The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-10-27
ITO OF JAP AN SHOT
DOWNBY
ASSASSIN
Empires Greetest COmm0nner
Killed at Hardin
PLOT WAS WELL PLANNED
Man Who Fired Fatal Shots Made no
Attempt to Escape and Boast
ed of His Deed

Hardin. Manchuria, Oct. 27.-Prince
Hirobumi Ito was assasslnated at Ihe
Tsaitsagan railway station mere yes
terday. At the moment the Japanese
diplomat was acknowledging the NOISY
welcome that had greeted him as ne
stepped from the railroad tram smll.
ing and bowling, he turned toward
Russian Finance Minister kokoysoH,
who was awaiting him on the station
platform, a few PAGES distant.
Half a Dozen Shots
Suddenly came a halt-dozen revol-
YER shots in quick succession, follow
ed bv the cries of those standing near
the Prince. At the second report
Prince Ito staggered and fell, 1t was
subsequently found that he received
three bullets, two of which entered
the abdomen. Prince Ito died TWEEN
ty minutes later without recovering
consciousness.
Three Others Wounded
The fusilade of shots threw the
crowd into a panic, but when the eX-
citement had somewhat subsidized II
was found that three other members
of the party on the platform had been
injured.
They were Prince Ito's private sec
retary, Japanese Consul General IA
wakan and General Manager Tanaka
of the South Manohurian railroad who
had moved closer to the prince as the
firing began Their wounds are not
believed to be mortal
Shot by a Corean
The assassin stood defantly in the
crowd revolver in hand He proved
TO be a Coreau. With two compan
ions of the same nationality he BOAST
ed of a conspiracy the object of which
was the lire of the former president
general of Corea. AS the police poun-
ced upon the three Coreans the one
who did the shooting exclaimed dram
atically;
Il came to Hardin for the sole pur-
pose of assassinating Prince Ito 10
avenge my country
None of the three Coreans at
tempted to escape. All calmly CON
fessed that they had conspired against
the life of Prince Ito.
Claims Corea Was Wronged
The assassin, while claiming to
have been inspired by patriotic mo-
tive and to believe that Japanese
wrongs to Coreans justified his act,
admitted under examination that he
had a personal grudge against the
Japanese statesman, who, while pres
ident general in Corea, had caused
the execution of several of the muir
derers friends. 1t had been suppos-
ed that the police protection for the
prince were adequate, but the police
stated later that they were unable to
distinguish the Coreans among the
many Japanese who had been admit
ted TO the railway to welcome the
prince
Toxic, Oct. 27.-Gloom prevails in
the city following the assassination or
Prince Ito at Hardin The Japanese
appear to have been stunned by the
tragedy.
When the tidings reached the En-
peror he showed unusual emotion and
Immediately summoned the court
chamberlans of the imperial house
hold The emperor dispatched spe-
cial messenger to Oso, charged with
the duty of breaking the news to the
Princess Ito,
Highest Honors for the Dead
No arrangements have yet been
made for the funeral but the highest
honors will be accorded probably to
the dead statesman.
Well Liked in Russia
st. Petersburg, Oct. 27.-The assass-
nation of Prince Ito has caused sin
cere grief in government circles not
only because it occurred while he was
a guest of Russia but the personality
of the prince who was regarded as
most important factor in the develop
ment peacefully of affairs in the Far
East.
Assassination Not Surprise
London. Oct. 27.-The assassina-
ton of Prince Ito, who was regarded
here as elsewhere in Europe as the
maker of modern Japan though every
where deplored, is not regarded in of
fetal and diplomatic circles as sur
prising. in view of the bitter resent
ment of the Coreans over the Japan
csc occupation of their homeland. 1t
has been a half century nearly since
the prince was in England and so he
was known personally to but few here
but nevertheless, his work in spread
ing western ideas and the subsequent
eminence which he attained in diplo-
macy and craftsmanship made his
name a household word. Since the
news of the murder was received here
the Japanese Embassy has been filed
with government officials, diplomats,
and other callers, while kilograms OF
inquiry and coincidence without num-