GENERAL STOESSEL IN THE DOCK

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 44, 11 February 1908, Page 4

GENERAL STOESSEL IN THE DOCK

THE FALL OF PORT ARTHUR. A CHARtiE OF COWARDICE. Not long ago General Stoessel was on the pinnacle of fame: in December, last year, he \va- in the dock, standing his trial on a charge ~f cowardice. Dire Itii->ia ami the world at huge reverenced Him in a belief tb.it be nol.lv defended Port Arthur: then came doubt, -iispiciuii: tongue, wagged again-! tile '"■'" Vl! "'-' "• '»'<' tripped so glori-iill-.lv tlolll llir !i|,. ~| ],|.'|| All tho-e Ru»iaii heroes who survived the luii-and sanguinary -iego have l„vn. a. though bv Ine n,i\v of a magician - waml. transported m the Ainu an.l Navy Hall i write- a . urn-.flond'cllt if the l/nidou " D.iilv cleinaph ' from "s|. Petersburg on l-'ltll Dc.eiuhei I. Ccllol.il Stoess..|. the h..| f l!i,-,., au.l the admiration of the whole world at that lime, is lu-re in the trout seat of the duck. lie is threatened with the death -entenee for cowardice and the betrayal of his military dnlic-.. With him are -ittiug Ceueral- Fock and licys. his two chief co-defenders of I'.nt Arthur, and General Sniiniotr. the nominal Cuuuuaiilant of Port Arthur, whom Stoos-el -ne ceeded ill spit,, of tin- direct order of Kuropalkiu. The temple ot -.-lory which seemed to tie awaiting iln-iii upon their return home ban been sinid.-iiii traiisioriuoii into a Court oi .lii-tice, in which ten ..! their older fellow general- have now to decide their fate. The average age o: the ten judges i- about seventy. Hut old age has apparently not abated their military vigour. U neii the li-t of tho-e desirous ol attending the trial was pre. oeuteil to the l'l.-iicnt ol the Court. General IJukina-iili. In- observed thai it was headed by the name of hi- wile. '"We Med no female-." he remarked, and struck the name out, along with tuaiiv others.

The seats reserved for witue--.es are occupied by a dazzling array of deco- i rated soldiers. There are lau witnesses in all, and nearly all wear the uniforms | of generals and colonel-.. The place of honour among them i- lille.l bv the Field-Marshal of the Far Kastern war. Ceneral Kurop.ukiu hiiu-elt. lie has changed much since Hie war. lie has grown much older, more bent and wrinkled, and his hair is nearly white. The public seat-, art. sparsely tilled. TJieir occupant, for the most part al,a wear military uniforms. Admission to these seats, by General DukuiasulT'-i order, mis been made extremely dillicnlt. The few Russian journalists present were admitted only after promising to publish nothing which had not been sub nutted to the president's censorship. Scores of generals and ollicers surround Stoessel. saluting, greeting him. -.baking liis hand. He i> dressed in a frock-coat. with two Georgian crosses upon his breast. He look- well, strong, and in good spirits. A few fashionable women have somehow succeeded in escaping uukmasotr's vigilance, and their gay toilettes are the only -i.l'tening iullue:i:e upon the -.everelv military as|»>ct of the hall.

The reading of the indictment occupied a day and a half, but the charges may be summarised in a few words. Ceueral Stoessel i- ac.u-ed of wilful uii-.-rcpresentation of tact-, failure to obey order-, ungallant behaviour, and finally surrendering the fortress "on conditions humiliating to liu-sia.'' when the means ..( defence Were not exhausted."

" While listening to-day to the deposi. lion- of (ienerals Kuropatkin. Tretiakotr. add Nikitin. 1 could not but feel that the Russian lioveriunciit ha- acted daringly in emliarking upon this trial," comments the correspondent. "Has it not. indeed, been rather thoughtles-ni-s and ignorance than daring which could permit -ucli proceedings to come lo light. for what is proceeding is not the trial if the fallen herm's of' Port Arthur, but in tar greater degree that of the Ilussi m War OHice and the whole bureaucra'ie -ystem of the Czardom.'' According to Kuropalkiu. after tho !o-s inflicted upon the Russian- by thj " treacherous ~ attack of the Japanese ii|K>n the,fleet at Port Arthur at the beginning of the war. after the death of Makliaroll, and after the removal of the 3rd Division from the promontory, a too obstinate defence ot Port Arthur had he-

conn- risky, as the defending troops were in danger of l>eiiig cut oil' from Port Arthur by a descent of the .lapanc-e. Therefore a timely retreat to Port Arthur, which was of far more vital importance to Russia, was advisable. In thi- -en-e he gave instructions to Stue-.

" I learnt from the indictment." he candidly admitted, "that the Viceroy was of the- .ame opinion upon the nutter.' This was a startling admisrioii to the world. Kuropatkin and Alcxkfi were the joint leaders of the war. anl tl ne learnt from an ait of indictment drawn up three years after the war what was the opinion of the other upon a vital point: Admitting that Si,,c-cl was instructed b> him to act cautiou-ly in the defence of Kin Chan. Kuropatkin. however. r W 1 l»- amazement that the portion was defended by otic regiment only, while many other Russian troops were on the -pot. Kuropatkin declared that lie did not remember that St«e-sel in hi. despatch-; represented him-elf as always taking personal part in the battles! Hut today be brought with him a ciphered telegram trim Stoc-el. found, he said, iimoii!.' hi- papers, in which Stoe-sol wrote that he had joined tile position on foot, hi- train having been shelled hv the .lapane-o. and that he had ordered the retreat when the po-itiou. had lieoomo untenable. The telegram was handed to Kuropatkin after the fight by an officer. Yolkin. " ( never wrote -udi a telegram." ovclaiiiied Stoessel. curtly. •Vdkin is n lunatic!"' -lionied flener.tl V.»k_ indignantly from Ids place. "The telegram is not signed.'* remarked Stoessel - .- counsel. '■Perhaps Y.dkin wrote about himself.'' "A noiicommi-s-ioned ollicer could hardly order the retreat of an nrinv. We l.aie not come t„ that yet. - ' reiunrl'c e,| Kuropatkin. oilmlv. Cenerally the Mia'viour of C.enerals Fork and St™—el .luring the trial has bee,, very iwculiar. Ccueral Fnck was reprimanded by the Pre-idetit for calling tlener.il Treti.ikilT a liar, when the latter, as it -oemed to him wronglv. described the battle of Kin-Thau. St'oes-el treats Knropa'tkin all the time not as .1 sit ( »erior. but as a subordinate.

Other witne—e- -.ive evidence as 0 the part played by the liu-ian field a, tillcn in the battle of Kin-Chau. Amon;: -.titer met-, it wa- di-covered that the Mti-ian ti-ld piece- were in gn,„| cotiditi"ii. but that their lotitre-t ram-e did not -v.,,,1 : ,b,„i :;i-. „,;!,..; w |,Hc the -11-lliy - - po-itb.ll- WCIV :| groal-r (lis-