ixjpttnajk
- "
VOL. XLIIL NO. 13,562.
PORTLAND, OREGON, SATURDAY, MAY 28, 1901
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
JwmitW
N FIRST DEGREE
Williams Found Guilty of
His Wife's Murder.
JUBORS BALLOT THRICE
Only Two for Acquittal of
Women Slayer.
AVENGER NESBITT IS ABSENT
Great Drops of Sweat Roll From the
Forehead of the Doomed Man
as He Is Led to His Cell
by the Deputy Sheriffs.
THE DATT.KS. Or., May 27. (Special.)
Norman Williams, forger, bigamist, uxurl
cido and murderer of women, sits In the
shadow of tho gallows now. Tonight at
8 o'clock the clerk read from a typewrit
ten piece of paper the fateful words:
"We, the Jury. And the defendant, Nor
man Williams, guilty of murder In the
first decree."
Out of Norman Williams' mouth came
tho evidence which Is to hang him. "A
eelf-convlcted murderer," Deputy District
Attorney Wilson called him, and truly it
was the amazing contradictions of Wil
liams' stories as to when he last saw the
murdered Nesbltt women that fastened
first the suspicion and then the certainty
of guilt upon him.
After receiving their instructions from
the Judge the jury retired to their room
about 6 o'clock this afternoon and took
their first ballot to determine whether
the prisoner killed his wife, Alma Nes
bltt. and her 70-year-old mother in the
wilds of the Hood River Valley four
years ago. Tho vote showed nine ballots
for conviction of murder in the first de
gree, two for acquittal and one blank. A
second ballot showed ten votes for con
viction and two for acquittal. The jury
then went to supper.
News Brings Crowd Flocking.
The third ballot, token Immediately af
ter their return, was unanimous for con
viction and word -was sent for tho Judge,
Not only the Judge and the attorneys,
but all The Dalles responded. From every
corner flocked girls and boys, young men
and women, who trooped Into the court
room to see 12 men condemn another man
to death, deserved undoubtedly, but
ghastly.
Sheriff Sexton is off on a holiday, and
children, pug dogs, admiring mothers and
lunch baskets rollicked up and down the
aisles. Even the arrival of the prisoner,
pallid and afraid, escorted bj Deputy
Sheriffs Olniger and Halght, did not stop
the gladsome frolics. Williams sat be
side his attorney very calm and very pale.
Only tho twitching of his unrestful eye
brows and an unusual twirling of his
thumbs betrayed the quickening pulse he
must have felt. As the jurors filed into
the box the prisoner kept his head bowed
and did not watch them.
Jurors Seemed Nervous.
Practiced frequenters of murder
trials read the verdict in the ominous
nrvousness of tho jurors as they were
polled. Half of them could scarcely
answer to their names as the bailiff
called them. A Jury with a verdict of
not guilty is never nervous or hesitant.
Then the Judge asked them if they
had agreed upon a verdict, and they
handed a slip of paper to the clerk, wb.o
gave It to the court.
Judge Bradshaw opened it under
neath liis desk. As he read it his mouth
set and ho held it a full minute, then
ho slowly handed it to the clerk.
"Stand up," said tho court to Wil
liams, i
Williams knew his fate then. With
tho desperate courage of a hunted rat,
the man without a friend in Wasco
County stood easily erect and without
a quiver of his uneasy eyes looked
calmly at the clerk, who read tho ver
dict amid a hush that was more oppres
sive than the heat of the afternoon.
Prisoner Shows Effects of Sentence.
When the reading of the fatal opin
ion of the Jury was finished Williams
sat down again. A great flood of blood
flushed his white face and scalp.
Drops of .sweat bcadod his forehead.
The blow had fallen, and whilo he
knew it was coming, it scared and
stung his tired nerves, nevertheless.
Heading one of the aisles stood three
young girls. Awo-struck, they stared
open-eyed and open-mouthed at Wil
liams. Pitiless though the man had
been to two defenseless women on that
wild March night in the wilderness, tbo
girls pitied him and wept
George Nesbltt, whose untiring work
has brought Williams to, his doom, was
not there to see his quarry's misery.
