Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-04-21
LAYTON BACK At MANILA
All the Towns Recently Captured
Obliged to Be Abandoned for
Lack of Men.
GEN. OTIS TO RELEASE THE FILIPIA0S.
Prisoners Sent to Their Homes to Prove
That Americans viii Treat the Rebels
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to Be Exchanged
for Spanish Prisoners If AgufnaIdo Is
WilIing-Reiease OF Volunteers Wanted.


Manila, April 1s--During the alb
sence of Gen. Lawton's expedition TO
| the Santa Cruz district, on the south
eastern side of Laguna de Bay, the in
surgents have been concentrating at
| the northern end of the lake, near
| Pasig, and the American scouts report
| that several thousand are already
there.
Gen. Lawtons expedition to the
| Laguna de Bay district re-embarke6
| last evening, anchored for the night
at the head of the river Pasig
and reached Manila this morning,
bringing all the men and the captured
| insurgent boats. It's objects-namely
| the capture of the insurgents boats
and the distribution of the proclama-
| ton, emphasized by a lesson of Amer
lean power throughout the lake region
have been attained. Gen. Lawton
Immediately began preparations for
| an important expedition on land.
There has been no fighting on the lake
for three days.
Gen. Lawton returned with his eX-
petition to Manila, by order of Gen.
Otis after evacuating the towns of
Paete, Longos, Lumbar, Gasajan and
Santa Cruz, from which the re bells had
been driven. Gen. Lawton's troops
are needed in the movement north of
Manila, and Laguna de Bay will be
left to the insurgents until the rainy
season, when the water will be higher,
thus enabling the army gunboats to
get into the rivers. Gen. Lawton said
in an interview:
With the forces 1 have there is doubt
could go through the whole island. but if a gov
to- ro hills bod II xui1l hca
sary to garrison all the towns 1t would take
100, 600 men to pacify the islands regret the
necessity of abandoning the captured territory.
Gen. Otis to Release Fiiipinos.
Washington, April Is.-The with
drawal of Gen. Lawton from the
Laguna de Bay country was not I'M
expected by officers of the war depart
ment. Gen. Schwan, acting adjutant
general, said:
Gen. Otis sent this expedition to southern
Luzon for the purpose of destroying any in
surgent forces that might be found there.
to make careful reconnaissance and to
spread broadcast the recent proclama-
ton of the Philippine commission
setting forth the purposes of this government
with respect to the islands understand that
Gen. Otis will release all prisoners that he has
taken, and that they will be sent to their
homes. By this action it is proposed to prove
to the Filipinos that the Americans are not as
barbarous the insurgents pretend We are,
and that we propose to treat the F1IplnoS
Eumanely.
1t is believed here that a movement
is to be made at once on San Fernan-
dino, where the Filipino insurgent
leader has established his headquar-
tiers. 1t would not surprise military
men here if Gen. Lawton's force. now
at Manila, should be augmented, put
on transports and landed on the north
coast of the island of Luzon. This
movement, it is expected, will catch
the insurgents between the forces of
Gems. Macarthur and Lawton and
would scatter them into small bands
if it did not effectively crush them
Fiiipinos in Exchange for SpanfardG
Madrid, April iS.-Gen. Rios, Spain's
principal commander in the Philip
pines, cables that Mai. Gen. Otis has
granted him safe conduct for his
chief of staff and another officer, whom
he is sending to Aguinaldo with
letter demanding the liberation of the
Spanish prisoners in the name of hui
manity and international law. In the
event of a refusal the commissioners
will ask Aguinaldo for definite deci-
sion in order that they may acquaint
the civilized world with his attitude.
| Gen. Rios has empowered them to
| offer to surrender to Aguinaldo 1000
Filipino prisoners who have been
placed at the Spanish commanders
disposal by Gen. Otis
Wants South Dakota Volunteers Released.
Washington. April IS -Senator Pet
| tigrew, of South Dakota, has written
a letter to the president requesting
| the return of the South Dakota vol
unteers now in the Philippines He
L., he l1r fhaxr
titled to come home. and that they
should not be retained against their
will The senator says he has received
requests from 119 members of the
South Dakota regiment asking to be
discharged and sent home.
alleged Mail Pouch Robbers Caught