Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1898-12-31
INSURGENTS HOLD ILO|LO.
OTIS WILL TAKE POSSESSION.
spaniards R"treated to Zamboango-It
Is Considered Strongly Fortified--The
Province of IloiIo Has 372 900 Peo-
pie Senports second in Philippines.

Washington, Dec. % There is a great
deal OF anxiety in official circles here over
the recent events ut lloilo Two official
dispatches have been received by the state
and war departments, but ii is impossible
to gather from them accurate knowledge
as to the conditions there 1t is not even
possible to learn whether the insurgents
or American forces have taken the place
This morning United States Consul
Pratt, at Singapore, cabcd the state de
partmcnt; lloilo taken 10Th. Spanish fled
TO Bomeo.'
This threw officials into deeper doubt
than before. The American expedition
which LETT Manila to 60 TO Iloilo, of 20o3
troops and the warships Baltimore and
C1llao, would scarcely have had time to
reach lloilo by the 10Th, So the inference
Is that the insurgents are in possession
Color is lent to this belief by the fact
reported il one telegram that the Span
mrde had reueated 20 a strongly fortified
town on the island Of Mindauao This does
not agree with Prut's statement that they
He'd to Bornco The fact that the Span
iards have rctreatcd at all is construed as
an indication that the town was abandon
ed to the insurgents.
Officials at the war department still de-
cline To make public General Otis tee-
gram OF Yesterday, but there is on doubt
he is meeting great difficulty in his effort
to secure the release of the Spanish prs
oncrs held by the Filipinos. 1t begins to
appear clearly that considerable element
among the Filipino leaders, probably II
majority, are Disposed TO use these UNI
fortunate prisoners Us the basis for nego-
tiations with the United States govern
ment, making the release conditional up
on certain more or less concessions de-
mauded by them.
Just before noon a cabegram was re-
ceived from General Otis which confirmed
the fears of the officials as to the happen
ings at IIoilo. Otis stated that the Amer
lean expedition reached that place too
late, the insurgents having taken posses
sion of The city on the Goth, 30 hours prior
to Colonel Potter's arrival. Agumaldo's
flag floats over the city.
Otis SAYS the Spanlards have evacuated
all stations in the southern islands except
Xamboango, Mindanao, by orders, they
say. from Madrid. Otis expects no fur
Their word from Iloio for four days, owing
to lack Of cable communication. Ii Is pre-
sumcd Otis will demand the surrender OF
Iloilo into his hands, and this demand
may ut once raise the issue between the
insurgents and our government OF posses
sion Of the islands.
The province OF Iloilo is set down in oilf-
cial directories as having a population OF
472O0O. and is the second seaport IN i'm
portancc in the Philippine group.
The Spanish have chosen a strong place
for the concentration of their troops in the
town of Xamboango, which is strongly for
tilted and possessed Of considerable natural
strength from defensive point of view, 1t
is not doubted they will be able to main
tain themselves for an indefinite time
against the insurgents, presuming they are
not cut oil from obtaining supplies from
the sea. The town itself has a population
Of u 600.