Cither he did not know that the ver
dict was to bo returned so soon, or ho
forebore. The crowd was hushed by
the doom of Williams and hung around
in the courtroom while the attorney for
the defense asked for 60 days' time In
46
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BLAUMAUER-FRANK DRUG
which to file a motion for a new trial
and a bill of exceptions.
Only when Williams, whose second
step of the gruesome march to the
scaffold has now been taken, arose and
marched with head erect between two
bailiffs down the aisle back to his cell,
there to abide the Judgment of the law,
did the assembled throngs disperse.
Offer to Plead Guilty.
The report Is current in town tonight
that Williams offered to plead guilty to
murder in the second degree after tho
Jury had been out an hour without re
turning a verdict. This story is denied
by the attorneys on both sides, but has
nevertheless many earmarks of truth.
The conviction of Williams was due
only and entirely to the absolute weak
ness of his case. His only defenses
were the large and robust voice of
Henry McGinn and tho supposed inabil
ity of the prosecution to prove that the
Nesbltt women were dead. If human
eloquence could have turned the tide
in favor of Williams this morning and
afternoon, argument of his attorney
would surely have done it. But McGinn
stood against public sentiment like a
solitary post in tho Columbia River,
stationary itself while the current
flows past on either side unhindered.
Judge Bradshaw will pass sentence
on Wlliams on Wednesday next.
WILLIAMS IS VERY DOWNCAST.
Strain on the Nerves Too Much for
the Murderer.
THE DALLES, Or., May 27. (Staff Cor
respondencesPromptly at 9 o'clock in the
morning Norman Williams, escorted by two
Deputy Sheriffs, walked up the crowded
aisle of the courtroom and sat down by his
attorney. He clasped his hands in front of
him, and with bowed head sat motionless
all morning. Not all the denunciation of
Deputy District Attorney Wilson, nor yet
the friendly eloquence of Judge McGinn,
awakened visible interest in the prisoner
today- It seemed as though the strain
ing nerves and wits would respond no
more to the twanging touch and goading
of the prosecution.
Proceedings opened with the presenta
tion to tho court of tho Instructions which
the state requested should be given to the
jury- For the prosecution, Fred W. Wil
son urged that the court should instruct
tho jury that any false or conflicting
statements of the prisoner should be taken
Into account.
Where Body Was Wot Shown.
The celebrated case of John W. Web
ster, professor of chemistry in Harvard
University, who murdered Dr. George
Parkman, in Boston, many years ago,
and then burned his body in the labora
tory furnace, was cited as showing that
it was not necessary that the corpse of
the victim should be produced. The more
recent Luetgert case was also quoted, and
many others.
The Durant case, tried in San Francisco,
was appealed to by Mr. Wilson to sup
port his argument that circumstantial evi
dence was good' evidence -and 'In explain
ing what degree of hesitancy a reasonable
doubt might be.
At 9:20 Mr. Wilson turned to the jury
and began an able presentation of the
state's case. He laid especial stress upon
the secret marriage of Alma Nesbltt to
tho prisoner as furnishing an additional
and potent motive for the crime.
"This marriage made Williams a big
amist," urged Mr. Wilson. "It hung above
him tho menace of a penitentiary sen
tence, and it deprived either himself or
Miss Nesbltt of a homestead. The Fed
eral law provides that when two home
stead claimants marry, they shall not
both be allowed to prove up on their
claims, but that they must .choose one
claim or the other as their residence and
abandon the other."
Where Murderers Would Profit.
In speaking of the fact that the state
had not produced tho bodies of tho miss
ing women and the consequent probabil
ity that the defense would base their en
tire case upon this, Mr. Wilson insisted
to the jury that the introduction of Alma
Nesbltt's body was not necessary, if the
proof of her death was strong enough to
preclude all doubt on tho subject.
"If this were not so," said Mr. Wilson,
"all a murderer would have to do would
be to sink his victim in some unfathom
able part of the sea and he could never be
prosecuted."
