The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-10-11

how General Nogi died and which died
first, he or his wife. The customary
way TO commit seppuku, as performed
by the bushi, 10 70 cut the abdomen
just deep enough to bleed, and tnen
give a fatal thrust through the throat,
because the cutting Of the abdomen
is not sufficient to put an end to life
General Nogi performed seppuku after
this customary fashion. 1t appears
that, having cut the abdomen, he re-
adjusted his clothes, and then thrust
the sword in the right side of the neck,
piercing il through to the Teft posterior
part. This forceful thrust must have
put an end to his life Immediately, as
It completely cut the arteries.
cat first we surmised that the Gen
eral killed himself after assuring him
self of tho death of his wife But that
that was not the case is evident in his
letter addressed to me, in which he
says his wife is perfectly willing to
follow him to death. Judging from
the character of Countess Nogi It seems
that when he told her of his intention,
she must have tried to dissuade him
from the deed, but finding his resolu
tion too firm she decided to follow her
husband.
Countess Nogi's Heroic Death.
Countess Nogi was dressed in mourn.
ing, with dull-colored gown and a
hakama Of light orange shade. The
weapon she used was a dagger about a
foot long. She inflicted four wounds
upon herself. One wound was in her
hand. First she appears to have thrust
the dagger into the middle of her
inf - oh 4 I,
tween the ribs; this thrust was about
en- inch and half deep. Perhaps still
fearing that that would not be fatal.
she must have given herself the third
and last thrust, which went through
the heart. BY the time she gave her
self this last thrust she had been con.
siderably weakened by the first two
wounds. Not having enough strength
to drive the weapon into her breast,
she fell prcstrate upon it, thus pushing
it almost up to the hilt.
Personally, / have seen not few
cases of seppuku, and know that in
performing the act if one fails to kill
himself by the first thrust, he is not
able to put sufficient strength into the
second thrust to put an end to his life.
However, Countess Nogi, woman as she
was, gave herself three powerful thrusts
and died in most noble and decorous
way
Last Messages to the World.
General Count and Countess Nogi,
having locked the door from within.
sat side by side, facing the portrait of
the late Emperor Mutsuhito, and killed
themselves in the brave style descril eS
above. On desk in the room were
iouhu heaP OIL letters ana othe' pa
,ers' on iaJ,uuing .hua y @eheral Nosl $ VIII
aliohg - those papers Two poems by the
Ueneral ana one by the Countess We're
also @ lounu' ueneral Nogl composed the
IL, o"is p;ie Poe"s just oelore ne
tri,a
- ~ ihre! thou mast as
'enaeu rg hlgn,
oreat sovereign, our an-beloved
..NL
NV rom peio" art Worshlped
.,n auoreu,
ny gouiy soui enthroned IN the
noiy sHy'
ioloW Ine august ana merclful
1oi
VINO ha1h risen from TINS
Worlu,
go; us oniy, only TO follow
,,u nm
Nholi we nave ever loved and long
aaored'
Nountess Nog! lett the following
poeticai composition;
VOW tnat he hath gone for the end
Tess stay,
ana ne VIII never return,
though thousands weep,
we lonely wayfarers with
,,o broken hearts,
uo 70 JOIN MN on the heavenward
way,
Oio tne Generai write the emperor?
count "atanape, minister OF the I'M
perial household, IN a press interview
gwen yesterday morning, SAID as fol,
lows IN regard to the letter General
ount Nogl mad written hlm Just before
hls death:
Ihe letter was apparently written
after ne paid the last respect and bade
lareweii TO the remains OF the En-
peror Mutsunlto. Ihough we had al
ways associated on the closest terms,
ueheral Nogi MADE not single refer-
enee TO private matters IN the letter.
Ihe sist OF ms letter is that he re-
| quested me, who have the management