Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 March 1908 — RUSS GENERALS III FATAL DUEL [ARTICLE]

RUSS GENERALS III FATAL DUEL

Smirnoff and Fock Meet and Fire Several Shots at Each Other. FORMER IS BADLY WOUNDED Duel Caused by Memorandum Written by Smirnoff Concerning Port Arthur. Fear That Army la Split With Wm •ion Impels the Czar to Call a Conference With His 2 Advisers. At St Petersburg Wednesday a duel between Lieutenant General Smirnoff and Lieutenant General Fock, in ■which the former was probably fatally wounded, came as a tragic climax to, the surrender of Port Arthur and the recent trial by court-martial of the Russian officers responsible. > The czar was notified of the affair, •nd immediately conferred with his advisers to formulate steps for checking the dissension in the army, which has been fostered by the factions created by the sentence of General Stoes•el. '

Several Shota Exchanged. Standing only a few feet apart in the riding school —of the Chevalier Guard regiment, the duelists fired at saeh oiher with revolve*™. Several /hots h id been exchanged, when General Smirnoff fell, and hie seconds rushed to his side to find him gasping and d itching at his heart. • He was secretly removed from the school and given medical attention, while General Fock was spirited away by his friends. Every effort was made to conceal the affair, but the statement that General Smirnoff would not live forced his caretakers to communicate with his friends. The duel was caused by the memorandum written by General Smirnoff jn the siege of Port Arthur, in which lie. questioned the courage of General Fock. The latter considered that his honor and recitation were Involved and challenged the author. Tried with Stoessel. Generals Smirnoff and Fock were tried in connection with the charges upon which the courVniartlai seii-j ten" d General Stoessel to death. Geun era! Smirnoff was declared guilty of not .having taken measures to pnjjfent*" the surrender of Port Arthur to the Japs, for which General Stoessel was held responsible. » (-' neral Fock was charged wlth the premature, evacuation of Important ■fortifications In orders to Impress the jjarlson with the necessity for a spi dy surrender. ( eneral I'dck was ordered reprimn ided for a disciplinary offense w) 'ch was not connected with the surrei: ler, and General Smirnoff, acting commander of the fortress, and Major Hi neral Reiss, chief of staff to Gener: l Stoessel, were acquitted of the charges against them for lack of pr iof.

Smirnoff Cause of Trial. The basts of the indictments upon which General Stoessel, General Fock. and Major General Reiss were tried w is a pecret report made by General S uirnoff on the defense of Port Arthur. Smirnoff accused Stoessel of cpwsrdlce and Incaplclty, and finally of the deliberate and treasonable hastening of the surrender to save his own life and in defiance of the decisions cf two successive councils of war.