Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-05
ACUlNALDO A FICUREHEAD
Carrying Out DEGREES of a Secret Death.
Dealing Conspiracy.
WORD PICTURES OF ALLEGED PATRIOTS
Chaplain OF Dewey's Flagship Detnii.
characteristics of Numerous Dig
nitaries Connected with Aguin-
nldo's Government Machine.

nldos Government Machine
Rev. w. II. l. Reaney, the Catholic clergy
man VINO enjoys the enviable distinction OF
having officiated as chaplain aboard Admiral
Dewey's former flagship, the Olympia. dur
ing a portion of the heroic admira's stay in
Manila, has been in Omaha the greater part
OF the week He came to Omaha in time to
celebrate mass at St. Philomena cathedral
last sunday and he will conduct services
there again today
1t was not Chaplain Reaneys great for
tune TO be with the feet at the time that
Montojo's ships were battered and sunk, but
ne was assigned to duty on the Olympia be-
tween that date and the fall OF Manila. He
is about 30 years old, but looks much
younger. He belongs to the diocese OF Bal
tlmore. During his stay in the Philippines
he interested himself in the attempt to Sc
cure the liberation of some of the priests
held as prisoners by the Filipnos and had
ample opportunity to study the character OF
the people and their leaders. His observa-
lions would lead one to agree with him in
his conviction that Aguinaldo the head OF
the insurrection, Is not exactly the self con-
stituted dictator that he is represented to
be- but that the position he occupies is even
less entitled to respect, being that of the
dealing organization of conspirators dom
mated by offsprings OF Chinese ancestry and
having little in common with the natives
OF the Islands. When asked for his impress
slons as to Aguinaldo and the people of the
Islands, Father Reaney manifested consid-
erable reluctance to talk about them-a re-
luctance due to his position as chaplain in
the navy. He directed attention to the re-
port OF the Philippine commission published
Friday morning and declared that it was the
function of that commission to inform the
American people Of the characteristics of the
Filipinos and their leaders. He paid a high
compliment to each Individual member of the
commission and pointed out the fitness and
capability OF each to fulfill the mission i'm
posed saying that they had given the mat
ters discussed In their report the closest
study and had applied themselves diligently
and intelligently to their task
II think, therefore," said he, "that the
American people should be thoroughly sat
isied with the estimate placed upon the Fill
ipinos by this intelligent, upright and thor
oughly impartial commission"
IN discussing the Filipinos Chaplain
Reaney called them Indians. Colonel
Nubla OF the Spanish volunteers" said he
who had had thirty years of experience
in the Philippines and had held many posi-
ttons of responsibility, among them several
Of judicial character, which gave him an
excellent opportunity to study the people,
assured me that he had never been able
to fully size them up. They were a perfect
enigma to him. The word Indian very faith
fully expresses their chief characteristics,
as its meaning may be interpreted in their
own language-'inde' means no. and 10
means yes so that the two form direct
contradiction.
Power Behind the Dictator.
Yes 1 met and talked with Aguinaldo
He is an understood mana characteristic
of the isander-and is about 2S years old
Once seen, he will never be forgotten be-
cause of the peculiar lurking stare in his
eyes, which seem to come from constant
suspicion or fear. He is young fanatic or
enthusiast who rose to prominence in the
province of Cavite because OF the under
standing that he did away with Spanish
officer. whose name l have forgotten now,
but who was especially noted for his faith
full execution of Spanish laws, the suppress
sion of uprisings and the capture Of crimi-
nails This offcer asassinated in 1896.
Aguinaldo simply stands for the Katipunan,
death-d dealing secret organization Of So
called patriots absolutely controlled by the
Chinese mestizos, the latter being mixture
OF Filipino and Chinese. The word 'Kati-
punan' is pronounced Kat-e-poo nan, with
the accent on the last syllable, and means
meeting of friends Aguinaldo is of
Chinese extraction. His brother law,
General Apaua, is full-blooded Annoy
Chinaman, and Is in charge of the forces
between Manila and Cavite, at place called
Paranaque. Balmadero Agunaldo, who is
accused of having run away with $SO,O 900
belonging to the insurgents war fund, is
Aguinaldo's brother, and not his nephew,
as has been reported in the press dispatches.
The man who writes all the proclamations
of the insurgent government Is a Chinese
mestizo by the name of Mabini. He is a
paralytic who lives and sleeps under the
same roof with Aguinaldo. Mabini is a
brieness lawyer who seems to have never
enjoyed the confidence of anyone in need of
an attorney. He is the man who told the
insurgents that they would be worthy of
the name bestowed upon them by the Span
ish--'monkeys'-if they were to release their
prisoners. He told them that as long as
they had prisoners their chances of receiy-
ing recognition from some government