The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-06-17
hEDNTO THE JUNGLE
FilipinOs Badly Beaten BY Our
Western Volunteers.
AaUINALDo COMMANDED REBELS

A Spanish Omcer Released by Agui-
| naidO Gives . Circumstantial Story
| ofthe Assassination ofGeneral Luna.
Rebel Atrocities. In Csnadaba.
Manila, June 17.-After cutting the
railroad and telegraph at Apalit, seven
miles south, for the purpose Of sever
ing connection, the rebels attacked
General MacArthur's lines at San Fer
nando at 4:S0 yesterday morning.
They met with an Unexpectedly warm
reception and were repulsed with loss
of rs killed, 80 prisoners and many
wounded.
The rebel force, estimated to have
numbered 5000 men, advanced stealth
lily from the jungle north Of the city
and then divided, with the evident pur-
pose of surrounding the Americans.
The outposts of the Iowa regiment
discovered the enemy and retired to
their lines, where the entire division
awaited In an entrenched position.
The Iowa regiment and the Kansas
regiment received the first shock of the
attack. Reserving their FIRE until the
enemy was within 600 yards, the first
volley of the Americans hit the rebels,
who returned the fire wildly, the rest
Of their line falling to advance. The
Americans. who thoroughly enjoyed
the novelty of the situation, awaiting
an attack, sailed forth, and the insur-
gents thereupOn turned and fed into
the Jungle. Our loss was IA men
wounded, and the majority Of them are
only slightly hurt.
General Funston's brigade of Kan
sans and Montanans and General
Hales brigade the Seventeenth regi-
ment and the Iowa regiment, consti-
tuted the force engaged.
Aguinaldo il reported to have per-
sonally conducted the attack, and prep
arations were made for several days
to bring forward troops from Candaba.
and others, from Dagupan, were trans
ported by rail.
Along the front of the Kansas regi-
ment 80 rebel dead were counted.
The first news Of the Filopino ad-
vance was reported by telegraph OPP
orator who was sent to the bridge at
Apalit to ascertain the cause of break
in one of the wires. He was compelled
to beat a hasty retreat under fire.
Spanish officer who has been a
prisoner in the hands of the rebels and
who was released by Aguinaldo has
come through our lines to Manila. He
claims to have been witness of the
assassination of General Luna. Ac-
cording to his story the relations be-
tween the two Filipino leaders had
been strained to the breaking point be-
cause Of Luna's attempt to assume con-
troll of affairs, and the final rupture
was forced by Aguinaldo issuing Sc.
cret orders to the provincial govern
ments Luna thereupon notified Agui-
naldo, demanding copies OF the docu-
ments, and Aguinaldo replied CURLY
that Luna was a general of the army
and that the civil government did not
concern him. Luna, on opening the
reply at headquarters, in the presence
of his oficers, exclaimed hotly:
"He will be dead tomorrow"
One officer, who was friendly to
Aguinaldo, FASTENED to warn him, and
Aguinaldo called together 20 trusted
soldiers, fellow townsmen of his, and
stationed them around his house, With
instructions to kill any one attempting
to enter, regardless of rank.
Luna appeared the next day and saw
Agunaldo at the window.
A member of the guard said:
"Aguinaldo has gone to inspect
troops"
Luna then exclaimed: you are a
liar" drew his revolver, struck the
guard and tried to force an entrance
into the house. Before he could use
his revolver one of the guards bayonet-
ted him, another shot him in the back.
and others stabbed him. In all he had
20 wounds. Luna's aide de camp was
killed in the same way
The Spaniard's story has not en-
tirely dispelled the doubts of Luna's
death, and bets that he is alive are
freely made at the clubs. Some 7eo-
pie think Aguinaldo has taken pains
to send the Spaniard here with this
story for the furtherance of some dip
lomatic scheme, while others suspect
Aguinaldo has been assassinated by |
Luna's men.
Since the Americans withdrew from
Canadaba recently the rebels have re-
turned and have wreaked vengeance |
upon those who befriended the Ameri-
cans. They slaughtered the natives
who surrendered the town and dis
played their heads on poles in the
public square.
The hostile natives of Cebu are more
menacing. Mail advices say HOSTILE
ties against the Americans have be-
gun there. Colonel Hamer, the Ameri-
can commander. has asked for REIN
forcements, and four companies of tho
Tennessee regiment have been sent to
him from Iloilo.
The Nebraska regiment has been Or
dered to sail for home early next week.