Salt Lake Telegram | 1904-06-09 | Page 1 | Wireless Message out of Port Arthur Denies Story of Its Capture

WIRELESS MESSAGE OUT OF PORT ARTHUR DENIES STORY OF ITS CAPTURE i ST. PETERSBURG, June 9. The w-ar office is in possession of informa-tlon informa-tlon which the r. officials declare warrants war-rants a contradiction of the reports brought by Chinese fugitives to Che-foo Che-foo of a four days' land and sea attack at-tack on Port Arthur and of extensive damage to the forts. An official dispatch dis-patch from Rear Admiral Wittsoeft, ; dated June 7, reports that the enemy has been bombarding Port Arthur intermittently in-termittently from the fea. but does not mention serious operations from the land side. The general staff seems certain cer-tain that the enemy's siege guns have not yet been brought up. The admiralty is not disposed to credit the report that the Port Arthur squadron has left Port Arthur or the rumor of its Junction with the Vladi vostok squadron, though this is evidently evi-dently part of the "program. If it coms to the worst ithe Port Arthur squadron will go out! and give battle. While declining to) furnish specific information on the pubject it seems certain that the Russians are now In wireless communication with Port Arthur. Ar-thur. By no other way could the receipt re-ceipt of Admiral Wittsoeft's dispatch of June 7, reporting the Intermittent bombardment bom-bardment of Port Arthur from the sea, be accounted for. ) While the above represents the official offi-cial view regarding the' reports and the nature of the fighting around Port Arthur, this city is full of all kinds of wild stories and the tubllc is inclined to credit the idea that the enemy has already begun seriousiwork against the fortress.