The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 12, 1904, Page 1

THE WEATHER. Forecast made at San Pran- cisco for thirty hours emding midnight, March 12: San Francisco and vicinity— Cloudy. unsettled weather Jatur- day: possibly light showers; fresh southwest wind. A. G. McADIE, District Porecaster. e e THE THEATERS. : Alcazar—“At the White Horse Tavern.” Central—"“Rip Van Winkls.” Columbia—*“The Silver Slipper.” Chutes—Vaudeville. Fischer's—“The Rounders.” Lyric Hall—Homer Davenport Leciure. (Matinee Only.) nxnm—vuu-vm.. Tivoli—*“The Gypsy Baron.” Matinees at All Theaters Tc-Day. SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, MARCH: 12, 1904. PRI\ E FIVE CE NAVIES OF THE BATTLING EMPIRES LOSE TORPEDO BOATS IN CONFLICT RUSS[AN GENERAL SAYS HIS TROOPS WILL MARCH THROUGH MIKADO’S EMPIRE PARIS, March 12.--The St. Petersburg correspondent of the Echo de Paris telegraphs an interview in which General Kuropatkin is quoted as fol- lows: lesson we in Tokio and not esewhere’ “l know I am impetucus, but I shall not sacrifice the life of a single man uselessly. shall walk through their islands after crushing them in Manchuria and Korea. We shall operate in mass. In order to teach the Japanese a If I have a voice in the matter the treaty of peace will be signed Russian Admiral Reports on Clash of Ships at Night Japanese Cruisers Surround, Sinking Warship and Are Victors. 11. — Admiral Makaroff, reports from Port Arthur as fol- March n fleet, h went to sea on the night of March general command of Captam i the enemy’s torpedo-boats, followed n which the torpedo-boat destroyer exd torpedo and sank one of the On the way back the torpedo-boat de- manded by Lieutenant Sergueff, sus- ine being disabled, and she began to 1 the morning five of our torpedo-boat sosition of the Stereguschtchi became g on the cruiser/ Novik and went with the iser Boyarin to the rescue. But as five of the 1 destroyer, and as their battle- I did not succeed in saving the red. Part of the crew were made 1 pa drowned. 'I \]'I\(. OF OFFICER AND SOME SAILORS. participated in the night attack, one of- three others "were slightly nd eighteen wounded. rteen of the enemy’s ships assembled before ardment was begun with the heavy guns t were ed sailors were killed at long range. It is esti- The damage are again ready for e one officer slightly wounded, one soldier lock in the afternoon. twelve-inch shells. , and they n of the sea at night by searchlights mount- atisfactory, and several times iso- r batteries forced the enemy’s torpedo-boats to ]Hl TR ]\\ GUNS RESPOND TO FIRE OF ENEMY. the commencement of the bombardment at dawn the rtress replied to the enemy’s fire. vs of all the ships engaged gave proof of remarka- 1 action. Below decks the work of the day followed e in spite of the shells falling between the ves- them with fragments. A bombardment at nce must be regarded as ineffective, but the Japanese akasago (second class, 4227 tons) is reported to have 1 to suffer serious damage, the extent of which, however, it was impossible to ascertain at a distance of five miles. Many 1 ired at a range of seven and a half miles.” been Czar Receives Message of Disaster From Viceroy Alexieff in the Orient ST. PETERSBURG, March 11.—Viceroy Alexufi has sent ing message to the Czar: he fight between our 1orpedo-boats and the Japanese n March 11 Captain Matteussevitch and Ensign Alex- nd Mechanical Engineer Blenoff received slight wounds gn Zaeff was severely wounded in the head, losing his ‘The commandant at Porc Arthur reports the following de- of the bombardment of the fortress there on March 10: ‘As s the enemy opened fire our batteries " replied. s ships remained behind the Liao Tishin Prom- geon Bay) and opened fire on the fortress over They ceased bombarding at 1:15 p. m, The enemy I about 200 projectiles. One shell from battery No“15 on 1 ctric Cliff damaged a Japanese cruiser seriously. The results »f the bombardment were msxomficant Six soldiers were wound- ed. Three inhabitants of the town were killed and one was seri- ously wounded. ‘ “According to General Stoessel’s report, the officers and sol- diers ‘n the shore batteries displayed exemplary courage and fired their guns in perfect order,’ ” Six of the enem ontory (near Pj at \‘:4".