The attorney then argued that the state
really had exhibited tho remains of the
Nesbltt woman in tho hair and bloody
sacks. Referring to Williams' statement
made before tho trial that these were
animal products, dog's hair and the blood
from a mare delivering a foal, Mr. Wil
son said:
"If Williams' statement were correct, this
would be the most remarkable chemical
transformation known in the world, to
put mare's blood and dog's skins into a
hole and have them come out four years
later human blood and human hair."
Prosecution Is Shut Off.
Then came the generalship of Judge Mc
Ginn, which shut the prosecution out from
further argument, or rehearsal of its dam
aging evidence before the jury. For about
three hours the eloquent lawyer argued
ostensibly In behalf of the instructions
for the jury which he was about to re
quest the court to make. In reality Judge
McGinn made precisely the same argu
ment to the court that he would have
made to the Jury. The Jury heard It, and
that was all the lawyer for the defense
wanted.
"The nonproduction of the bodies Is not
excused here," cried Judge McGinn, "thev
law Is plain and explicit on this point, not
from any arbitrary whim, but because of
a long and sorrowful experience wherein
many an innocent man has been executed
for the murder of somebody who has later
turned up alive."
"One case after another was cited, and
(Concluded oa Page 12.)
CO., SOLE DISTRIBUTERS.
OREGON LOSES IT
Title Found Faulty in
Swarpp-Laiid Case.
HITCHCOCK GIVES DECISION
Klamath Reservation Tract of
92,378 Acres Involved.
INDIANS ARE VICTORIOUS
Their Rights Are Held to Antedate
the Grant to the State-Appeal
Is Not Likely -to
Avail Anything.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, -Washington,
May 27. The State of Oregon has
no title to swamp lands within tho
Klamath Indian reservation. Such is the
decision of the Secretary of the Interior
rendered today, in affirming the action of
the Land Office, of November IS last. In
rejecting Oregon swamp land list No.
S2, embracing 92,378 acres in the Klamath
reservation. The decision of the depart
ment is based on the fact that Indian
title to these lands antedates the swamp
grant to the State of Oregon. It is held
that the Oregon territorial act of 1S18
recognized the title or right of occupancy
of the Klamath Indians and associated
tribes to lands In Southern Oregon, which
bad previously been claimed by them. In
1SS1 these tribes, by treaty, ceded to tho
United States all their right to all that
country claimed by them, except lands
embraced within the present Klamath
reservation, within whose boundaries, the
swamp lands now in dispute are located.
Out of the total area claimed by the
state, E6.2S1 acres have been allotted to
the Klamath Indians. Time and again
the department has held that the issu
ance of a patent is final and the only act
of confirmation of tltlo under the swamp
land grant, and as no patent has yet
Issued for tcesa lands, it follows that
reservation was made.biforo the title of
the state to any of the lands therein was
affirmed.
"Tho Indian title to Klamath lands,"
says the Secretary, "still remains unex
tinguished, and such title was In the
same condition at the date of the swamp
land grant In 1860, as It was after the
treaty of 1S64. This treaty reduced the
extent of the possessions of the Indians,
henco the reservation provided for was
established in pursuance of the law en
acted prior to the swamp land act of
1869."
If it so desires, the state can ask for a
review of the decision, and if the motion
is granted, the case will bo reopened by
the Secretary of the Interior. Otherwise
today's action is final. Inasmuch as the
department 'cas had the case under con
sideration more than three months, it is
CONTENTS OF TODAY'S PAPER
Rosso-Japanese War.
Graphic account of Japanese victory at Kin
chou. Page 1.
Japanese arc expected to move on Port Ar
thur at once. Page 5.
Japanese losses are placed at 12,000. Page 5.
Russia publishes news of defeat while people
are celebrating coronation of the Czar.
Pace 5.
Church Conventions.
Methodists decide to make no change in dis
cipline regarding amusements. Page G.
Presbyterian Assembly decides for union with
Cumberland Presbyter- by almost unani
mous ote. Page 5.
Foreign.
Premier Combes," for France, says papacy
must not meddle in Internal affairs. Page 3.
Mob making anti-Semitic attack In Bessarabia
Is found to have subjected women to indig
nities. Page 3.
Domestic.
