The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-10-11
ONCE,
OUT DISGRACE
Count NOgi's Last Let
terS Tell of Shame He
Lived Under.
Details Of Tragedy Add
To PathOs Of Ills
VIOLENT End.

Thirty-fve years ago, in the campaign
Df Meiji 10, the late Count Nogi, then
regimental commander, lost his regi
mental standard. For thirty-five years
ne awaited suitable opportunity to
| lie in expiation of that affair, during
which period he rose to the highest
rank attainable in military circles in
Japan, became the successful and world
praised hero of n great war, was honor
ed beyond any other man in the Empire
by his Emperor and became the national
dol, yet he never forgot the loss of
the standard or believed that anything
he had done had wiped that stain from
his record. When, therefore, the first
, tun sounded TO announce the commence.
ment of the last rites over the body OF
I> .mptTor, Nogi drove through the
arteries of his neck the sword he had
carried at the fall of Port Arthur. A
moment afterwards, Shizuko, his wife,
Irii upon a dagger and drove the keen
blrl into her heart.
This is the story of the suicide of
General Count Nogi and his Countess
,lirh the japanese mail brought on
Monday, tale of tragedy hardly to be
matched in history. The Japan Times
of September 21 tells of the double sui
eide as follows:
Full Report From Japan.
General Count Nogi, the hero of Port
Arthur, and his wife Countess Shidzu.ko
! NOgi, committed suicide in an upstairs
room of their residence at Shinzaka-
machi, Akasaka, Friday night, about the
time when the first gun announced the
start from the palace of the funeral
cortege of the Emperor Meiji. The
Count, dressed in full general S uniform,
and the Countess putting on uchigi, had
their pictures taken by photographer
in the garden at eight O'Clock in the
morning. After that they drove to the
imperial palace in the same carriage, to
pay their respects to the remains of the
late Emperor. They returned home to.
ward evening and entered the reading
room upstairs, telling the servants not
to come to disturb them. But as the
servants understood that the Count was
the chief entertainer of II. II. Prince
Arthur of Connaught, British special
envoy, and was to attend the grand i'm
perial funeral they were anxious, or
even impatient to tell the general that
the important hour was approaching.
At the sound of the first signal gun
one of the maid-servants knocked at the
door of the room in which were the
count and countess who had locked the
/ door from within.
There was no response. The anxious
maid called for others to open the door,
and alas, General Count Nogi and his
wife were found dead, having killed
themselves.
oil hot hn noe
committed suicide by stabbing herself
in the heart with tanto, or short
sword, and the count by cutting his
throat with another weapon.
/ News Shocked the Nation.
The news of their suicide shocked the
people, who were bent upon observing
the obsequies of the late Emperor.
Many officers and dignitaries heard the
heartrending news at Aoyama when the
funeral ceremony was about to close
and great number of them visited the
residence of the count on their way
home in the early morning, and the sad
incident cast gloom among his friends
= aud relatives, to add to the mourning
for the late Emperor.
General Count Nogi is said to have
left behind him several letters ad-
dressed to his friends and relatives.
The deceased wrote in part that his
body should not be touched by any one
until Baron Tadanori IshigurO, ex-
surgeon general, examines it. There
fore, the baron was sent for. He came
to the place at 2:30 Saturday morning
and duly examined the bodies of the
deceased. The baron also read the let.
ter addressed to him, but as he had not
yet given out the contents of the let
ter, nothing is yet known as to what
was the cause of the tragedy. 1t is
generally supposed, however, that the
late general was as loyal to the EN-
peror as he was a gallant soldier; and
that he could not bear the grief of los
ing the late Emperor, and followed his
master to the grave on the eve of his
funeral,
Why General Nogi Died.
The following is verbatim transla-
ton of the win left by the late General
Count Nog, the document being writ.
ten by him ON the night of the 18th,
the eve of the imperial funeral:
ell kill myself to follow him (who
is gomez. ! am aware of the gu'ltiness
of the act, the ofTense it involves il not
light. But Ito recall) / was responsible
for the loss of the regimental standard
in the campaign of Meiji TO US7D
and | have since then been looking for
a proper opportunity to die, but with
out avail, and have lived ON, enjoying
!, imperial fayors and gracious treatment,
) which were undeserved. l have of late
been growing old and weak with not
many more days OF seriee to live. II
: was at such moment that the great
calamitous event happened, an event OF
which l know not what to say bui
TO be overwhelmed by rs awfulness
This has caused me 10 make up my
J mind as 60 how 10 act
, '2.--slnee tho fall Of the two 'sukcs
fulhFgNiuiinu nf tNa ugut-a 90 A.. 80.