New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-18
PARALYSIS FATAL
TO GEN. STOESSEL
Russia's Famous Defender
of Port Arthur Dies
in Petrograd.
DOOMED TO DEATH
BY COURT MARTIAL
Convicted of COWardice and
Treason, but Emperor COM
muted His Sentence.

London. Jan. Il. The death Of Lieu
tenant General Anatole Mikhailovitch
Stoessel, the defender Of Port Arthur,
is announced in Reuter- dispatch from
Petrograd. He had suffered from
paralysis since last July.
Lieutenant General S,oessel was
famous as the commander Of the Rus
sian troops az Port Arthur during the
Russo-Japanese War. After he had
held out for months against the furi-
Gus onslaughts Of the japanese, his
ammunition all but exhausted and his
men virtually without food. he surren-
dered the fortress 10 General Nogi.
For this action he was condemned TO
death on February 20. 1908, By court
martial. This sentence. however. was
committed By Emperor Nicholas 20 ten
years imprisonment. He was released
from confinement from the fortress OF
st. Peter and 81. Paul the following
year By order of the Emperor.
Ten years ago General Stoessel was
hailed throughout the civilized world
as the hero of Port Arthur, and his
defence OF that stronghold excited,
until the true facts were known, such
general admiration that the Kaiser be-
slowed on him the Order Pour le Mer-
tie, founded By Frederick the Great for
the reward and recognition of alto
gether exceptional feats in war.
Found Guilty by Court.
Every officer who orders a surrender
is accountable FOR the latter before a
court martial, and the court organized
at Petrograd TO try General Stoessel
found grounds for sentencing him 70
military degrsdatiOn-entailing the
forfeiture of all orders OF knlghthood,
Russian and foreign and to death. He
was convicted Of having disobeyed the
telegraphic order OF General Kuropat-
kin. commander in chief, dated July g.
1904. directing him TO leave Port Ar
thur without an hours delay, turning
over the command 10 General Smirnof
He admitted destroying this message
without communicating it 70 any of the
other leading officers at Port Arthur.
The trial of Stoessel was dramatic
throughout. General Smirnoff, who
was acting commander of the fortress
accused Stoessel of cowardice and in
capacity and of deliberate treason in
Fastening the surrender to save his
own life. Other officers gave similar
testimony, but General Kuropatkin was
one of his stanch supporters. The
general in chief testified that the Jap
anese could have taken Port Arthur by
assault in the early days of the war
and that their slowness alone gave the
Russians time TO improve the defence
works so that the position could be
held for several months.
General Nogi and other high Jap
anese officers offered TO appear before
the court martial and testify in behalf
of General Stoessel, but their offer was
declined. The trial excited intense in
terest in army circles in Russia. where
various factions sided for or against
the accused.
In summing up for General Stoesse
at the court martial VI. Syrtlanofi
closed his address by declaring that
Stoessel accepted the entire response
bilty for the surrender of Port Arthur
and if the court decided that the sur
render was a crime, Il ask for the
death sentence"
From a Military Family.
General Stoessel was born in 1913
and entered the army in 1864. He came
from a military family, his grandfather
General Ivan Stoessel, having fought
against Napoleon. He served with the
Bulgarian militia during the Russo
Turkish war of 1877-'7S, and took part
in the Chinese expedition, in 10000.
Up TO that time he was known only
as the commander of Siberian rife
regiment He was the first commander
TO enter Tien-Tsin, ana was made a ma
jor general for the dash he displayed
in the attack on the Chinese capital.
General Stoessel was a severe disci-
plinarian. IL is stated that he SEN
fenced many men TO death for infrac-
tions of army regulations. He was far
from being popular in the army.