Secretary of Interior decides Oregon has no
title to Klamath Reservation swamp lands.
Page 1.
Good Roads Convention in 1903 will be held In
Portland. Page 3.
Senator Quay's condition Is now critical.
Page 12.
First Grand Engineer Ingraham, of Brother
hood of Engineers, drops dead in convention
at Los Angeles. Page 3.
I'arlflc Coast.
Jury In The Dalles finds Norman Williams
guilty of murder In the flrstdegree. Page 1.
Mrs. Herast withdraws benefactions to Berke
ley University; son's campaign Is expensive.
Page 4..
Oregon State Grange asks for better facilities
for country (Khools. Page 4.
At Heppner wool sales oxer 1.500,000 pounds
of wool change hands. Page 4.
Commercial end Murine.
Trade reviews report Improved outlook. Page
13.
Chicago wheat market dull. Page 13.
Stock trading at New York Is at low ebb.
Page 13.
Dull hop market at San Francisco. Page 13.
War Department awards contract under law
not yet In force. Page 12.
China steamer Nlcoinedla sails today. Page 12.
Freshet In rivers checked. Page 12.
Sports.
Pacific Coast League scores: Portland 5, San
Francisco 0; Tacoma 7. Seattle 2; Oakland
S, Los Angeles 2. Page D.
Portland and Vicinity.
Exorbitant Interest on redemption of delin
quent property Is held Illegal. Page 14.
Executive Board strives to rind way out of
SullU'an's Gulch bridge muddle. Page S.
Women's Club discusses methods of beautify
ing the city. Page S.
Large contracts for street paving awarded.
Page 14.
Walter R. Mllles wins Prohibition oratorical
contest. Page 14.
Memorial day Is observed in the schools. Page
14.
Republican leaders predict large plurality.
Page 14. -
not probable that the Secretary, on re
consideration, would change bis view.
BANCROFT SAFE UNTIL JUNE.
Postmaster Will Not" Be' Disturbed
Before the Election.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash
ington, May 27. It Is almost certain that
Postmaster Bancroft will be allowed to
retain his office until -after the Oregon
election next month. Postmaster-General
Payne did not take the case to the-White
House today, and seems in no hurry to
place the matter in the hands of the
President. He -is known to favor delay
for political effect, and also because he
has been requested to do so by Senator
Mitchell. If tho other officials In the de
partment who have handled the case, In
cluding General Bristow, could have their
way, there would be no delay, but an im
mediate change would be demanded, re
gardless of the delay that is sought by
Bancroft's friends. It Is probable when
Senator Mitchell returns to Washington
next week be will have an understanding
with the department about this appoint
ment, and will indicate his preference
among several candidates, so that there
need be no delay in appointing Bancroft's
successor when a change is decided upon.
More Salary for Idaho Postmasters.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash
ington, May 27. Under the annual re
adjustment of salaries of Presidential
Postmasters, the following changes in
Idaho will become effective July 1:
Increase Boise, $2S00 to ?2900; Burke,
$1100 to $1200; Couer d'AIene, Grangevllle,
Nampa, Payette, $1500 to $1700; Genesee,
Shoshone, $1200 to $1300; Hope, $1000 to $1100;
Lewiston, $2300 to $2100; Nez Perce, $1100
to $1300; Rathdrum, Rexburg, $1200 to
$1400; Sand Point, $1400 to $1600; Wallace,
$2100 to $2200; Welser, $1800 to $1900.
Decrease-rHarrison, $1300 to $1100; Sliver
City, $1400 to $1200.
Navy-Yard Contract Is Let.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash
ington, May 27. The Navy Department
today awarded to T. Ryan, of Seattle, the
contract for erecting a boathouse at the
Puget Sound Navy-Yard. The plans will
be modified to bring the cost under the
$150,000 limit of appropriation.
New Washington Postmasters.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash
ington, May 27. Washington Postmasters
were appointed today as follows:
Gordon Ralph C. McDowell, vice James
H. Barkley, resigned.
Highland William J. Bogan, vice Mer
ton J. Hills, resigned. f
PEAKS FOE JBRITISH TROOPS.
London Can Get No Word From the
Army in Thibet.
