Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-14
ECHOES or nIR WAR.

The death at Manila OF Major Hugh j.
/ McGrath OF the Fourth cavalry OF WOUNDS
| received in the battle OF Novaleta month
ago. recalls an incident illustrating his cour-
! age. which was witnessed by Prof. Dean o.
Worcester. member OF the Philippine com
mission. at was at Calamba," said Prof
! Worcester, IAN important town in Laguna de
Bay that was taken by Lawton. While the
troops were in front OF this town and in
the face OF a hot and furious fire from the
! Filipinos, 1t was found necessary to cross a
stream that was swelled with recent rains
until IL was most dificult to get over. There
were neither boats nor RATS but on the op-
posite side and directly under the rifles OF
the Flipinos were two canoes.
AT that juncture the hero revealed him
self in the person of Captain McGrath OF
the Fourth cavalry. He did not wait for
ORDERS nor did he call for volunteers. He
stripped and plunged into the whirling
stream and came back in half an hour later
with two canoes. There were some bullet
holes in the canoes by the time he got across
with them but they were made to serve the
purpose of transporting a storming party
across the stream, and the trench was taken.
at was the most daring thing I ever wit
messed, and believe the most daring action
that has come to my notice"
For this act the gallant officer received
a majors commission.
Major McGrath was born in Wisconsin
forty y-three years ago. He graduated at
West Point in 1880 and served in the Fourth
cavalry through several Indian campaigns.
He went to Manila last May
The claim frequently made that trade
follows the flag" is not supported by the
observations of the Chicago Tribune's cor
respondent at Manila. In late letter he
says that although the customs receipts of !
Manila indicate that that is one OF the |
busiest places in the world. the arriving |
goods are those which were ordered months |
ago when 1t was expected that the insur-
rection would be over long before this |
time. The principal kinds of business !
in Manila at present are those which cater |
to the appetites of the American soldiers |
and the staurant-keepers, the dealers in |
beer and tobacco, and the BARRIERS are |
doing well, apparently. But this is not |
business OF permanent character. and |
the Germans and the English still control |
the export trade of the islands. The bus
mess which could pull up stakes and leave
the island as soon as the troops are with
drawn Is the kind of trade that thus far
follows the flag. Control of the permanent
trade of the islands remains to be conquered
after the natives are subdued.
correspondent Of Manila Freedom, writ
ing from Sam Fernando, September 90 gives
the following account of the coming of an
heir to the house of Aguinaldo and the
feasting that followed:
Ut Is understood here that the Ameri-
can prisoners Of war held by Aguinaldo
are to be turned over to our troops today
up to noon no word had been received of
their arrival at any point along the line
but from the nature of the proposal it is
hardly possible that the insurgents would
break word in this matter.
II learn today that the freeing of the
prisoners was the result of feast and a
general rejoicing at the Filipino capital,
occasioned by the baptism Of Aguinaldo's
youngest child, an infant girl. The child
Is the second born to the rebel chieftain
and she claims Tarlac as her birthplace,
and was born in that town some six weeks
ago.
"on the S1st of August she was baptized
according Ito the custom in the Catholic
church. and there was great rejoicing in
the government house. General Gregorio
Pillar, formerly a commanding general in
the Filipino army, now an official Of the
civil government, is the baby's godfather,
and a sister OF Aguinaldos wife her god
mother.
''After great feast and a general cele-
bration according to native custom, Agui-
naldo was struck with the idea that the
occasion would be made most memorable
by the freeing of all prisoners in his do
main. So, as did the kings of old on like
occasions, he has thrown wide all the prison
doors, and bade the good, the bad and the
Indifferent to walk forth free men.
Some little time was consumed in gath
|
capital and the American lines all the
Americans scattered throughout the rebel
country, hence the delay in making known
his intentions to the American army. Ac-
cordng to his three emissaries, the Ameri-
cans are now all at a point close to the
American lines and are ready to come in
at once. AS the messengers in were re-
turned to their own people yesterday morn
ing it seems more than probable that some
picket post will be the scene of great re-
joicing this afternoon"
Commenting on the foregoing the Free
dom said editorially:
There would be really nothing extraor-
binary in a move of this kind on Agui-
naldo's part, considering the traditions Of
Oriental races and his education. He had
reason to be extremely unctuous when his
second child was christened. He was sur
rounded by friends and jolity; wine added
to the festal occasion; exhilarations and
friends may have led him to do just the
sort OF thing recorded, but, however that