The times., 1898-12-25

the ends which he proposed to himself.
They went away, but not without charg-
ing me to consider well the matter of
making clean breast OF it, for this
would be the only way of escape from
very compromising position
Father Alvarez. whose visits were
more frequent. said to me on one occasion
that Father Gaerlan, who had been sent
to San Fernando on the requisition of the
civil governor of the province. had there
declared the whole truth, viz, that he
had really contrived plot the purpose OF
which was to exterminate all the S.),.n-
iards of that province. Father Alvarez
added that /, being a friend of Father
Gaeran. must be involved in the con-
spiracy, or that at the least / must be
aware Of its existence. At each reply
which l made him, denying both of his
inferences. he deeply insulted me, giving
me once also 4 tremendous buffet.
Farewell, MY Brother
On October % Father Alvarez put me
in irons with an air of triumph. asserting
that he did so at the order of the pro-
visor. On the same date. after midday
the fathers OF the seminary entered my
prison with great deal of noise, accom-
panied by Father Garces, who they said
was to be sent to Manila the same day
and they said to him. with rude signs of
despite. contempt and mockery: Take
leave of thy companion in crime, for al
ready thy head smells of gunpowder, an,
on reaching Manila they will shoot thee
at once at Bagumbayan Uhe Lunetta)."
And tnereupon they ordered us to shake
hands. Father Garces saying to me. with
the utmost feeling: Farewell my brother;
pray for me-
50 ON the 9th of the said month the pro-
visor returned to see me, subjecting me
to the same inquiry and asking in add
tion why had kept mp relations with Don
lsabelo de los Reyes, and why | had one
night admitted to my house Don Irenio
Javier notary public of Unlon). instead
of throwing him into the street, since
knew. according to my interlocutor, that
he was a bad man. / answered that ii
was true that Senor Reyes and l had
corresponded at the time when he edited
the. fortnightly periodical Eel Ilocano,
and for the reason that he had begged
! me as a friend from childhood and an
old fellow-student, to write for his jour
nal, and in my desire to contribute to the
I Christian instruction of my fellow-coun-
trymen / did send him translations in the
HOGAN language of sacred history, other
! Spain. And as for Senior Javier. ] could
do no less than receive him. since be-
4 sides being in my estimation a very rep
I utabie person. ] believed myself comply
| ing with a Christian duty in being hos
pitable.
Reasons for the Accusation.
% THE father insisted on accusing me of
fibustering and Masonry, on the ground
/ rl,n
had protested under oath their innocence
| of each charge while at the seminary,
had at last confessed themselves guilty
| at San Fernando on being interrogated
by the governor. And, rs ! maintained
my innocence and the manifest impossi-
| bility that a Catholic priest could take
| upon himself the disgrace or entering the
| Masonic order, which he knew to be con-
demned by the church, then. after insult
| ing me with the harshest epithets, he
gave the order to fog In the very
| presence of the fathers superior of the
seminary, he who acted as executioner
being the Very Rev Father Brother An
tonic Blanco professor of morals. phys
les, and chemistry, who gave me twen-
ty-five stripes with the "bejuco, sort
of rattan about the thickness of a mans
finger The provisor, not content with
this, charged the fathers superior that
they should give me twenty-five blows
every day until / told the truth tcanter
las verdades). instructing them, further
more, that, until that day. | was TO have
nothing but boiled rice and water to eat
this last order being literally complied
with until left the seminary, on Novem-
Der I.
Ion the following morning I was ex-
pecting them to call me to receive the
promised beating. but, happily, it did no,
take place. On the night of the same day,
the 2Sth, at about S O'Clock, Father Blanco
came to tax me with the ingratitude OF
the Filipinos. improvising a long dis
course. and In his violence he gave me q
| cruel box on the ear. He then went az ay
for half an hour, returning about 10. with
a tough, flexible cane (bejuco) in s
hard, with which he aroused me by sew
| eral blows on the head. His anger thus
, | allayed, he pretended to treat me with
great sweetness, telling me that If
would confess the truth the bishop would
try to save my life; if not. l should &c
from bad to worse, adding that Father
, Gaerlan, in return for having revealed
, everything, would come back to the sem
mary at once, and after a few days b,
, | sent TO his former post. And as he failed
to extract from me anything which ga:
isfied him. he declared that this in its i
constituted lie which would compronis'
, me- But, In spite of his threats of death
> mingled with cajo!eries about immed att
, liberty. he went away much disguised
and with the threat on his lips that oil
the following day / should be subjected {,
, the severest torture.
r Again Demanding "the Truth"
I'm fact. on the evil morning of Octo
{ Der q the provisor came again with tn,
demand that 1 should tell him"the truth
$ | that Is to say, that l should belle my con
r science by falsely asserting to tn,
. charges, and as i did not comply with hi
desires, he, in accordance with th
2 / fathers of the seminary had summone,
e four Europeans of the civil guard u
4 whom they entrusted the degrading tasl
2 of torturing me. Then in the presence o
my executioners they returned to thei
cajoleries and threats, saying falsely
for as was afterward shown there wa
no such denunciation) that had been de
nounced as an accompliee in the rebel 10.
by Senors Sixto Zandueta, Gabriel TIA
vora and Florencio Baltasar when tL eli
I declarations were taken in Mania. AM
= | this said the fathers. was all the NOR
| reason why ! should denounce the afore
said gentlemen, for / could not deny 4.
: existence of the conspiracy, and it Wa
S better to denounce than to be denounc- d
l so as to avoid the torture presently to Z
inflicted upon me. Nevertheless their ar
e tifce did not escape me, and l theref ,.
answered that / could not denounce thes
t people inasmuch as l knew nothing abb
= them, or about the conspiracy IN whicl
4 the fathers sought to involve me.
Seeing the firmness and serenity o
1 .s.t, toll la1 INV