‘ver. th i E ERCN L ILLTSTRATION. SCENE AT PORT ARTHUR WHEN ACCIDENTY CALL FOUR BROTHERS Killed by His écompanion. IR G s TACOMA, Wash, March charge of heavy shet in the caused the death of Julius Dondal, near Fairfax, yesterday morning. The shot was accidentally fired by Henry Mouline, a friend. The death of Dondal makes the fourth son lost by his mother within a year. Dondal and Mouline located a rabbit hole while hunting, carrying their guns at full cock. As they turned away, Mouline threw his left arm at “the rest.” In some way his clothing touched off the trigger while it was pointed directly at his friend. “Send for a doctor,” said the wounded man. He then fell over and expired instantly. Mouline was so horrified that it was with difficulty he was kept from shooting himself after he had re- ported the facts. A watch was placed over him. The deceased leaves a mother, one sister and two brothers. One brother was drowned in a flume near Fairfax not long ago; another was killed at the Black Diamond mines, and lanother met death accidentally last year just before the family came to this country from France. Mouline came with them. The dead man’'s rela- tives to-day signed a statement fully exonerating him. 11.—A back ROBBED WHILE AT THE ALTAR Wasmngton Man Is|Deft F‘emale Kneels | Queer Facts Develop at Prayer and Steds, LOS ANGELES, March 11.—While praying at the altar at the Catholic Cathedral to-day Mrs.. Elizabeth Gil- lette, a tourist from Baltimore, was robbed by a female pickpocket of money and checks worth $600. The checks were valuable only to her, but nearly $100 cash was also stolen. When she entered the church Mrs. Gillette was followed by a well-dressed woman and while they were kneeling at thg altar Mps. Gillette felt a tugging at her arm. As she look around the other woman was seemingly disentangling her wrap from Mrs. Gillette’s chate- laine bag, which was open. The woman excused herself and immediately left the church. A few minutes later Mrs. Gillejte @iscovered her loss and re- ported it to the. police. The descrip- tion of the thief ‘tallies with that of a woman who has committed a number of similar thefts in hotels, theaters, on street cars and elsewhere during the past month. 3 ————."fi-—- Tillman's Condition No Better, WASHINGTON, "qch 11.—Senator Tillman was reported to be not so well to-day. The expected recuperation after the operation on his throat had aot : RUSSIANS WERE PLACING TORPEDOES ON WARSHIPS. 00D WILL ks CONTEST IN NEBRASKA in the Osmer Liggap‘_ou. LINCOLN,. Neb, March 11.—Mrs. Minnie Jbhns of San Francisco to-day filed an affidavit in the District Court, claiming the Osmer estate, valued at $25,000. Attorneys made diligent search and announced that no heirs lived. Then the property was transferred to John Osmer, husband of Mollie Osmer, who died intestate, as was supposed. ‘When no heir could be discovered the property was transferred to Osmer on the plea that Mrs. Osmer made an oral transfer before she died. Attorneys for Mrs. Johns say this can be set aside as fraudulent. The story of Mrs. Osmer’s wealth is romantic. She came to Lincoln a young girl, without funds. She saved her earnings, bought a res- taurant, ran it and bought city lots. She married Osmer. a laborer. She set him to, planting trees and improving the property. Her real estate mulliplied in value at a rapid rate. In her affi- davit ‘Mrs. Johns gives her home as San Francisco, but makes no state- Special Cablegram to The Call and New York Herald. ment as to her occupation. She says she heard of Mrs. Osmer’'s death last October, while visiting friends at Wil- mi m, Ohio. Mrs. Johns clains to be a granddaughter of Mrs, Osmer, Japan Will Gather Formidable Army at Shore of Korea Pingyang to Be the Base - of Mikado’s Forces in the North. Copyright, 1904, by the New York Herald Publishing Company. SEOUL, March g (via Chefu, March 11).