The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-11
SPANISH VERSION Of
THE irene INCIDENT.
Continued from Page one.

here. gives an interesting version Of the
famous Irene incident in subig bay IN
July Of last year. He was formerly in
Olingapo district His narrative is cor
roborated by Senior Rafael Rosello,
wealthy Spanish merchant, who also fell
into the hands OF the insurgents.
Both declare that the Spanish surren-
dered to Capt. Coghlan. of the United
States cruiser Raleigh. on an express
agreement that they were not to be given
UP to the Filipinos, and they assert that
the Spanish government has promised to
press their claims against the United
States for their long imprisonment.
Spanish Omcer's story.
According to their story, thousand in
surgents were besieging Olingapoa, where
there were two companies Of marines and
a battalion of artillery, together with
many civilians The German cruiser Irene
entered the horbor to take the women and
children on board. At this juncture the
.nsurgent steamer Filipinas flying the
insurgent flag. started to leave. The Irene
threw a shot across her bow. claiming the
right to stop her. as Germany had not
b
The F'ilipnas then raised white flag
and departed. When she returned she was
flying the insurgent flag and was accom-
panied by the United States warships Con-
cord and Raleigh. The Irene was then
leaving the harbor with noncombatants.
Surrendered to CoghIan.
Without the least warming" says Col.
Del Rio and Senior Rosello. "the Ameri-
can warships began to lombard us. firing
about twenty-five shots. Seeing that re-
sstance was useless, as our guns had new
er been mounted, we raised the white flag.
Capt. Coghlan came ashore with several
officers, and 1t was expressly stipulated
that the surrender was to the Americans
alone. Capt. Coghlan was asked to prom
Use that the Spaniards should not be de-
livered to the insurgents. and when he
had given his pledge the entire garrison
surrendered
THE Americans sailed away on the even
Ing of the 7th, leaving the garrison prac-
tically unarmed. They returned on the Sth.
Meanwhile the insurgents had repeatedly
fired upon the town. Capt. Coghlan imme-
diately ordered the Spaniards to embark
on the Filipinas When they protested he
said that. although In the hands of the
insurgents, they would be treated as Amer
lean prisoners.
. were Ala wen SIFG0te0s
mine civilians. all merchants. were plac-
ed on board the Filipinas, and despite their
protests were kept imprisoned on the ves-
sci at Olingpo until their recent release"
Senior Rosello, who is chiefly responsible
for the foregoing statement, admits that,
except for one attempt to rob the raer-
chants, for which Aguinaldo punished the
officers of the Filipinas, by reducing them,
all were well treated.
Col. Del Rio, In separate statement
says:
Capt. Coghlan gave his word that our
capitalization would be accepted as 1t was
ised that we should not be given into the
hands. Of the insurgents and believe he
was sincere.
instructions, returning with an order from
Admiral Dewey that we were to be handed
over to the insurgents"
Irene DID Not Slip Cable.
Col. Del Rio and Senior Roselo declared
that the Irene left her anchorage at 6
o'clock in the morning and the American
warships arrived at 1880, passing the Ger
man cruiser as she was leaving the bay
They express surprise at the popular belief
that the Irene slipped her cable on the
appearance of the Concord and Raleigh
: Spanish Fight Filipinos.
A force of 100 insurgents yesterday at
tackled, near Banuag. wagon train es-
corted by thirty men OF the Sixteenth In
fantry. A sharp engagement followed. The
Filipinos lost eighteen killed and nine in
jured. During the recent attack by the
insurgents upon Vigan. the Filipinos OBJ
tanned possession of the plaza, and of a
church in the center of the town, from
which the Americans dislodged them. 1t
seems that the escaped Spaniards obtained
guns and fought with the Americans
against the insurgents