Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-09-14
Soldier Aero's Tragic Death
Was Regarded Is Magnlfi.
cent Patriotism
Ne and The Countess Had Folly
Prepared for Their
Peculiar Ending
Special to The Tribune

opeCldl 10 Inc AIiuuHc
TOXIC, JAPAN, Sept. 14-The dra.
matte death of Legal General Count
Maresuke Ogi, soldier here OF ia.
pan and that of his wife, Countess
Nogi, who yesterday coincidently
with the departure from the capital
of the body of the late Emperor Mu-
tschito for its final resting place at
Monoyama, committed suicide, the
general by gashing his throat with
a sword, and the countess by hara
kari, Is regarded by the great soldiers
of Japan and by generals and other
countrymen as magnificent patriotic
duty.
But with the nation being in deep
est mourning and the new emperor
being forced into seclusion by the
death of his father, dt is impossible
to confer the usual post humius hon.
ors and consequently Nogi is not
dead
The count on Thursday morning,
prior to attending the funeral ser
vices fAtA~ slatA emperor At the pal.
ace, summoned d photographed to his
home In Akasaki. suburb OF Toxic,
and In the garden Of his residence he
posed his wife while the picture was
taken
Afterward the count and countess
attended the early funeral ceremon'
les at the imperial palace.
Later, visiting the chamber where
for several minutes, Offering homage
to his departed sovereign and friend.
Returning homeward at the conclus.
ion of the ceremony, Nogi called at
the palace of Prince Fushimi, where
he was member of the reception
committee.
When he reached his home the gen.
eral sat down and wrote letter to
his new Sovereign Yoshihito, and
then placed band OF crepe around
the wall picture OF Mutsuhlto.
Summoning his wife the couple
carefully rehearsed their plans for
committing suicide, arranging the
time that would be coincident with
the departure from the capital of the
late rulers body.
The count and countess dressed
themselves in full Japanese costumes
and drank from cups which had been
gifts of the emperor for the general
farewell draught sake. When the
booming Of the signal gun, fired in
the palace grounds to notify the pop
ulace that the emperor's body was
being moved on its journey towards
its last resting place, echoed through
the Nogi home. the hero Of Port
Arthur stood srect and firmly grasp
ing his sword plunged it into his
throat as the count fell to the floor,
the countess stabbed herself in the
stomach.
Eoth soldier and his wife were
breathing when found by inmates Of
the Ntgi home. but before aid could
be summoned they were dead. Let.
ters left by Nogi 1t IS understood, ex-
plain the, deed, and also contain an
apology to the lrince Arthur of Con.
naugnt, special ambassador Of Great
Britain at the imperial iuneral, to
whom the Japanese soldier was es-
pec;ally attached.
No message OF coincidence in con-,
nection with the suicide of the count
and countess will be sent for several
days. Emperor Yoshihito today ev-
pressed the wish that none Of the
plans of the special foreign envoys
will be changed. Secretary Knox, the
special American ambassador, and
his suite will visit Mike this after
noon. After sightseeing among the
famous temples and mortuary shrines
there, the American secretary Of
state will return to the capital Sun
day afternoon. Knox will be received
in a farewell audience by the emperor
and will attend luncheon at the pal
ace Monday. 81 s; II. n. N