Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-28
HALL TAKES A TOWN.
CALAMBA CAPTURED AFTER TWO
HOURS OF SHARP FIGHTING.
4 AMERICANS KILLED; IL WOUNDED.
Filipiuos Forced to Leave Iheir
Dead-Aiieged Aid for Insurgents
from Jnpan-spnnish prisoners De-
sert TO Americans.

sert TO Americans.
MANILA, July 27-7:f0 =. Man expe-
dition made up OF troops from Sen
Pedro Macai, Pasg. and Morong. under
Brigadier-General r. VI. Hall, yesterday
afternoon captured Calamba. an import
ant trading town on the south shore or
Laguna de Bay. There was two hours
sharp fighting, during which four sol
diers were killed and twelve wounded.
The trenches commanding the harbor
were under water. but swampiness or
the land made the work harder.
The troops boarded cascOes Tuesday
night The force comprised 400 Of the
washington. volunteers. 40 Of the
Twenty-frst Infantry, $50 Of the Fourth
Cavalry, and two guns Of the First Ar
tilery. These and the gunboats Napi-
dau and Costo assembled opposite Ca
lamba Wednesday afternoon. crowds OF
people, in carts and on foot were seen
rushing TO the hills. Natives escaping
from Calamba in canoes said hundred
insurgents held the Town.
ANOTHER SWIMMING EXPLOIT.
a force under Captain McGrath, of the
Twenty-frst Infantry. and Captain Elton
hold, landed east of the town, but tounc
river intervening. Captain McGralh
and Lieutenant BatsOn swan the river
under a fire from twenty Mauser rifles
Having crossed the stream, the officers
procured a casco TO ferry the troops
over. The insurgents retreated through
the town, shooting from houses anc
| bushes as they fed to the hills. Three
members Of the Washington regiment
waded from cascoes through swamps
often shoulder-deep. while a group OF
FinpinOs concealed in hay-stacks were
shooting at them until the Napidau To-
cused her six-pounders and Calling guns
on the stacks for a few minutes. Mos
of the work was done before the Wash
ington volunteers could reach the town
The Fiipinos left their dead. OF The
casualties on the American side two %
the killed and three OF the wounded were
members Of the Fourth Cavalry, and TIVE
| killed and eight wounded belonged u
| the Twenty-first Infantry.
SHOOTING BY "FRIENDLIES."
There was much shooting by amigos
who emerged from the bushes with whit
flags. After the fight dozen men hold
ing up their hands and shouting cas-
| tillanos. met the American cavalry
Eleven Spanish soldiers embraced tn
Americans Historically. There wer'
fifty Spanish prisoners at Calamba,
whom some were civil officials and som
soldiers. They had been giving tn
chance Of joining the Filipino army o
becoming servants 10 Filipinos, ant
chose the army. intending 10 surrende
at the first opportunity. Most of tn
civilians reached the American line
during the fighting. but the insurgent
took others away with them in their re
| treat.
General Hall captured twelve Filipino
with guns.
NON-COMBATANT GOODNESS.
Maior-General Henry W. Lawton, Pro
fessor Dean G. Worcester, OF the Amen
can Philippine Commission; Mrs Genera
I.awton and General Lawton's son ac
companied the expedition on board
launch. and sat coOlly IN an unprotecte
boat close to the shore during the hght
ing. the bullets splashing about them.
General Hall to-day brought IN Manil
the Spaniards, whom the expedition ha
released from q captivity Of more tina
a year.
Lieutenant larsen, commanding IN
Napidau, to-day found a long-missin
Spanish gunboat, which had been cover
ed with bushes and fsh-nets so as no
20 resemble a vessel. The Filippinos hav
ling met endorsements. and thinking tina
the Americans had evacuated the town
descended from the hills to-day, intenc
ing TO reoccupy Calamba. General Ia
again drove them back. General Hall wi
leave a garrison at Calamba.
AID FROM JAPAN?
II IS reported In Filipino circles In Nj
Mia that the insurgents recently receive
consignments of saltpetre and lead froi
Japan. The insurgents had been eXper
encing many difficulties in the mani
facture of good powder. that which the
produced lacking the power of penetra
ton and range.
The two Friars who We're recently al
rested here on suspicion that they WEI
the bearers of messages TO Aguinald
from the Filipino Junta at Hongkon
have been liberated for want OF evidenc
upon which TO prosecute them.
As soon as authorization can he RI
ceived from Madrid to insure the necei
sary expenditures, the Spanish Gener;
Jaramillo will send a commission, con
posed Of Seniors Toral and Rios, 10 TAI
lac. TO carry food, money, medicine
and clothes TO the Spanish prisoner
there. The commission will also reope
negotiations for the release Of the ear
tured 1t is reported that 100000
Mexican money will be offered to III
FYlipinos for the release Of the SPANS
prisoners. General Jaramillo refused
confirm this report.
CALAMBA UNIMPORTANT
WASHINGTON, July 27.-'calamba is
town on Leguna de Bay, about thirt
miles southeast of Manila. 1t Is niue
farther south than the United state
troops have yet penetrated on land. IL
i'm the province Of Laguna, has popul'
ton of II .476. and is twenty-seven mile
from Santa Cruz. on the eastern shoI
of the Bay. It's capture is not consider
ed of any strategical Importance, e'
cent as a part of the plan TO harass an
worry the insurgents.