Iron County register., 1899-12-07
EXCEEDINGLY CLOSE CALL.
EErst Authentic News of Lieut.. GiIfnors
and Party-CIose Gail for
Their Lives.

0I N1gdn, province OF oOuIn 1IOcOS. last
Sunday, they found there an escaped
prisoner. \. L. Sonnenshein, who fur
nished the first authentic account of
the experience of Lieut.. Gilmore, OF
the United States gunboat Yorktown,
who, with a party from the Yorktown.
was captured by the insurgents near
Baler. on the east coast of Luzon, last
April, while making an examination
of the mouth of the river in an armed
beat.
Carried Concealed Credentials.
Mr.. Sonnenshein was imprisoned at
.Abra for long time with Lieut.. Gil
more and seven sailors, but contrived
to escape carrying a concealed note,
written in naval cipher, dated Abra,
November 10, addressed to: ANY
Naval Officer" saying:
You may have perfect confidence in
anything the bearer says" The note
was signed ''Gilmore."
Mr.. SOnnenshein's story.
According to Mr.. Sonnenshein, when
Lieut.. Gilmore's launch entered the
river from Baler harbor, under cover
of Ensign W. H. Standley's gun, the
landing was received with three vol
leys. Two of the Americans We're
killed and two mortally wounded. Ev-
cry man was hit, Lieut.. Gilmore receiv-
ing a flesh wound in the leg, and his
foot stuck fast in the mud. 1t was q
choice between surrender and being
slaughtered.
Terms of ReIease-An Insult.
Lieut.. Gilmore asked the terms of
release. The insurgents proposed that
he should procure the delivery to them
os the arms and munitions of the Span
ish garrison, undertaking, if this were
accomplished, to send the Spaniards
and Americans to the Yorktown.
A sailor of Lieut.. Gilmore's party
carried the proposition to the garri-
son. The Spanish commandant replied
hat it was an insult to Spanish arms.
and expelled the sailor, a Spanish SOL
dier firing upon him as he went.
Aligned to be Executed.
The Americans were then bound
hand and foot and taken to San IsidrO.
when Gen. Luna ordered their execu-
ton. They were marched to the plaza
and, in the presence of a great crowd.
were aligned to be executed.
Manly PrOtest-Saved By AguinaldO
Lieut.. Gilmore said: ''As an Amer.
can officer and gentleman, l protest
against being shot with my hands
tied
Agiunaldo interfered and prevented
the execution.
lmprisOned Mt Abra.
When Gen. Lawton approached SaE
Isidro last June the Americans were
removed to Abra, where they were
kept confined in cells for two months
Subsequently they were allowed great
er liberty, but the report that Lieut.
Gilmore was given house and servant
as the men, and the Americans werc
given the same allowance as the Span
ish prisoners-five cents a day with
which to buy rice and bananas, virtual
~ the only rations.
Disposition of American Troops.
Gen. Macarthur is now in Bayam-
Gang preparing to sweep the country
on both sides of the Acknowledgements
railroad.
Gen. Wheaton is at San Fabian and
Gen. Lawton at Tayug.
The Gordon from San Fabian to San
Isidro covers all the roads and cccE-
pies all the towns on the line. Th
American policy is to prevent any
more insurgents escaping to the north
and to force them toward the country
west of the railroad.
Mai. March. with a battalion of the
Tbirty-third infantry. occupies Vigan
having made a forced march from San
Fabian.
Soldiers ina Hard Luck.
Gen. Young. with handful of cav
airy and the MacaIebes is in Vigan
and Lieut.-Col. Howse. with four deci-
mated companies of the Thirty-fourtl:
infantry. barefooted and tagged, Is
struggling toward Vigan from Aliga
(l,laiga). When last heard from he was
w:thin so miles of his destination.
Spanish PrisOaeEs.
There are 5000 Spanish prisoners il
4 bra province, whose release through
tie military operations. IS expected
sCCII.
IT, is learned that AgIinaldo had Il
ProTince of Nueva Vizca*a, which Gen
Lawton's troops have probably cap
tured.
viii Establish Base at DaGupan.
The steamer Francisco Reyes has
taken a cargo of supplies to DagupaL L.
where a base will be established. Hos
pitals have been equipped at San Isl
dro, Cabanatuan and Tayug. Many of
the American troops are suffering
from exhaustion, fever or dysentery.
and are in need of hospital treatment.
Bravesi Incident of the War.
Capt Fowler's march after Gen. Ale
jandino's brigade, with one company
of the Thirty-third regiment, was one
of the bravest incident of the war. The
company left Dagupan alone, under
ord. rs to locate the enemy.
Warmed He Would be Extcrminnted
capt. Fowler had been warned by
tie natives that he and his men would
b.. exterminated. The guides desert
e'I them before Mangatarom (or Man
galaron) was reached. Alejandrino'S
artillery was focused upon the main
street. along which the Americans ad-
Nanced. The guns were manned by
Spaniards who said, afterward that
they had fired over the heads of the
americans, as they desired that the
latter should win, hoping thus to gain
their own freedom from this long cap
tiSity.
Important Personaees.
Maj. Johnston, of Gen. MacArthu:'s