The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-23
TN ENEMIES APIECE
In the City of Manila Alone,
When the Fighting Began.
ONE WONDER OF THE WAR
is the Ease With Which the
Natives are Controlled,

Boston, April 22.-The Globe says: One
Of the most interesting and graphic ac-
counts of the situation in Manila at the
time of the opening OF hostiliies between
the American and Aguinaldo followers Is
given by Prof. Francis Croker OF Column
bia college in letter to MS brother, Mr..
David Croker, OF this city. Under date
Of February L he says IN part: 'sAt 10
O'Clock on the evening Of February 4 l
heard firing. I was in my hotel 1t made
no impression on my mind for a few sec
onds, but speedily realized what it meant,
and ran to window. Within very
few minutes the firing had extended all
around the city, from north to south, on
the land side The American lines, follow
ing the Spanish block houses, begin on
the bay, about two miles north OF the
mouth Of Pasig river, and end about three
miles south of Malate. They say these
lines are about 10 miles long, so you see
the firing line was pretty extended
The rife reports at times made a con-
tinuous roar, and then again they sounded
like the setting off of d bunch of fire
crackers. There were about two hours
OF continued shooting. The fighting was
sometimes heaviest in the north, then on
the south and then on the east, generally
shifting rapidly. The hotel was not very
far from the north firing line and several
bullets struck very near my window. This
was no joke, as the window was about
six feet square and my bed was on
dead line with it.
Two battalions of a Kansas regiment
went by the hotel on a double quick.
There was no music, no cheering, but it
was an impressive sight. 1t was not at
all the way I used to see Lester Wal
lack, the actor. go to war when 1 was
a small boy. The Kansans weren't
dressed so well, either; in fact Wal
lacks uniform would probably have
bought their entire trousseau. The firing
seemed 10 slacken after midnight, and
subsided so much that I went to sleep
in my buIlet-invlting bed. Thus quickly
are heroes made. A o'clock was
awakened by renewal of sharp firing,
but went to sleep again and slept until
early dawn, when the fighting recon-
menced.
THE Pinch guns sounded like the re-
port of loud thunder It was awe in
spring. We could hear also the rattle
Of the rife shots and firing OF the land
artillery A good deal of the shooting
was individual, but there was vOlley firing
too. This was especially fine on the part
of the United States regulars, so I was
afterward told by officers.
1.-The next morning affairs were much
the same in the city. Flipinos and for
eigners walked about as usual. Fill
pino walters served breakfast just as
before, and that was Just as bad as
ever. The American guards in the city
did wonderful work in controlling the
large crowd Of hostile people in Manila
The city is nearly as large as San Fran
cisco, and at least three-quarters Of
the population is in sympathy with the
insurgents. Each one is simply waiting
for chance TO get a hack at an Ameri-
can. 1t is difficult to see how 5000
American troops could keep the upper
hand Of at least 100000 external and in
ternal foes. Most Of the natives were
armed with either revolvers, rifles or
long knives. and though the danger was
great. I never doubted the ability of our
soldiers TO handle the natives. IF they
had failed it would surely have resulted
in a wholesale massacre.
"Tn the afternoon I drove out 70
Santa Anna. a suburb, in company with
a French officer, and passed myself off
as English. don't you know. The Fill
pinos were very suspicious and followed
Us. muttering Americana If they had
arrested me and found letters showing
that 7 was a hated Yank, they might
have made American hash out Of me.
Two days later I visited the same
town and found it in ashes. I saw %
dead Fil:pinos in one field. They were
shot through the head or chest as they
had been fighting behind intrenchments.
II was not near so horrible a sight as
YOU would imagine. This illustrates an
other Of the many differences between
the story book war and real war. am
simply stating facts when I say the
sight made little impression upon me.
s,1nposa il was necessary 20 thorough
" conquer the FiEpinos. I heard Dewey
saw the day before the battle that the
Americans would have 10 kill a. many
as possible If trouble broke ont. in order
TO make the power Of the Americans felt
..The natives themselves did not care
very much. saw family Of them sell
ing soda water and beer 70 our SOL
diers while our infantry and artillery so
m 4aa wards distant were firing at their
countrvmen. They laughed and thought
# = great Joke, until one OF our men
drank glass ~ beer and left without
raysng for it. telling them 20 charge II 70
-Agrlirardo' That really saddened them
There IS more Joking in our army on the
vav % a battlefield and tuat OUTSIDE OF
l. than YOU would hear at "A variety show
"Ou~ troops captured the water works
IN gallant STYLE The first night our
t-o7rs were driven in about 40 yards,
bur in the next two DAYS We captured
the pumping station. 7 was following
along with our troops. but they rushed
r7e FfHvin-s 80 fast that 7 could hardly
catch mp with them. I joined couple
If hon3rahIv discharged men from the
T>rf-5 United SE,es artillery. VINO could
not keep away from the fighting. Il -
perfectly wonderful. how quickly q fellow
gets used m 81. He soon has contempt
f7- TIE enemy and does not taink they
can nft ANYTHING anyway They say Z You
have a gun in your hands and are ordered
~ charge that YOU have only The idea o.
getting ar che ether side ana wipins il
OF toe geography
.-0ur troops. regulars and volunteers.
are magnificent fighters. The Nebraska
regiment ard Utah battery wers IN me
center With Tennessee q the r-ht and
Colorado ana California on The lefr
Taey ar. especially TIE frs two did
-eale work. Afier = hours q dEht.ag.
wt.a oaly q little tine % eat and hardly
-,.- .fea- -~a, va-a az --srN- ard ar