—The Japanese will have an army of 150,000 men in Korea within three weeks, including 35,000 already landed at Chemulpo. The scene there daily is one of disorder and chaos. The harbor’s edge is piled with 200,000 tons of stores, packs of equipment, light guns and carriage bullet-proof shields, and there are 5000 cavalry and pack horses there. ‘Troops daily ‘entrain for Seoul, whence they advance to the north in bodies of a few hundred or march direct overland or proceed in open boats fifty miles to Haiju. Thus the country north of Seoul is starred with parties converging into the Ping- yang neighborhood. A number of three-inch field guns made in Japan have been landed at Haiju and moved north. STRONG DEFENSES OF PINGYANG. Pingyang will be the northern Japanese base under Major General Kigoshi. It is an ancient walled stronghold, capable of easy defense. The guard already there is hurrying forward forts- fication of the walls. A landing will shortly commence at Won- son, where arrangements are perfect. A garrison of 6000 men is permanently established at Sesul. New barracks are near completion here, and also at Mesampso, Fussan, Wonson, Mokpo and in Northern Korea. The vicinity of Pingyang and Anju already has been the scene of the first land engagement in the present war, when the Russian scouts were forced to retire after a short skirmish. Cer- tain routes south of the Yalu River leading to Pingyang are still held by the Russians, where each village contains cavalry ag- gregating 3000. MASSING OF A GREAT ARMY. The present purpose of the Japanese is apparently to mass a great army at the narrowest part of the country above Ping- vang and await Russian attacks for a reasonable time, failing in which a- forward march will be commenced. Possibdy a co-op- erating column will be landed at Wonson for the eastern coast work, ultimately arriving before Vladivostok. Telegraphic communication with Angil has suddenly been interrupted, indicating a Russian advance southward, probably with the idea of dislodging the Japanese at Pingyang before they are strongly intrenched. The fina! movement from Seoul * will be made northward to-day. Only one garrison is remaining. The northern Korean ports will be ice free in a week, and then probably the bulk of the Japanese will be landed near Chin- amp, obviating a six days’ march. Japanese military cur- rency is being issued here under Korean imperial sanction. The Americans from the Pingyang district have assembled at Chenampo to await a transport to Chemulpo by a Japanese steamer. This has been arranged through the courtesy of the Jap- anese Minister. WOMEN AND CHILDREN REMOVED. There is a strong probability that the military compulsory closure of operations at the American mining concession, which is midway between Peju and Anju, is the center of the probable bat- tle zone. Women and children have already been removed, and the Japanese employes have deserted. The Japanese are foraging for grain throughout Korea, telling the Koreans they must help defend their own interests. Japan is pressing for a concession of the Seoul-Jibu Railway, which was allowed to-lapse by the French concessionaires, ar;d Will probably demand a strip of land ten miles on either side of this land for colonization. Japan will thus possess railway com- munication from the northernmost point to the southernmost point of Korea. UNFAVORABLE NEWS | RAILWAY ENGINEERS CASTS GLOOM OVER | HURRY COMPLETION CZARINA'S CONCERT| OF KOREAN RAILROAD PARIS, March 12. —The Matin this! Special Cable to The Call and New York mornirfg publishes a dispatch from St.| Herad Pusiinin coiny, e New York Petersburg saying that last evening during a court concert organmized by the Czarina, a rumor was current that the Russians had lost heavily during the latest Japanese attack on Port Arthur. The correspondent says the fact that the imperial box in the con- cert hall remained empty seems to give confirmation to the rumor SEOUL, - March 11.—The Japanese Government is taking remarkable mea- sures toward the rapid comstruction of the Seoul-J@i Railway. Practically all the railway engineers in Japan already have been brought here. More than Continued on [Page 4, Column & _