The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-09-14
GEN. NOG| AND WIFE
KILL SELVES AS
WAS CUSTOM
Japanese General Follows En-
peror To The Tomb
WIFE COMMITS HARI KARI
Gen. Nogi Commanded the Japanese
Army Which Captured Port Arthur
In War with Russia

preme military councillor OF the EN-
pire, and his wife, the Countess Nogi,
committed suicide at Toxic last night
in accordance with the ancient Jap
anese custom as their final tribute to
their departed emperor and friend,
Mutsurito. The taking off by their
own hands of the famous general and
his wife was as dramatic as it was
sad. The general cut his throat with
a short sword and the countess COM
mitted hari-kari. Following the Sa-
mura c:stom the couple had carefully
prepared their plans for killing them
selves and timed them so that they
would be coincident with the depar-
ture forever from Toxic OF the dead
emperor.
Gen Nogi and the countess had at
tended the funeral services of Mutsu-
hito at the palace in Toxic yesterday,
and it was expected that they would
proceed to Aoyama last night with
the cotege. Instead, however, at the
conclusion of the ceremony at the
palace they withdrew to their modest
home in Akasaka, suburb OF TOXIC,
and there began their final prepare
tons for death. First the general
wrote a letter to his new emperor,
Yoshihito, which later was found be-
side his body Then he draped In
mourning a portrait on the wall OF
the late emperor and afterward he
and his wife dressed themselves In
full Japanese costume and drank
farewell cup Of sake from cups which
had been presented to the general by
Mutsuhito.
Darkness had fallen and Gen Nogi
and the countess sat and awaited the
signal they had agreed upon to an
nounce their leave-taking. This was
the boo.hing of a single gun in the
palace grounds at Toxic. which was
to let the people know that the body
of the emperor was starting on the
funeral car for its last resting place.
AS the boom Of the signal gun re-
sounded through the clear, still night,
Gen. Nogi arose and grasping tightly
in his hand a short sword, plunged 1t
into his throat, while the countess
stabbed herself through the stomach
A student who resided in the Nogi
home heard the fall of the bodies and
rushed into the room. Lying upon
the floor we're the hero OF Port Ar
thur and his wife. Both were breath
ing, but their spasmodic gasps show
ed plainly that their lives were fast
ebbing The student went for aid,
but when he returned with il both
the general and the countess had
passed away.
The tragedy created profound
sensation, and expressions of sorrow
we're heard on every hand last night.
Especially grief-stricken was Prince
Arthur of Connaught, the special en-
voy to the funeral of Mutsuhito from
Great Britain. Prince Arthur was
to have gone with Gen. Nogi today to
the former capital of the shogunate,
Kamakura.
Those who knew Gen Nogi well de
clared that his calmness in killing
himself last night was the kind of
stoicism he always displayed, no mat
ter what crisis faced him. They in
stanced the famous charge of the Jap
anese up 203-meter hill during the
Russo-Japanese war, when as COM
mander of the Japanese third army
Nogi saw the Russians NOV down his
forces in hundreds. among them two
of his own sons, and yet calmly and
fearlessly continued the battle, final |
~ taking the hill and eventually be- |
ing handed the surrender of Lieut. |
Gen. Stoessel at Port Arthur.
Gen. Count Nogi was national |
hero in Japan. II was he who cap |
tured Port Arthur from the Russians
In 1904 and assured the success OF
his country in the battle of Mukden.
The count was born at Hagi, in the
province of Choshu, in 1S49, and was
the Oldest son of Maretsugu Nogi,
samurai of the Choshu clan. During
he Saigo rebellion he fought bravely
1t the battles of Yamagauchi and
and was wounded, and
after the rebellion was suppressed he
was made a Northumberland.
Count Nogi commanded the list
brigade of infantry in the Chino-Jap-
lnese war and captured Port Arthur
n one day. On the outbreak of the
war in 1904. Gen.
logi was appointed commander Of
he Sd. army. His forces took 20S-
meter hill after terrible slaughter.
Ind also destroyed the Russion squa-
iron in the port. Gen. Nogi personal
y received Gen. StoesseTs proposal
o surrender Port Arthur The Coun-
ess Nogi was a daughter of Yuch
a samurai of Kogashima
Ian