Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1898-11-11
RETURNED FROM MANILA.
Capt. J. w. Murphy of Com
pany &C" Home on Leave
of AbSanCa

VI HOSOItSS.
Capt j. w. Murphy of company
&C." the Grangeville company Of
Idaho volunteers which, at the out
break of the war with Spain was
ordered to Manila, in the Philip
pine Islands, is home again on
sick leave. He contracted a Sc
we're spell of fever at Honolulu and
left Manila October 16, on the
transport "Rio Janeiro.' On the
arrival of the Morgan City" at
Manila he remained in the ships
hospital and was later removed to
the shore hospital and remained
there until his departure for home.
The company in the meantime has
been under the command of First
Lieutenant X. II. Hartman.
Since his departure from home
last spring Capt. Murphy has lost
23 pounds in weight and shows in
face and physique the evidences of
severe illness The fever is in
variably accompanied by dysen-
terry which further weakens the
system and a change of climate is
absolutely necessary before the di-
sease can be eradicated. The hos
pital contained about 1900 patients
when he left Manila. He reports
the health of company "C' as ex-
cellent at the time of his departure,
but all hands anxious to be mus
tered ont and return home; he be-
lieves that the report of the death
of Corporal William H. Jones: of
company "C' as being untrue and
based on misapprehension of a
conversation which he had with a
reporter of a San Francisco paper
while at Angel Island, where he
was shown Gen. Otis dispatch CIV
ing the names of soldiers who had
died since Capt. Murphy sailed.
Corporal Jones' name was not on
that list. Furthermore, Capt.
Murphy says that the boys would
most certainly have cabled the
news to the parents had it been
true, as the fund of 500 which
Mr.. Talkington contributed to the
company is untouched and would
have been drawn on for the expense
of the cablegram. Fervently do
we hope that Capt. Murphy is cor
rect in this matter. He rendered
his resignation at Manila but it
was not accepted, and SO he was
granted leave of absence instead,
and this was extended upon his ar
rival at San Francisco, and he
thinks that his return to active
service is improbable.
The captain had an interview
with Aguinaldo. He says the fel-
low does not look bright, but is we'll
educated and talks the English
language quite tiuently. He be-
lieves the insurgent leader is an
adventurer and cannot be trusted.
The captain explains that Aguin-
aldo has two native rivals, each of
whom maintains and controls sep
arate divisions of the army and
each is striving for the generalship
of all the insurgent forces. AS a
consequence sort of guerilla war
fare is carried on by them almost
constantly. If an insurgent sol.
dier of one division is captured by
one of the other two divisions ht
is confined as a prisoner of war.
Among his curiosities is a ma
chete and a rifle used by the mount
ed police on the Isle of Luzon ant
several other trophies. He has al
SO kept his friends well supplied
with Manila cigars since his return
and presented us with a couple O
boxes of the same which cost hin
one and one-half cents each il
Manila and which would retail
} here at Is or 25 cents.
The only death in Compan,
! &c" up to the time of his depart
ure was Bird L. Anderson, of AL
5 bion, Cassia county, who died i
S Frisco before the boys sailed. Con
3 cerning the annexation of the Phi
, ippine Islands by the Unite
: States, Capt. Murphy is strongl
J. opposed to it, owing to the char
: acter of the native population
t which can never be brought to
s standard high enough to apprs
9 ciate the blessings of self-goverr
| ment. He gives some highly il
= teresting "reminiscences of his e,
|, experience and conversation wit
: him on this topic is a liberal edit
e cation in itself.