Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-03-30
PREPARING FOR FIGHT.
The Fnliplnos Busy Throwing Up De
lenses at Malabon.

lenses at Malabon.
MANILA, March 25.-The enemy is
extremely active in the vicinity of
Malabon in preparing deferses. evil
IDENTIFY anticipating an attack. They
keep well under cover. A small body
of rebels, however. emerged from the
jungle on the extreme left yesterday
and fired upon the Kansas troops in
the trenches, fatally wounding Private
Cohen of Company b and Private
Muser Of Company E.
The Oregon volunteers and the
Twenty-second regulars marched to
the front today. The Third and Sew
enteenth regiments have disembarked
from the Sherman. General H. G. Otis
brigade struck its tents this morning
and an early move is probable.
Sixteen English refugees arrived here
yesterday from Dagupan. the railroad
terminus, Oh board the steamer Sa-
turnus. They report that the natives
are generally friendly and the officers
invariably courteous. Mr.. Higgins,
manager of the railroad, and about a
dozen unmarried men, in charge Of
various business interests, incline to
take advantage of the opportunity to
leave.
Nothing has been heard from the
two American planters at Calumpit
since hostilities began.
According to Filipino accounts a
thousand Americans have been killed.
the fatalities being especially heavy at
Caloocan,' where the United States
troops rushed like madmen against a
storm of bullets"
Two Spanish prisoners who have es-
capped from Polo to the lines of the
Kansas regiment report that the Fill
| pinos have concentrated their forces
at Malabon and Polo. They add that
only Aguinaldo's bodyguard is at Ma
lolos and that the rebel leaders appar-
emily intend to stake their fortunes
on a fight at Malabon, where ii was
expected an engagement would take
place yesterday. If defeated, it is
further asserted, the rebels intend to
dispense to the swamps and mountains.
The rebels were putting their Bolos in
| front, believing that the Bolomens
charms will avert the bullets. The
Bolos Of the Filipinos greatly out
number the rifles in their hands. The
rebels are further said to have adj
mitted that they cannot withstand the
American shells and bayonet charges.
The escaped Spaniards corroborated
the stories told of food shortage among
the rebels and they added that their
hospitals are short of supplies.
WASHINGTON, d. c., March 25.-It
Is understood here that General Otis
has so far matured his plans of cam
paign that within a week or ten days
he will be able to begin a movement
which is expected to mark the de-
struction Of Aguinaldo's army. AL
though stragglers and fugitives may
infest the island Of Luzon for some
time, it is believed that after Otis has
delivered his next blow the insurgent
army, as an organization, will have
ceased to exist.
The new movement will be carried
on, 1t is understood, by combined
land and water attack, though 1t is not
expected that the navy's part in the
program will be particularly promi-
nent. Otis has procured thirteen OF
the gunboats formerly owned by the
| Spanish government, anu they are to
play an important part in the develop
ment of the campaign. Many Of the
troops which had been engaged on the
outer lines up to the date of General
Lawton's arrival at Manila have been
complete reorganization of the army is
now in progress. The achievements
now arriving at Manila are being used
to maintain the strength of the lines
running from Manila to Pasig, estab-
lished by Wheaton's flying brigade.
The next movement that Is expected
here is by water. 1t is believed that
! Otis will place complete brigade on
board vessels, steam rapidly northward
and land it beyond the insurgent head
quarters at Malolos. II this movement
succeeds, as it should, If made with
rapidity, the insurgent army will find
itself completely penned in with no op-
portunity for retreat. To the north
will be this flying brigade, on the east
Laguna de Bay, across which they will
be prevented from escaping by the
American gunboats now a1oat there:
the Pasig river to the south Is well
polced by tin-clads, and with a strong
line in the position occupied by
Wheaton's brigade will cut off any
movement in that direction, while to
the west the Bay of Manila Is closed
by Dewey's vessels.
| 1t is hard to conceive how, IL this
plan carries, the insurgents can longer
avoid a decisive conflict which must
end either in their breaking through
the American lines or in their surren-
der. 1t is evident that Otis expects
the latter, for he has already advised
the war department that the insurrec-
ton cannot last much longer.