SPECIAL CABLE.
LONDON, May 27. There Is a general
feeling that Colonel Tounghusband's ex
pedition to Thibet has met with disaster.
Despite 'the fact Nthat a largo body of
troops -has. 7dfi l$ Stis5 M zliove
the garrison there, no word has been re
ceived from Colonel Younghusband for
three days and it is feared the British
column has been overcome.
Orders have been Issued to the Indian
government to send reinforcements to
Colonel Younghusband. The troops under
orders number 10,000 and more will be
sent If necessary-
JAPANESE MAY REST AWHILE.
They Are in No Condition for Quick
Descent on Enemy's Second Line.
CHICAGO, May" 27. A special from
Chefoo to the Daily News says:
Considerable delay Is expected before
the Japanese follow up their reported
victories on the narrowest part of tho
peninsula. The fighting which pro
ceded tho fall of Kinchou must have
been exhausting, and the ensuing pur
suit must have left the Mikado's troops
in no condition for a quick descent on
General Stoessel's second line of de
fense. On the left flank, the, Russians
are protected by the muddy fereshoro
of Kinchou Bay, on the right by the
fortifications of Dalny, while their
main position is strongly fortified by a
series of batteries. The Japanese will
thus be compelled not only to make a
frontal attack, but to encounter the fire
of many guns advantageously placed.
lOFBEBL T0ULfi5E .. '
I AU. VIE BUtHD DOING 15 MX
ygTK it. j iplli - TH
WILL STAND
Methodists Pass on
AmusementQuestion.
YEA VOTE MOST DECISIVE
Theater-Going and Dancing
Are Especially Mentioned,
TACOMA MAN GETS OFFICE
E. M. Randall Is Elected Secretary of
the Epworth League After a
Warm Contest-Table Used at
Conference Raffled Off.
LOS ANGELES, CaL, May 27. By the
decisive yea and nay vote of 441 to
188. the Methodist General Conference
this afternoon decided not to make
any change in the church discipline in
She matter of prohibited amusements.
The question Is one which has agitated
tho minds of the delegates to the pres
ent General Conference this afternoon
decided not to make any change In the
church discipline in the matter of pro
hibited amusements. The question is
one which has agitated the minds of
the delegates to the present General
Conference perhaps more than any
other single problem that ha3 been be
fore it. Tho church at largo took a
wide interest in tho subject of the
proposed striking out of the specified
prohibited amusements from the dis
cipline, and many memorials and peti
tions from all parts of the country re
flected, popular opinion in the church
on the matter. In all, 65 were received,
55 of which opposed any change in the
discipline on this point and ten favored
various changes. A single petition from
BInghampton, N. Y., bearing 2000 sig
natures, was one of the protests against
any chango being made.
Majority Report Which Won.
The question came before the confer
ence today in the report of the com-
mlttfifi nn tho Rtatn nf tha nlm.n1 ..
AtMa subject,-'There "were' two reports.
The majority report recommends as
follows:
"Your committee declines to recom
mend the striking out of the specified
amusements from paragraph 248 of the
discipline. It recommends that the
following paragraph be inserted in the
discipline under the chapter on special
advices:
"Amusements Improper amusements
and excessive indulgence in innocent
amusements are serious barriers to the
beginning of the religious life and
fruitful causes of spiritual declines:
"Some amusements in common use
are also positively demoralizing and
furnish the first easy steps to the total
loss of character. We, therefore, look
with deep concern on the great in
crease of amusements and on tho gen
eral prevalence of harmful amusements
and lift up a solemn note of warning
and entreaty, particularly against theater-going,
dancing and such games of
chance as aro frequently associated
with gambling; all of which have been
found to be antagonistic to vital piety,
promotive of worldllness, especially
pernicious to youth. We affectionately
admonish all our people to make their
amusements the subjects of careful
thought and frequent prayer, to study
the subject of amusements in the light
IN THE HANDS OF HIS FRIENDS
of their tendencies, and to bo scrupu
lously careful in this matter, to set no
injurious example. We adjure them to
remember that the question for a
Christian' must often be, not whether a
certain course of action Is positively im
moral,' but whether it will dull the spir
itual life and be an unwise example.
