Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-12-28
INSURGENTS HAVE IT.
Iloilo, Capital of the Philippine
Island Panay, in Aguin-
aldo's Control.
PREoIPITATEs A SERIOUS CRISIS.

spaniards Abandon the Place, Gen. Otis
AguinaIdo-s Flag Observation-Disclosures
Admits That the Situation Has Grown
GraveIy CompIicated-Importa DeveI-
opments Soon Expected.
Washington, Dec. 2S.-A good deal
of anxiety is felt in official circles over
the recent events in Iloilo, Philippine
islands. The state and war depart
ments have both received official dis
patches on the subject, but it is i'm
possible to gather from them accurate
knowledge as TO the situation there.
1t is not even possible to learn wheth-
er the insurgents or IAmerican forces
have taken the city. This morning
Consul Pratt at Singapore cabled as
follows; "iloilo taken 24th. Spanish
fled 20 Borneo.''
This threw the officials into deeper
doubt than before. The American
expedition of 2, 900 men and the war
ships Baltimore and Callao would
scarcely have had time, it is said. to
reach Iloilo by the oath. So the in
ference is that the insurgents
are in possession. Color is lent
to this supposition by the fact
that it is reported in one dispatch that
the Spaniards retreated to the strong
ly fortified town on the island of Min
dinao. The fact that the Spaniards
retreated, whether to Borneo or Min
dinao. is construed as an indication
that the town was abandoned to the
insurgents, as they would not have
done had surrender been to the
Americans.
AguinaIdo's Flag is There.
Washington, Dec. 28.-A dispatch
from Gen. Otis at Manila received today
confirmed the war department Off
cials' fears as to what had taken place
at IlOilo. Gen. Otis says:
Sent Col. Potter on the fast vessel
to Iloilo on the 24th to communicate
with the Spanish general, Rios. The
latter evacuated on the evening of the
2Ith. The insurgents took possession
Potter was 80 hours late, and
Potter found Aguinaldo's flag
flying. | cannot now report the
probable result, and will not hear
from there for four days, as there is
no cable communication. The Span
ish forces evacuated all stations in the
southern island except Zam boanga,
Mindfnao, by orders. they say, from
Madrid
The evacuation of the southern
Philippines by the Spaniards has un-
doubtedly done much toward eompli-
eating the problem of extending mill
tary jurisdiction over the islands by
the United States. 1t will now be
necessary to expedite the execution of
the original plans. and it may be
fully expected that within a week
important events will have happened
in the islands.
Rios " withdrawal.
Madrid. Dec 2S-General Rios. the
Spanish commander in the Visayas. has
teiegraphed to the government from
IIoiIo, capital OF the island of Panay.
under date of Dec. "a. as follows: Am
preparing to embark on the steamer
Leo XIII for ZambOanSa, Island of
Mindanao. having yesterday LDec. 23l
formally surrendered Iioilo in the
presence OF the military and naval conf
manders. the mayer ard the foresn
consuls. Have charged the German
consul with the protection OF Spanish
interests. Shall arrive at Manila by tn
end of this month" Though the dis
patch is ambiguous it is assumed here
that the surrender OF I.oilo was 10 th=
Americans
Washington. Dec. 2s.-A disp Itch from
Manila received yesterday announced
that an expedition commanded by Cen
eral Miller had left there for Ilo-ic, |
capital OF the island OF Panay- The
troops consisted OF the Eighteenth in
fantry the Iowa battalion. the SIKH |
artillery. and a detachment OF the signal |
CORPS
American Distinguishing Himself
Manila, Dec. 2S.-A steamer which has |
arrived here from Samar reports that |
the TagaI insurgents have been in |
OF Kalbaon since Dec H. |
business there is said to be entirely |
suspended and all the SpaniardS OF the |
vicinity have sought refuge IN the
house of a man named Scott. an AmerI-
can. The insurgents threatened TO at |
tack the refugees, but refrained from do
ing so because IL was reported that !
American soldiers were on their way |
there One Sraniard. however, was snot |
and another was pluckily- reScut.t by I