Smyrna times., 1912-09-18
JAPANESE WARRIOR AND
WIFE COMMIT SUICIDE
COUNT AND COUNTESS NOGI,
FOLLOW AN ANCIENT CUSTOM
Was EoteI Japanese Fighter, Who
conducte. Siege of Port Arthur and
Forced Surrender.


Forced Surrender.
General Count Nogi, hero par ex-
cellence OF he Japanese army for the
part he played in reducing Russa's
fortress OF Port Arthur during the
Russo-Japanese war, committed sui
eide, following the religious ceremon-
les in connection with the funeral OF
the late emperor, MutsuhitO, in Toxic.
With him in self-sought death went
his wife, Countess NOgi.
The suicide of Nogi and his wife
by the famous method of hara kari,
the manner of self-destruction, is char
acteristic of the samurai. Both stab
bed themselves to death over the body
of the late emperor.
The suicides came as a climax to
the funeral services. The general
was a devoted friend of the late SOW
ereign, and it is believed that grief
over the death of the monarch drove
them to the decision to commit sui
eide in accordance with the Shinto
belief that it is just and holy to
die in memory of a friend, as well as
the ancient samurai belief that is hon
orable for a samurai to join his en-
peror or the chief of his clan in death.
The tragedy was concealed for sew
eral hours, and even then the details
were not made known. 1t was learn.
had attempted to persuade him to
abandon his plan. He had made his
intention known to her, in accordance
with the Japanese custom, before he
went to mourn beside the emperor 6
bier earlier in the day. She had fol
lowed him and when she saw him
fall upon the magnificent casket o.
the late ruler of Japan she rushed to
his side, and with the same weapon
that he had used ended her life.
At the time the double suicide oc.
CURED, the Shinto priests were chant.
ing requiem for the dead. This was
not interrupted by the double suicide.
but attendants carried the bodies of
the war hero, and his wife from the
temple to their home.
Nogi, than whom none was higher
in the hearts of the Japanese people.
because of his deeds as a soldier
ended his life like the true s&nurai
that he was, a sacriice to the spirit
of his dead sovereign, whom he ven
Grated as a descendant of the gods
The countess, his wife, was the
daughter of a samurai, and was quite
as thoroughly imbued with the idea
- Of tie devotion to sovereign and
country. Besides she was the mother
of two sons who were killed with the
war with Russia, and doubtless felt
along with her husband, that having
given her offsprings for 'Dai Nippon,
as the Japanese fondly call their EN-
pire, the death and burial of Mutsu
hitO, the supreme fountain of all the
high honor that had accrued to hel
husband, left naught for them bu
suicide as a sacrifice in his angus
honor.
The point of view is difficult to ex
press to a modern mind, but to thost
familiar with Japan and things Jap
.anese the double suicide is no
strange.
From time immemorial Japanes'
mobiles have sacrificed themselves il
similar circumstances, but of lat
years it has been thought that tn
custom of sacrifice has been dyiE
out, but the tragedy indicates wha
the shrewdest and most observant 0
foreigners in Japan thoroughly be
lieve-that the spirit of old Japar
with it's attendant virtues of whole
sOuled devotion to emperor and couI
try and with its blind adherence t
the ancient customs of the samurs
and warrior class are just as stron
as ever and need nothing save tn
thought in the Japanese mind that tn
emperor calls for the Japanese hin
self to respond with the fatalisti
loyalty that has always been his chi,
racial characteristic.