The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-20
AMERICAN FORCE REFUSED.
Two Killed and Two Wounded On the
Island of Cebu.

| Manila, Nov. q (via San Francisco
Dec. 19.)-Belatcd mail reports have
reached Manila of an expedition on the
island of Cebu last month by sma,4
| force of American soldiers of
the Sixth infantry, which was
repulsed by insurgents. mainly through
the desertion of native allies upon
| whom the Americans depended. Two
of the Americans were killed and two
wounded, and. in the force of native
police accompanying them one was kill
cd and four wounded. No official report
of the affair has reached General Otis.
! consequently The censor refused to per-
nit the incident to be csbled. but the
correspondent of the Associated Press
has obtained an account from a thor
oughly reliable source. @
The Sixth infantrymen killed We're:
Daniel E Adams, company A; Charles
n. Cotey, company A.
Wounded: William Stowell, company
A, through chest; Bert Hutchinson,
company c, through hips.
The American commander at head
quarters in the town of Cebu received
information that a force of insurgents
had occupied the village of Maulbaul,
on the west coast of the island, that
they were levying heavy taxes and
taking food and horses, and that the
villagers would be glad to have them
urlNcii away. captain walker TOOK a
detachment of ten soldiers aboard the
steam launch Powerful ON the 1fth of
October. and proceeded along the coast
stopping at the towns of Maya and
Carcai, where ten men were added to
the force from each garrison,
At the latter town a body of $50 ma
tive policemen who were friendly to the
Americans We're mustered into the SER
vice by their captain. Senior Malta
!,
ard bolos. and had but a few guns
among them.
On the evening of the 18th the Pow
erful reached Maulbaul and her pas
sengers landed with difficulty through
a rough s5a. The insurgents had re-
treated To the hills. so the force camp
ed for the night. Early in the morning
they We're on the march. The company
c detachment acted as advance guard
and the natives brought up the rear.
For three miles they advanced along
a narrow road with the sea on enc,
side and high cliffs on the other. Fin
ally they were compelled to enter a
rocky pass approaching il across a
bridge 80 narrow that they We're COM
PEELED to march two abreast.
Just as they entered the pass there
was a great explosion almost in their
faces and they were covered by a
shower of soft earth. The insurgents
had prepared a gunpowder mine to an
initiate the party. but the soil and the
rocks We're 50 powdery that the Ameri-
cans suffered no injuries beyond
bruises.
The explosion was followed by a brief
but exciting experience Immediately
after the report, Filipinos hidden in
the cliffs opened fire. Two Americans
and five natives fell at the first volley
which came from, very short range.
The commander of the police Was nit
in the hand. and a pair of field glasses
which he carried was shattered.
The police We're thrown into con-
fusion. and after a moments hesita-
ton they fell back and began to run.
leaving the few Americans to bear the
attack. This the men of the Sixth did
bravely. They retired in good order
carrying their dead and wounded and
returning the insurgcnt fire with such
effect that eighteen of the enemy were
killed.
The party returned to MaulhauI and
for Cebu. where they ar
rived the following day with their dead
and wounded. The conduct of the ma
tive police found some excuse in their
very poor equipment.