"We deem it our bounden duty to sum
mon the whole church to apply a
thoughtful and instructed conscience of
amusements, and not to leave them to
accident or passion, and we affection
ately advise and beseech every mem
ber of the church absolutely to avoid
'the taking of such diversion as cannot
be used in the name of the Lord. "
Speeches Cut Short.
The conference limited the speeches
upon this proposition to five minutes.
Nearly a score of speeches were made
on both sides. -
Upon the order of the previous ques
tion a nay and yea vote was demanded
for the first time during the present
conference. This subject was the only
question precipitating a yea and nay
vote in the General Conference of four
years ago at Chicago." The calling of
the roll occupied the remainder of the
afternoon session. The majority re
port was adopted by practically a
unanimous vote.
Prior to the disposition of the amuse
ment question, Dr. F. B. Board was
elected editor of the California Cnris
tlan Advocate. The conservatives voted
to send aid to seven partially self-supporting
church papers, the amounts
voted ranging from $2000 to $250 each
per annum.
E. M. Randall, of Tacoma, Wash., was
elected secretary of the Epworth
League, and J. T. McFarland. of Topo
ka, Kan., secretary of the Sunday
School Union, at the morning session
of the Methodist General Conference.
Both elections were hotly contested,
and it required half a dozen ballots in
each case to arrive at a choice.
A delegation from the convention of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi
ners now in session, conveying the
greetings of that organization to the
conference.
An incident which furnished 15 min
utes' amusement to the conference was
the auctioning off of a beautiful hand
carved table, which had been used by
the presiding officers at this confer
ence. The table was made by the boys'
of the Methodist Industrial School at
"Venice, Italy, and is a wonderful piece
of work in the art of wood moulding.
Rev. Beck, a delegate from the South
Germany Conference, acted as auction
eer. The bids were started at $100 ana
ran up to $1000, at which price It was
knocked down to Boaz Duncan, a
citizen of Los Angeles.
The plan to provide a fund for super
annuated preachers, as reported from
the committee, was debated at great
length, and was finally recommitted for
further consideration by the committee.
It will come up again before the con
ference adjourns.
At 6 o'clock this evening the confer
ence adjourned. Reconvention was
held at 8 o'clock.
CLEARS THE WAY FOR UNION.
Methodist Protestant Conference
Adopts Supplemental Report.
WASHINGTON, May 27.Th& Methodist
Protestant Conference today cleared" tfie
way for union between Itself and the four
denominations with which negotiations
are pending, by the adoption of a supple
mental report from its committee on
union. If two-thirds of the members of
the various conferences vote for union
with the Primitive Methodists, the union
will be consummated, so far as the Meth
odist Protestants are concerned. Action
was taken yesterday looking to union with
the United Brethren and the Congrega
tional churches.
With respect to the Methodist Episcopal
Church, whenever it shall appoint a com
mission to consider the question of union,
the president of the General Conference is
authorized to appoint a like commission
to consider terms. The president of the
conference is given authority to call the
conference together whenever any com
mission or union shall request It.
GEO. GOULD TO ENTER POLITICS
He Will Try for a Seat in Congress
From New Jersey.
NEW YORK, May 27. The World to
morrow will say:
Republican politicians received with
much satisfaction yesterday a report that
George Gould is to enter politics and he
will try for a seat in the House of Repre
sentatives from New Jersey, where he has
a country seat.
BRAVE TO GORE
Japanese Victory at Kin
chou Brilliant
FOUGHT SIXTEEN HOURS
Russians Are Finally Bested
in Hand-to-Hand Struggle. v
GREAT ODDS ARE OVERCOME
Military Experts Deemed the Position
Impregnable-Advance on Port
Arthur Is Expected to
Follow at Once.
TOKIO, May 38, noon. Tne Russians have
abandoned Nan Quan ling- and have been
driven from Sancbillpu, retreating toward
Port Arthur. The Japanese have captured
SO cannon. The Russians left 400 dead In
the Klnchou-N&n Shan flight. On the Japan
ese side, the killed and wounded number 300.
