Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-24

men the Spanish authorities have built
low wall of stone, which only rises about
a foot above the ground Here the I'M
happy prisoners, their arms tied behind
their backs and their faces set against the
rising sun, are stood up in rows every
morning, each a short distance from the
other The priest is the only man allowed
to converse with these prisoners from the
time they are captured until they are ex-
ecuted After the priest has administered
the last rites of the church TO the unhappy
prisoners file of soldiers standinga short
distance back from the stone wall are Or
dercd to take aim and fire.
There are no blank cartridges in this
volley. Every soldier aims his piece and
knows that it carries a death dealing bull
let
There are several soldiers for every pris
oner so that death is sure to come when
the command is given, and each prisoner
is pierced by many bullets. The spectacle
as described by an eyewitness is one which
more resembles the barbarous cruelties %
the middle ages than anything to bo
looked for in the nineteenth century.
The fortunes practiccd by the Spaniards
in the Philippine islands in order to com
pei their victims to disclose secrets about
The rcyolutionists have Mortified the resi-
dents Of Manila. They have actually
nailed prisoners by their hands to the
walls of buildings. In this position they
have been fiagellatcd. Then the thumb
screw has been applied If these fortunes
have failed the unhappy prisoners have
been taken out to witness the carly morn
ing executions on the low stone wall out
side the town, being told that they would
suffer the same fate the next day unless
they confessed
The Black Hole of Manila is worse than
that of Calcutta. In an old dungeon in
the fortress about 100 people were thrown
one night, there being hardly room for 30
The miserable wretcheS were up to their
knees in mud The next morning 80
corpses Were taken out Entrance to this
room was gained through q trapdoor III
the roof, and the only ventilation was
through barred opening underneath the
platform floor. II was found on eXamina-
ton OF the bodies that the prisoners who
had not been smothered were done to
death by fellow suf1 Arers.
With all these barbaritics the spirit of
revolution has been gaining ground. The
conditions of the country are even more
favorable for guerrilla warfare than in
ouuf'' ana the natives are as brave and
make excellent soldiers While in Cuba
the opanards must traverse marshes, in
me PhIilpplnes they must traverse the sea
IN the archipelago there are 600 islands in
chaln which stretches nearly 100 miles
from north to south. and at the widest
point Is almost 700 miles in width. The
spanish soldiers must Journey from island
10 island and conquer each one in turn
tedious undertaking. which would cost
SPAN hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
ana the flower of her young manhood has
already died IN Cuba. Each island is a
,houhtaih fortress, which can be easily
'iIiu against attack. There are few plains
Mi'ich furnish open ground for the EN-
piuS Ineh1 Oh modern military tactics.
Inc population consists chiefly of ma
yves mostly MalayS, bold and intrepid,
',e race winch supplied the buccaneers of
oia with the Malay sailors ard fighters
VINO are familiar to all readers or fiction.
while retaining their fighting abilities.
'nese descendants of pirates are the most
thllized men in the extreme east. They
sui, however, affect the savage dress. ex-
p'phiDtlS uIstElCtS, HUT
Siotnihg being worn beyond a loin cloth
W Inc e. men and short skirt by the woin-
en- They live in ~huts of pine branches
anu TIL the land. Very few of the ancient
race survive and they alone are uname-
napie 10 civilization. These. who number
M ,sss 'hah go 600, are called negritocs, or
Nttle negroes.
but the other 5000, 900 natives who fur
.isneu the pirate captains with their crews
10Y 'i, ry most powerful savages in the
world. They are physically brave and fear
~ no consequences when in battle. fighting
As 'he All eonquering Arabs who fought
u.uef 'ile standard OF Mohainmcd They
, Ieou oiiiv good officers, in the opinion of
, ,ne military experts, to make them excel
4eh' TROOPS Their prowess was proved in
pb;,;' oiiquih war, when a contingent of
- hllippihe troops rendered valuable service