STOESSEL'S SENTENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13702, 19 March 1908, Page 5

STOESSEL'S SENTENCE.

COMMUTED BY THE TSAR.

TEN YEARS IN A FORTRESS. By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. ] (Received March 1.3, 9.57 p.m.) St. Petersburg, March 18. The Tsar has commuted the sentence of death passed by the courtmartial on General Stoessel in connection with the surrender of Port Arthur to imprisonment in a fortress for ten years with the exclusion of military service and loss of rank. Tho condemnation of General Stoessel marked the final downfall of an officer who for a short period was the popular hero of his country. Within three years from the time when the plaudits of the Russian nation were his in unstinted measure, Stoessel was under suspicion, and latterly he, lias lived in dire poverty and disgrace. General Kuropatkin, in giving evidence before the court-martial, read a letter written during tho siege of Port Arthur by General Smirnoff to Colonel Gurko. stating that General Stoessel was a coward, and apt to lose his head in an assault, and that it might be necessary to place him under arrest to prevent the fall of the fortress. General Kuropatkin explained that he finally decided not to interfere with General Stoessel, because of his unexpected success in holding with about 30,000 men a fortress which theoretically required 130,000 men to defend. Later an order was issued by General Kuropatkin superseding General Stoessel as commander at, Port Arthur, and directing General Smirnoff to take command. This order was dated June 18, 1904, but Stoessel disregarded it, although it was repeated three times. It was alleged that he suppressed the copy of the order sent to General Smirnoff. During the sittings of the court-martial General Stoessel assumed entire responsibility I for the surrender. He declared that Port Arthur could have held out only a few hours, and then at the sacrifice of 20.000 lives.