Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-11-23

How the Filipino Viewed the Rush
of American soIdiers-wouId Never
Return to the Insurgents il He
Were Released. He Says-FiiipinO
Marching Song.
Here is a story of a captured soldier
of the Filipino army as told by himself.
l have made only the necessary lido
NAUTICAL changes in his account and the
whole may be taken as a fair setting
forth of the situation as viewed by the
eyes of a soldier for independence, says
the st. Louis Globe-Democrat's CORE
spondent, writing from General Wheel
er's headquarters at Santa Rita, T. l.
When 1 first saw this man he was in
cart that had tOiled through the mud
from BacolOr to these headquarters.
and there was in his eyes that fearful
look so commonly seen among the ig-
nOrant when brought before those in
authority. On that day General Wheel
or had him brought before him, and it
was only with difficulty that anything
could be learned from the poor shaking
creature, Notwithstanding the fact that
the general used his most kindly man.
ner and at first asked but trivial queS
tiOnS.
Today, however, when 1 entered the
prison room in the old convent that is
used as headquarters of our interior
guard. a quick change in look and de-
meanor had occurred. \ soldier, though
n captive. stood before me. He brought
his hand up Smartly in salute, and
when the courtesy had been returned
began n voluble but dignified express
sion of the treatment given him by our
men, and when L explained my wishes
he stood for n moment gazing out of
the window, then, turning, he spread
out both hands with quick downward
thrust toward me, saying in his native
Tagal. III do it." With his determina-
ton all reserve vanished, and he thus
began his story, which is in part as
follows:
Il am n Tagalo. and when the war
was talked of lived in the TOndo dis
trict of Manila. l am now 20 years old
and was formerly 4 fisherman. l have
been married now Il little over a year
and have one child, but l have never
seen my baby" He paused briefly,
then continued: Il had not thought of
going in. but in February | got into it.
l was not alone in not wanting war; n
great many OF us didn't want it, but
we were forced in by the generals.
They threatened us with destroying
our property and killing us and our
families. One day L met General Pan
falcon Garcia in tine street, and had Il
long talk with him about the war. 1t
lasted about an hour. lie told mo Il
great deal about independence. He
told me that when we got our indie
pendcnce we would have good times;
that some would have fine positions;
that the soldiers especially would have
good fortune awaiting them. He said
that. of course, some of the soldiers
would be killed. but that there would
not be much of n fight and that in n
month we would all be in Manila. He
also told me great deal about the
Americans, saying that they were a
bad people and would commit and
were committing all sorts of outrages
on our property and families, but he
said nothing of the Americans as sol
diers.
well. l had a friend and it was he
who induced me to go His name is
Feliz Carpio, and he is now a lieuten-
street and had talk with him about |
done. We finished our talk with his |
promising to make me n clerk if 1 |
would 20, and | said that I'd go. No,
1 never discussed my going with my |
wife. l simply went off and left her"
Then his dark. strong face was turned |
away. 1t was very still in the guard |
room. From without came the sound |
of the slow, steady tramp of the Ninth |
N a fry Il haa l. a
forth under tho gray stone archway. |
The interpreter. looking down. marked |
lines with his toe on the dust strewn |
floor. Thus we waited. When he |
again turned his face to resume his |
story, his eyes had been softened by |
tears. but we two who sat waiting had I!
also left somebody miles and miles
away. and we easily pardoned the
weakness of the barefooted man in the
sOiled blue and white uniform.
We'll" ne continued, when decid-
cd TO go the officers kept me with
them. l never went home again. but
remained in Caloocan. l was put at
some clerical work. had n little drill
and did some manual labor but for
the most of the day we sat around and
talked. Frequently our officers would
come to US and tell us how well we
were doing, but for the most of the
time we just waited. l was still at Ca
oocan when the fight began. l was
sitting talking to n friend when the
sound of firing came. He was from
my home and had just been telling me
hat my wife wanted me. At once there
was great confusion. Everybody that
saw was hurrying. Soldiers were
-ushing toward Manila. The old men.
women and children were hurrying the
)ther way. The next morning Sun
iay) n great many people came out of
Manila Most OF them carried great
burdens. oh, how they were strug-
cling to carry the heavy loadsi And
hat morning when the firing recon-
nenced the soldiers were very much