The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-12-01
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First Authentic Story From I'm
prisoned American Officer.
WAS SENTENCED TO EXECUTION.
AguinaIdO Saved the Lieutenant aA1
His Men After Gilmore Protested
Against being Shot with His

/
! party from the United States battle
ship Oregon, under lieutenant Com
mander McCrackin. took the town Of
vigan, province Of South 1lbcos. last
Sunday, they found there an escaped
| prisoner, A. L. Sonnenshein, who fur
nished the first authentic account Of
the experience Of Lieutenant James @.
Gilmore, OF the United States gunboat
Yorktown, who, with q party of the
Yorktown, was captured by the In
surgents near Baler. on the east coast
Of Luzon. last April, while making
an examination Of the mouth Of the
| river In an armed boat.
Mr.. Sonnenshein was imprisoned at
Abra for a long time with Lieutenant
Gilmore and seven sailors. but con-
trived to escape, carrying concealed
note, written In naval cipher, dated
Abra, Nov. /. addressed to ANY naval
officer" and saying: you may have
perfect confidence in anything the
bearer says" The note was signed
Gilmore"
According to Nj. sonnenshein, when
Lieutenant Gilmore's launch entered
the river from Baler harbor under
cover Of Ensign w. X. Standley's gun
the landing was received with three
volleys. Two OF the Americans were
killed and two MORALLY wounded.
Every man was hit. Lieutenant Gil
more receiving a flesh wound in the
leg, and his foot stuck fast in the mud.
It was choice between surrender and
being slaughtered.
Lieutenant Gilmore asked the terms
Of release. The insurgents proposed
that he should procure the delivery to
them Of the arms and munitions OF the
Spanish garrison, undertaking, II this
were accomplished. to send the Span
iards and Americans to the Yorktown.
A sailor Of Lieutenant Gilmores party
carried this proposition to the gar
rison. The Spanish commandant re-
piled that 1t was an insult to Spanish
arms, and expelled the sailor, a Span
fish soldier firing upon him as he went
The Americans were then bound
hand and foot and taken to San Isidro,
where General Luna ordered their
execution. They were marched to the
plaza, and in the presence Of great
crowd were aligned to be executed.
Lieutenant Gilmore said: "As an
American officer and gentleman, I pro-
test against being shot with my hands
tied"
Aguinaldo interfered and prevented
the execution. When General Lawton
approached San Isidro last June the
Americans were removed to Abra,
where they were kept confined in cells
for two months. Subsequently they
were allowed greater liberty, but the
report that Lieutenant Gilmore was
given house and a servant is I'M
true. He had the same quarters as the
men, and the Americans were given
the same allowance as the Spanish
prisoners-flve cents day with which
to buy rice and bananas, virtually the
only rations.
General Macarthur is now at Bay
ambang Tor Bayamban), preparing to
sweep the country on both sides of the
Manila-Dagupan railroad. General
Wheaton Is at San Fabian and Gen
eral Lawton at Tayug.
The Gordon from San Fabian to San
Isidro covers all the roads and occupies
all the towns on the line. The Ameri-
can policy is to prevent any more in
surgents escaping to the north and to
force them toward the country west of
the railroad.
Major Marsh, with battalion of the
Thirty-third infantry, occupies Vigan,
having made forced march from San
Fabian. The remainder of the regi-
ment is on the way.
Dispatches received from Iloilo, ISL
and of Panay, say that at l o'clock
on the evening of Sunday, Nov. rs,
the Eighteenth regiment encountered
an entrenched force of the enemy at
Pavia, who opened heavy fire. The
leading battalion replied and after
the Filipinos, driving them out Of their
trenches. The enemy retreated to the
mountains. At the beginning of the
fight one captain and one private of
the Eighteenth were killed
Captain Fowler's march after Cen
eral Alejandrino's brigade with one
company Of the Thirty-third regiment,
was one Of the bravest incidents of the
war The company left Dagupan alone,
under orders to locate the enemy.
Captain Fowler had been warned by
the natives that he and his men would
be exterminated. The guides deserted
them before Mangalarom Tor Manga
laren) was reached. All Of Alejan-
drino's artillery was focused upon the
main street. along which the Ameri-
cans advanced. The guns were man.
ned by Spaniards, who said afterward
that they had fred over the heads of
the Americans, as they desired that
the latter should win. hoping thus to
gain their own freedom
In the terrified temper of the insur-
gents, who run at the sight of an
American, a single company might 60
In the north now, according
to Captain Fowler.
Major Johnston, of General Mac
Arthur's staff. brought here by special
train Churibian, secretary of the treas
ury in the so-called Filipino govern
Aent, and Mariana Lin Gap a Chinese
halfbreed, director of railways and
postoffices. Their goods filled four cars.
Major Ortez, of the last Filipino
commission to General Otis, is harm
loss character, kind of burlesque SOL
der, and the American officers to
whom he surrendered have declined to
iHlpflson Hill. he yearuS u pose as
o martyr In Manila.
Aguinaldo's mother has arrived herd,
and has been given shelter by Senior
degrade, prominent amigo who was
secretary Of the treasury before the
outbreak and who resigned when 1t
came. 1t seems that Buencamino's
party took refuge in bandit village,
which had offered Aguinaldo an asy-
lum, intending to sell him to the
The bandits assassinated
half of Buencamino's guard and pro-
ansad to keen AgSinaldn,s mnfher for