Evening star., 1899-04-11
A MANILA HERO.
Brave Deed of Dakota Private
While ON Picket Duty.

From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat.
Among the gallant United States soldiers
/, now upholding the honor of their country
at Manila. who have performed deeds
which will win for them the coveted medal
of honor, is Thomas Smith, a private of
Company e, South Dakota Volunteers. To
him was also accord I'd the honor of being
personally congratulated by Gen. Otis. In
an encounter with two Filipinos who
sought to assassinate him while on picket
duty Smith, after being badly wounded,
shot and instantly killed one of his assail-
ants and wounded the other SO severely
that he died short time later. Sergt.
Kicker Corp. Wheeler and three privates
among them Private Smith, We're assigned
to outpost duty at blockhouse No. =, north
of Manila. At $50 o'clock in the evening
Private Smith went on picket duty. His
beat was one of the most dangerous pa
trollad by American soldiers, passing along
a narrow road thickly fringed with trees
and bamboo thckets. Shortly after Z
o'clock, the sun having set Private Smith
discerned two Filipinos approaching him.
apparently on their way to Manila. They
were dressed in white and walked in sin
gle file, one about six feet behind the other
He challenged them and they answered
promptly, the first greeting him with the
words "Buenos noches amego' good even
ing, friend). The second repeated the greet
ing. and accompanied it with a military
ing nothing suspicious, shoaldered his
Springfield rife and turned to resume his
beat just they passed him he careless
ly turned his head to look after them. This
fortunate circumstance saved his life, for
Immediately after passing him the second
Filipino drew a machcte, sprang at the SEN
try and aimed a terrific blow at his head.
The stroke would practically have severed
Private Smiths head from his body had he
not caught sight of the descending knife in
time to dodge slightly, causing the blade TO
miss it's mark.
As it was, the blow was sufficient to cut
his left cheek open to the bone from the
temple to the jaw. With the blood pouring
forth in a stream. he whirled to face the
natives, who instantly took to their heels
in the effort to escape. Smith raised his
rife and shot one OF the fleeing natives
through the heart before he had gone
twenty feet. BY this time ne was so weak
from pain and loss of blood that he was
forced to his knees. and while in this po-
sition he reloaded his rifle and fired a shot
at the other Filipino. who was just disap-
pearing in the edge of tie thicket at the
side of the road. This shot also took eff
feet for the dead body of the native was
founl next morning i'm the thicket. he hav
ing evidently crawled as far as possible be-
fore expiring, for the body was discovered
some distance from the point where he dis
appeared in the underbrush as Smith fired
al him. Comrades. attracted by the firing.
rushed to the aid of the brave soldier, and
procuring horse, placed him upon the an
Scmpanys quarters. where his wound was
dressed by the surgeons. Smith bled so pro-
iuSeiy that In going the three miles to the
company quarters his clothing became thor
oughiy saturated. his shoes full and the
morse covered with blood He was after
ward taken to the hospital. That a man.
aIter being so severely wounded should
nave the pluck, not only to face mis- foes
and hight. but to kill one of his assailants
on the spot and morta1ly wound the other
excited the admiration of all the soldiers at
Mania. He was congratulated on his
piucky night by practically the whole army
even Gen. Otis calling upon him while In
the hospital and shaking hands with him
ana commencing him for his bravery. A
Iund was raised among the soldiers and Of
hcers, with which they purchased ele-
CANT gold watch and presented it to the
nero. The machete. very fine one with
an inlaid gold handle. which came so near
being the means of ending his life, was
1pund on the ground under the body of the
native who was first killed, and this was
also presented to him as a memento of the
encounter. Smiths parents. Mr.. and Mrs.
Michael Smith, reside ON a farm near Lake
| Preston. S. D., and are naturally very
proud of their heroic son.