Evening star., 1898-10-28

of Manila will continue for weeks yet as a
constant menace to the health of the
American soldier.
Sentiment Regarding Annexation.
! OF course the officers and soldiers are
waiting with considerable anxiety to learn
| what is to be done with the Philippines
| The sentiment of resIu.rts of the city, as
| expressed principally by the English resi-
| dents and other business men, many of the
| Spanish traders even so expressing them
| selves, is that the Americans should retain
! the islands or place them under an nterna-
| tonal prctectorate. They say that If the
| islands are restored to the Spaniards the
insurgents will never submit, and constant
revolutions and uprisings will follow, max
| ing life unsafe and disturbing business. In
| this case also, the English add, they will
be obliged to leave the islands and sacrifice
their immense business interests, because
| the Well-known sympathy of England with
America during the war has created very
bitter feeling among the Spanish officers
and those formerly in authority for the
| English. On the other hand an insurgent
republic is evidently inpossble-they are
| rot capable of self-government. They are
| unbridled in their passions fierce and vim
| dlctive, and while they have many wrongs
and expressions to avenge, are not at all
| particular on whom the revenge falls, and
! II they once got control of the city there is
no doubt that the horrors of ndiscriminate
| massacre and piiiage would follow. Again
the insurgents are not united among them
| serves. There are powerful factions and
ambitious leaders who do not recognize
Aguinaldo, and are jealous of his authority
ana power. 1t Is a complex question but
| IN the hands of the able commission an
pointed II Will doubtless be settled properly
speaking of wrongs to avenge, the torture
| In the Philippines was in operation as late
| as last June My informant is an English
| business man of high standing, whose word
| Is uAinpeachable. He states that as late
| as June the thumb
oners in Manila, and that there were MANY
cases or natives being held under pump
| their mouths forced open, and held there
until they gave the desired informa atiou-or
dled under the torture. In the inspection
OF the prisons many apparent cases were
found of political persecution Young
man native twentyfour years old was
found in one of the prisons who had been
there twelve years. The charge against
iLfn on the prison record was resisting the
Spanish arms" Such an offense and such
d punishment for lad but twelve years of
agei N
In the Black Hole.
Inc papers some months ago published
story of more than one hundred insur-
gents being smother ed in dungeon in the
walled city-a second black hole Of CAL
cutta." This story was denied for time
by the Spanish, but afterward they stated
! that the dungeon in which the prisoners
unusually high tide flooded the cell and
drowned the prisoners The writer has a
revised version of the story. coming from
a doctor who was called to attend some
or the unfortunates who survived the hor-
rors of that night According to this yer-
sion nearly one hundred and fifty insur-
sents-men. women and children-were
CT fowded into dungeon only large enough
for a quarter of that number 1t was in
the very hottest of the weather, and the
sufferers, packed like sardines In a box,
Eegan 10 call for water A pail of water
vas taken into them, and the Wretches in
their struggle, spilled the water and mutt
lated and manned each other in their des-
perate fight. The cries and groans of the
wounded and the continued pleadings of
the suffocating, parched victims for air
and water so irritated the sentry that he
shut the trap door in the top of the dun
geon, the only source of light and air. The
suferings of the dying prisoners can be
| imagined. In the morning all but a few
were dead.
Superstition Abounds.
! The natives very superstitious, and
| see portents and omens on all occasions
| The insurgents in and about Manila were
very much exercised recently by the ap-
pearance of sword-shaped cloud near
| the moon. The cloud certainly resembled
very closely short cavalry sword. The
| natives state that Just before the breaking
| out of the rebellion in 1896 a similar por-
tent appeared ia the SKY his second ap-
pearance they interpreted finally to have
reference to the passing Of Manila from
Spanish control.
Well Known in Washington.
Washington readers of The Star will, of
course. be interested In the whereabouts
and status of old friends who are located
| in this far-away country
| Gen. Arthur Macarthur, after serving for
| few weeks as provost marshal general
of the conquered district, was placed In
| command of one Of the divisions Of the 9Th
| Corps as a result of his promotion to major
general Capt. c. G. Sawtelie, jr.. continues
as aid on General MacArthur's staff.
Col. Chas. Mcclure, chief paymaster OF
the Sth Army Corps, Is one of the busy men
| in Manila Colonel Mcclure has charge of
| all the funds required for the pay Of the
army and has haau 4 xals,ahla advisar of