. March 1S-Gens.
Fock and Smirnoff fought duel this
morning. the latter being severely. perhaps
fatally. wounded. Fock challenged
Smirnof on the ground that the memo
randum written by the latter on the siege
of Port Arthur wounded his honor and
damaged his reputation.
Ihe men met in the riding school OF
the Chevalier Guard Regiment and fought
with pistols at twenty PAGES
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 authorities
1t was witnessed by several officers of
high rank. and 1t is even reported that
several women were present.
Four Rounds Fired.
Shortly before 10 o'clock Gems Fock
and Smirnoff appeared at the riding
school. Without salutng they took the
places assigned by their seconds For
Gen. Smfrnoff the seconds We're his broth
er-in-law, Vladimir NJ PlIrishkevch. a
member of the duma. and Capt Schultz
of the navy. while for Gen. Fock Capt.
Sido. adjutant to Gen. Stoessel and Lieut.
Podgursky, one of the Port Arthur heroes,
officiated.
The distance between the two comba t.
ants was twenty PAGES, and tn duelists
were ins rructed to open fire at the word
OF command and continue until one or
the other was hit. At Gen. Fock's fourth
shot Gen. Smirnoff groaned and sank for
ward. He had been wounded in the alb
domen above the right hip. He was car
ried in a litter to the military hospital.
where doctors this afternoon employed
Roentgen rays to locate the bullet.
Aro+1,ac n,,al =. ra,,n
The word fire was given each time
by Gen. kireieff the Russian authority on
dueling. AT the second exchange Gen.
FOck's coat was perforated. Al the third
exchange Gen. Smirnoff accidentally fired
prematurely but Gen. Fock magnani
mously declined 10 shoot al defenseless
opponent and the fourth and final shots
were then exchanged.
This duel will be followed by another.
between Gen. Fock and Gen. Gorbatoffsky.
the commander of the western front at
Port Arthur. who was severely criticised
by Gen. Fock during the court-martial
proceedings. Gen. Gorbatoffsky sent sec
onds some time ago to Gen. Fock, but he
failed to secure permission TO fight duel
Gen. Smirnoff was acting commandant
of the Port Arthur fortress during the
siege and al the time of it's surrender TO
the Japanese. After his return to Russia
he prepared secret report OF the defense
of Port Arthur which was the basis OF
the indictments on which Lieut.. Gen.
Stoessel Lieut.. Gen. Fock and Maj. Gen.
Reiss were tried for their lives before
the supreme court-martial. Gen. Stoessel
was accused of cowardice and incapacity
and Gen. Fock. according to the indict-
ment displayed thorough incapacity and
want of judgment.
The outcome of the trial was the SEN
fencing to death of Gen. Stoessel. which
finding was later commuted to ten years
Imprisonment while Gen. Fock was or
dered to be rep-imanded for disciplinary
offenSe.
Gen SmirnOff also was on trial before
the court-martial charged with having
failed to remove Gen. Fock from his
command. although he suspected an
agreement between Gems. Stoessel and
Fock to surrender the fortress. He was
acquitted of this charge.