Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-12-14
CUERRILLAW WARFARE
Country North Of Manila Swarming
with Bands Of Insurgents.
THEIR SUPPRESSION VERY DIFFICULT
Spanish Prisoners Released BY Gen. Young
on Their Way 10 Manila-The lnsur.
gent Government to BE Changed
70 q Dictatorship.

Manila, Dec. l3--Col. Smith with a
detachment Of the Seventeenth infan-
try, surrounded and captured in vii
lage near Malasqui party OF guerril-
las who had made their headquarters
there. The party included the band
which assassinated seven officials at
Malasqui for friendliness to the Amer
leans. All are insurgents who became
bandits when the disintegration of the
Filipino army began. They kept the
country around Malasqui in state OF
terror for several weeks and committed
25 murders in less than that number of
days. When they were caught they
were promptly sent to Gen. MacAr-
thurs headquarters at Bayambang by
train. 1t is expected that they will be
speedily tried and either shot or
hanged as an example il convicted.
The whole country north Of San Fer
nando and between San Fernando and
Manila, except within the permanent
line of troops around the cities and the
closely patrolled stretches of railroad,
swarms with similar bands. Probably
they will be increased by men from
Pilar's army, many of whom are maxi
ing their way south to join the insur-
gent force in the Cavite province.
These people, for the most part, sue
ceeded in lodging Gen. Grant, Col.
Bell and Col. Hoods troops, who are
securing the country for them. They
devote their energies to ambushing
commissary wagons and to picking up
soldiers who leave their commands.
Every day some wagon train is fred
upon or some soldier disappears.
Gen. Wheeler's secretary, Mr.. Gar
rett, was disarmed and slashed by a
boloman almost within sight Of head
quarters, his assailant pursuing him
nearly into the headquarters building.
The policy Of these rufians is to make
the country uninhabitable for >Ameri-
cans and to Brighten natives into re-
framing from giving assistance to the
Americans, as well as to compel the in
habitants to support the instruction.
Frequently they raid and loot towns.
The brother Of the president Of linus
went outside the town the other day TO
harvest some rice. He was captured
by his compatriots, accused OF being
spy and executed. Only small pro-
portion Of the insurgent arms have
been surrendered, and the problem of
suppressing this guerrilla warfare is
anything but easy Of solut ion. Some
Of the American officers think it worse
than fighting Indians, owing to the
difficulties Of the country and the
trouble in locating the enemy, who re-
sort, when hard pressed, to the amigo
dodge and hide their guns.
Some Of the Americans favor the is
suance of a proclamation declaring all
natives found with arms to be bandits,
punishable as criminals, instead of be-
Ing treated as prisoners of war.
Information has been received at
headquarters that 500 Spanish prison.
ers have been shipped from Vigan to
and that l,50O others have
been assembled in vigan, including
Gen. Pena. Probably these are Span
iardsr released by Gen, Young's troops in
the Benguel district, where they were
by the insurgents.
DICTATORSHIP FOR THE INSURGENTS,
London, Dec l3.-Reuter's Telegram
company has received the following
dispatch from Hong Kong: The insur-
gent government of the Philippines
will be changed to dictatorship to
hostilitles against the Ameri-
cans exclusively by the methods Of
guerrilla warfare. The Filipino army
S being split up into small bands, the |
.roops taking an oath before separa-
ion that they will fight until their
,ountry's rights are recognized. A
'orce of United States marines, who
anded at Vigan, South Ilocos prov
nee, from the battleship Oregon, were
defeated by the Filpinos under Gen.
limo on December 4. The Manila
newspapers, despite the censorship,
ldmit that Gen. Lawton is missing.
The foregoing dispatch was evidently
sent by the Filipino junta at Hong
Kong.