GENERAL STOESSEL'S TRIAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 118, 11 February 1908, Page 8

GENERAL STOESSEL'S TRIAL.

: Another'page'in the.':tr ( iigic'|,history, of.' tho' surrender, of 'Port Arthur, was: 6ominehced on December 10, yrKeiu Generals'i.Stoessel;. Reis6, li'ock, and. Siniriioif werei'plabc'd ,011: trial, in tho beautiful whitb-oplumned,: hall ; vl of J ..tho ■Army,. Club. " % -..0il court-martial taking their seats on .the. temporary" stago erected.-at, bno'.encl...of -tho. hill, a: hundred ' and. vfifty/-'::withbsse's-..filed.. ; iny headed: by General, Kuropstkiri; who passed -olaso.'to>,General StoesselM.wifjhbut'.'giving.tho' latter any sigiv of recognition; 1 . , - : General Stoessel/appears'-.- restored .• to .health aiid carried, himselfboldly,. . He,conducted his own defeiico'iii>the,'fc'.vn.. Nitmor-: ous officers ! who';had'. : '/servbd; ; >ihdcr. liirii. at •l'prt.Arthur kissed him'; b,iit v j}one was talking'.to or even' greeting!;. General' with whom,, 011' the.-,.'ot)ier.^.'harid,; Geheiral jluropatkin spoke for ' half ' an. 4 hbur. . 'Tho Court has divid<kl ;: .tho,fcase..intb three 'sections, the period upHb.-the" investment of I'ert Arthur by, tho Japanese;.,the siege,, and tho 'surrender. General,; Eurbpatkm was questioned to-day. about "thq Ein-chaii'opera-tions, involving General Fxick primarily, arid General Stoesselsecondarily, . When;, askotl if" ho visited • Kin-chau :in;.l9o.4.,during a tour !of inspection, General Kutbpatkiii answered,' with evident- anger,. thaf,", Admiral - Alexeibff refused; to allow During most of'the', afternoon Kur.6patkin ; ;,Vstood ■ alorib, 'with his left;arin behind bis back;. ..'-

The , part of his •' testimony, which aroused the.most,interest- was), ther,' statement that the' whole 1 theory' and l plan, of .'.the: war presupposed the speody, defeat;, of' the' Japanese Beet. In'this way wai explained,the backward state of J-'ort Arthur and. the dispositions for its dofence;v^'.;'\ General -Pock- undertook to;,'cross-examine General Kuropatkini grew into an, exculpatory address to the Court. '■ Tlio triar is still prbceedih'g; :