The Mena star., 1899-06-15
BlC BATTLE NEAR MANILA.
nerican Gunbsats Shell the Fill ipino Insurgents Position
 at Cavite Viejo.
|iWTON HAS A LIVELY ENGAGEMENT.

# Twenty-First Infantry-A Desperate
 stand Made by the Americans . ported Assassination of Gen. Luna
 Gen. otis Cablegram.
 V Manila, June 14.-At daylight to-day
 Ina rebels at Cavite Viejo dropped two
 sbels from a big smooth bore gun
 nounted in front of the church in the
 navy yard. The only damage done was
 splintering the top of the huge shears
 nn the Mole. The gunboats Callao,
 NIanila and Mosquito then proceeded
 to dismount the gun. After breakfast
 the rebels opened fire along the beach
 to Bakoor. After silencing the big
 gun at Cavite Viejo the gun |boats ran close along the shore, Ebombarding the rebel position. The &rebels replied with rife fire and with
 the fire of some small pieces of artil-
 lerv. So vigorous was the enemy's fire *that at 9:20 a. m. the gunboat Helena < joined the small gunboats already # named and the Princeton, Monterey & and Monadnock, from their anchor
 ages, dropped occasional big shells z among the rebels. This, apparently, q only served to incite the rebels, as they #kept up an incessant fire of muslSet- & " and artillery near the mouth of the # Zapote river. two miles north of Bakoor. The fire of all seven warships was con z centrated on this point shortly after noon, when the upper bay presented q the appearance of being the scene of a In ha snc were eventually forced to abandon their guns after holding out for about four hours, only to be confronted by Gen. Lawton's force on land and in their rear, where there was heavy fighting. Beyond the destruction of several buildings along he water front, the effect of the bonn mbardment is not known.
 A Lively Engagement.
 Manila, June 14.-Gen. Lawton un- expectedly stirred up one of the liveli- est engagements of the war south of Las Pinas this morning upon which occasion American field guns were en- gagged in the first artillery duel against
 Filipino battery, concealed in the
 jungle. Companies F and l, of the
 Twenty-frst infantry, were nearly sur rounded by large body of insurgents,
 but the Americans cut their way out with heavy loss. During the night an insurgent cannon was fired three times at the Americans on the outskirts of Las Pinas. Gen. Lawton this morning took a battalion of the Fourteenth regiment and two companies of the Twenty-first regiment to locate the rebel battery, and then two guns of the Sixth artillery and four mountain guns were planted against it at 600 yards distance. The rebels had large gun from which they were fir ing homemade canister loaded with nails and also two smaller guns. Their shooting was most accurate. The com panies of the Twenty-frst regiment, skirmishing along the beach, with amigo guides, found, apparently, handful of rebels, who retreated. The men of the Twenty-irst followed and suddenly the rebels opened terrific fire on the troops from the sides and rear. The soldiers withdrew to the waters edge, finding what shelter they could, and were picked off rapidly. After their ammunition was nearly ex- hausted, the companies of the Twenty nrst retreated, but Gen. Lawton dashed down and rallied the men. A little group made a desperate stand. Gen. Lawton, Mai. Starr and Lieuts Dono- van and Connolly taking rifles from the wounded men, fired at the enemy, bringing down some of the rebel sharp shooters from tree. Finally their cartridges were all gone and they were forced to break through the enemy's hank, carrying the wounded to the main body of the troops.
 Battle with the Insurgents.
 Manila, June 14.-The fighting at Las Pinas continued hotly all day long. nen Lawton called out the whole force of 5000 men and at five o'clock he was only able to push the insurgents back oOo yards to the Zapote river where they are intrenched. The insurgents resisted desperately and progressively. They attempted to turn the left flank ol the American troops. The American JOSS Is conservatively estimated at 60.
 Reported Assassination of Gen. Luna.
 Manila, June l4.-lnformation. be- heved to be reliable, has reached here of the assassination of Gen. Luna and ms aide-de-camp, Lieut.. Pasco Ramon, June $, by Aguinaldo's guard at the headquarters of Aguinaldo. Luna and Ramon. it appears, went to the Filipino headquarters to confer with Aguinaldo got into an altercation with the cap tain of the guard and one of them drew q revolver. The guard then killed