The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-01
KANSAS news.
Twentieth Kansas on Police
Duty at Manila.
Requires Captured Filipino
Band to Furnish Music.
TWO KANSANS ELOPE.
University Professor WEEDS His
First Cousin.
City Marshal of Sedan Killed
by Horse Thieves.

Independence, Sept. 1.-The following
letter has just been received from Emil
G. Etzold of the Twentieth Kansas:
Il suppose you have heard before this
that our regiment is now off the lines
and stationed in quarters in Manila.
Our company is quartered off from the
rest of the regiment, in different parts
of this city. We have to do guard duty
at the penitentiary, or, as it is called,
Bill bid prison. I have been relieved
from special duty in the government
printing office and am now back to the
company and have picked up my bugle
again. I am trumpeter of the guard,
at the penitentiary, about once in every
three days. A Filipino prisoner helps
me blow 'reVielle' in the morning when
all of the prisoners are lined up for
roll call, then stand at attention while
a band of Filipino prisoners play the
national air. In the evening he helps
me blow retreat when the same cere-
mony is performed, after which the
prisoners are all locked up for the
night.
s'This prison contains about l, 900 pris-
oners-about $50 American soldiers the
rest being Spaniards, F1llpinos ana
Chinese. Neither of the latter are war
prisoners, as war prisoners are kept IN
another place. About a week ago some
of the prisoners were repairing the
sewer, when forty-eight of them watch
ed their chance and made good their
escape by crawling through the sewer
For the last three or four days it
places we had to wade water nearly
waist deep to get to the prison Espe-
cially when the tide came in, that would
back the water in the streets and
places around our quarters loked just
like a lake. When we went out of the
barracks we either had to wade or get
a small boat. 1t is comical to see men
women and children Wading water
sometimes the water in the middle OF
the street being nearly over the chill
dren's heads can now see why the
r 1a77f7 hnF
on stills Some live in the second
story and have the first story for a.
store room, among which they have a
boat for just such an occasion.
''At San Fernando some of the men
had to stand in water waist deep when
on their post About two blocks from
where we are stationed STANDS the mn
est church in Manila 1t has two
steepIes and is built entirely from steel
The walls and everything are steel. No
wood in it except the decorations on the
inside.
This last Fourth of July was the
first ever celebrated on the water. At
noon on the Fourth all of us that were
working in the office when out on the
old Spanish fort. where we could get
good view of the two batteries of light
artillery, the shore battery on the walls
and the battleships.
Promptly at u o'clock the light ar
tillery opened up, after which there
was a continual booming for about ten
minutes. We could see the noted battle
ship Oregon discharging her mOnStrOus
guns, every time sending out col
umn of smoke fifty and sixty feet long
In the afternoon the Lunetta was
crowded with people who had come
there to hear the Filipino children sing
ing all the national songs in the En-
glish tongue and they did pretty we'll
Besides that, they had a Filipino band
of about fifty pieces playing American
THE time is now coming when we
should soon be on our way home, but
not so fast as the United States papers
had announced it. 1t seems as though
it is going to be some time before we
will get away yet. The California regi-
ment, it is expected, will leave now in
a few days. A good many of our men
are now re-enliSting in the new regi-
ments which are being organized here.
twenty-five have Te-enlisted out of one
company, eighteen out of another and
I don't know what the rest are doing
Up to now there has only been three
out of our company gone in, but several
more will probably go in. If I can get
what I am looking for, will re-enlist
myself. If I am not able to get it, will
not go in these regiments as a private.
I am figuring on going in the cavalry.
A person re-enlfsting here will get
about $3.50 in money, besides tranSpor-
tation at the expiration of his term,
that is to San Francisco, making in all
a total of from $3.50 to $475, which he
gets on being discharged, before going
in the other regiment.
''They are going to put in native po-
lice here now in a few days; that will
relieve about two regiments of doing
all the police duty. For the last month
the Twentieth regulars and the Twen-
tieth Kansas and part of the Montana
regiment have been policing the city.
The salary of a native policeman under
the Spanish ruling was SIS Mexican
money per month. I don't know what
it will be now. That was the top sal
airy. Some only got So Mexican money
a month. EMIL ETZOLD.''