Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-04-21
FOURTEEN CAPTURED
THE FlLIPlNOS SECURE ONE VICTORY
OVER THE NAVY.

a Landing Party from the Yorktown Am
bushed aud Captured-Fourteen Pris-
oners Secured by the Natives-Dewey
Gables the News.
Washington, April 1S.-The following
cablegram was received from Admiral
Dewey at the navy department this after
noon:
The Yorktown visited Baler, Luzon, east
coast of the island. April IL, for the purpose
of rescuing and bringing away the Spanish
forces consisting of 30 soldiers three officers
and two priests, which were surrounded by
AGO insurgents. Some of the insurgents ere
armed with Mauser rifles as = by natives
Lieut.. Gilmore, while making . = (probably
making reconnaissance was ambushcd and
the men fired upon and captured. Their fate
is unknown, the insurgents refused to
communicate afterwards.
The following are missing: The officer pre-.
viously referred to, Chief Quartermaster w.
Walton, Coxswain j. Ellsworth, Gunners r.
j. Mygard, Sailmaker's Mate Vendgit, Seamen
W. II. Rynders and o. w. Woodbury., Appren
tices d. f. A. Vanville and A. Peterson, Ordi
nary Seamen S. Brisolose and o. B. Melon.
aid, Landsmen l.. II, Edwards, f. Anderson,
j. Dillon and c. A. Morrisey.
(Signed) DEWEY.
The despatch from Admiral Dewey
caused much excitement in naval circles
as soon as its contents became known. 1t
was received late in the day and consid-
cradle delay was occasioned by the blind
ness of some of the cipher words. 1t
was impossible to completely decipher it
and the asterisks indicate the unintelligi-
BILE words.
The capture of the Yorktown's men
was discussed with much feeling in
naval circles. The misfortune was felt
with added keenness as the navy has
prided itself thus far on immunity from
reverses. The admira's despatch of to-
day was the first knowledge the depart
ment had that the Yorktown had gone
on this special mission to relieve the
Spanish garrison at Baler That the
capture should have been effected while
the Amerlcin forces were on mission
of mercy toward the Spaniards, rather
than in the prosecution of a campaign,
led to the belief that Spain would have
no further ground for questioning the
good faith with which the Americans
were seeking to relieve the condition of
the Spanish prisoners.
Although the despatch gave no indica-
ton that Lieut.. Gilmore and his men
had lost their lives, yet great anxiety
was aroused by the mystery surrounding
their fate while in the hands of an I'M
civilized country. This is the first cap
ture of anv Americans military or naval
so that it is unknown how the natives
will treat our men. If civilized methods
were pursued an exchange could be
quickly effected. as Gen. Otis has a
large number of Filipino prisoners, but
the latter have been averse thus far to
exchanging Spanish prisoners, and this
raises question as to what they will do
with the Iorktown's men. The purposes
of officials here is to spare no effort to
secure the speedy release of our men.
Lieut.. j. C. Gilmore, the officer referred
to as captured, is well known in Wash
ingtOn, having been stationed here for
some time, and his wife and family live
here. He was born in Philadelphia July
10, 1854, and was appointed a naval
cadet from Arizona in September, 1871.
He reached his present grade of lieuten-
ant in 1891. His main service has been
on the Monongahela, Marion, Bancroft,
Nesuvius and Machias. Just year ago
he reported to the St. Paul, then COM
missioned as an auxiliary cruiser and
served on that vessel under Capt. Sigs-
bee throughout the war. On January
If last he was ordered to the hospital
ship SOlace. which was about to sail for
Manila; arriving there he was assigned
by Admiral Dewey to the Yorktown.
Fred Anderson, landsman, enlisted
New York, n. Y, born Buffalo, n. Y,
next of kin, Christiana Anderson,
mother, 256 Bristol street. Buffalo, n. Y.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
Manila, April l9,-Admiral Dewey has
been notified of the strange disappear
ance of Lieut.. j. G.. Gilmore and four
teen members of the crew of the United
States gunhoat Yorktown. On Satur-
day last the Yorktown anchored off Ba-
Ter, on the east coast of the island of
Luzon, and about two hundred miles
from where there was a Spanish gar
rison of fifty men, which had been
defending itself against several hundred
Filipinos for months past.
Lieut. Gilmore, Ensign w. II. Stind-
ley and the boats crew were sent up
the river from Baler bay to communal
cate with the Spaniards, the town of
Baler being situated some distance in.
land. Ensign Standley, who landed at
the mouth of the river, reports that he
heard three volleys, bugle call and cheers
from up the river, but the automatic gun
which was a part of the equipment of
the boat was not heard firing. Standley
later padded to the Yorktown in ca
noe. A search was afterwards made for
the Yorktown's boat and crew, but no
traces were found, and the Yorktown
sailed for Iloilo, from which place the
commander cabled Admiral Dewey. His
theory is the Filipinos captured or sunk
the boat or the Spaniards had rescued
the American party.
scouting party of American troops
this morning found a rebel skirmIsh line