SPECIAL CABLE TO THE LONDON TIMES
AND PORTLAND OREGONIAN.
TOKIO, May 27. After two days of des
perate fighting, the investment of Kin
chou has become a fact. The prepara
tory engagements of Sunday, Monday and
Tuesday led to the final effort on Wed
nesday to take the heights of Kinchou,
including the fortress known as the
castle. An artillery engagement, begin
ning at dawn on Wednesday morning,
lasted five hours, after which period Gen
eral Oku, commanding all the army divi
sions, sent Lieutenant-General Baron
Kawamura, of the Tenth, Twenty-ninth,
Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Regiments, to
storm the heights. This was the be
ginning of the great battle, which ended
at 7 o'clock on Thursday night, when the
Japanese infantry. In a " hand-to-hand
conflictdrove the Russian defenders from
the Nan Shan hill, said by military au
thorities to be practically impregnable.
From this hill, Dalny la absolutely at
the mercy of the Japanese from the west,
as are the hills leading directly to the
Port Arthur fortifications.
, '- "Pokfo Wild With Joy. ' .
While General Oku, through Admiral
Togo, telegraphs that the Japanese loss
was heavy in the two days of fighting,
Tokio Is wild with joy, and the streets
are filled with men, women and children,
marching in. line behind bands, and ail
carrying lanterns.
The great triumph north of Port Ar
thur has confirmed the always strong
belief with the Japanese that their
soldiers are more than a match for tho
Muscovite enemy. As all the dispatches
show that the Russians fought with des
perate valor, there Is no doubt also that
their losses were heavy.
The Russians had made elaborate prepa
rations to check the Japanese march
south on the Liao Tung Peninsula toward
Port Arthur. They had fortified the high
ground on the south shore of Talienwan
Bay, their works extending to the east
and the west. The extreme Russian right
was at Hushang Tao and the extreme left
at Nan Shan Hill. This hill was tho
strongest part of the line; a series of bat
teries, strongly emplaced, crowned its
crest, while rifle pits extended around its
sides. Mines had been placed lower down
on this hill and around the base on tho
northern and eastern sides were stretched
well-made wire entanglements. Another
line of defenses, also protected with wire
entanglements, extended from Yenchla
tun, which lies south of Kinchou. A
strong Russian force was posted at Kin
chou. It consisted of infantry and ar
tillery. The Japanese first occupied the line of
hills to the east of Kinchou. Their posi
tion here formed an almost perfect right
angle, showing Its southern front to Ta
lienwan and Its western front to Kin
chou. Chiulichan village was the apex
of this angle; the extreme right of tho
Japanese line rested at Chenchatln, which
is almost due north of Chiulichan. while
the extreme left was at Chaltzuho, a
village due east of Chiulichan. Back of
this angle the attacking force assembled la
complete security.
Japanese Explore Ground Carefully.
The Russians apparently attempted to
draw the Japanese attack last Saturday,
for their batteries opened fire slowly on
the enemy on that day. The Japanese,
however, refused to be drawn further on
until the positions of the Russians, their
guns and their strength had been fully
developed. To this end tho Japanese be
gan a series of careful reconnaissances,
their officers working their way close
enough to the Russian position to draw
tho enemy's fire. They thus secured frag-
' ments of shells for the purpose of ascer
taining the caliber of the Russian guns.
They discovered that the batteries, on
Nan Shan Hill included four Howitzers,
of about 15 centimeters caliber; ten old
style cannon of between 9 and 15 centi
meters caliber, and two quick-firing guns
of 12 centimeters. The Japanese discov
ered also a number 'of large emplace
ments, but they did not learn the num
oer of guns contained therein. These em
placements faced to the north and to the
east.
The guns fired by the Russians devel
oped a range of S30O meters. Eight heavy
guns posted on the Russian right In the
vicinity of Hu Shang Tao also were Ala
covered, and another strong Russian po
sition developed by these reconnaissances
was on another hill southwest of Nan
Shan Hill, where the Russians had a se
ries of shelter trenches.
On the shore of Talienwan Bay, close
T .
(Concluded oa Page Five.)