Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-03-25

ON MA[0L0S
Two Kansas Boys Killed at Opening
OF Battle.
OTIS BRIGADE IN FRONT.
General WheatOn's Command Backs
Him tp-Insurgents Busy Strength
enfng Their Defenses Filipi-
nos Victorious a Ia Spain.

Manila, March 25.-The long expected
movement for the capture of Maloos
he rebel capital, has begun. For two
lays there has been lull in the fight
ng. and the positions of the troops have
oeen readjusted preparatory to this
troke. which is expected to reduce
Aguinaldo to the last extremity.
The first troops to move were the men
n the brigade of General Harrison
Grey Otis. who struck tents shortly be-
fore sunrise. Immediately the word
was passed along the line, and the
troops became convinced that the
greatest battle since the opening Of hos
tilities with the Filipinos was at hand.
Brigadier General Otis occupied the
position at Caloocan which is nearest
Malolos on the road from Manila His
brigade includes the Twentieth Kansas,
First Montana. First Idaho, First Cali
fornia and the Wyoming battery.
The first movement of troops under
General Otis was met with a stubborn
resistance by the Filipinos. and in the
opening skirmish Sergeant Morris Cohen
and Private John Muhe of the Twen-
tieth Kansas volunteers were killed.
The Second Oregon and Twenty sec
ond infantry and the troops of General
Wheaton's brigade are concentrating
near Caloocan in the rear of Brigadier
General Otis front. The Third infantry
has Joined General Wheatons COM
mand
Army tugs command Malabon.
The battalion Of the Seventeenth in
fantry which arrived on board the
transport Sherman has disembarked.
Insurgents Active.
The insurgents are actively strength
ening their position. Large bodies Of
the enemy are visible from our lines.
The cruiser Baltimore is going to Ilo-
ilo to strengthen our forces. Reassur-
ing reports have been received from Ne
gros island where all is quiet. ~
The English refugees who arrived on
the Saturnus from Dagupan, in the
northern part of Luzon, express sur
prise to find Manila in existence They
say the insurgents in the north alleged
the city was in ruins and the flower of
the American army destroyed.
According to Filipino accounts. 1000
Americans have been killed, the fatali-
ties being especially heavy at Caloocan,
where the United States troops rushed
like madmen against a storm Of bull
let's"
Two Spanish prisoners who have es-
capped from Polo to the lines Of the Kan
sas regiment report that the Filipinos
have concentrated their forces at Mala-
bon and Polo. They add that only
Aguinaldo's bodyguard is at Malolos
and that tho rebel leaders apparently
intend to stake their fortunes on fight
at Malsbon, where 1t was expected an
engagement would take place Thursday.
If defeated, it is further asserted. the
rebels intend to disperse to the swamps
and mountains. The rebels were put
ting their Boios in front, believing that
the Bolo mems charms will avert the
bullets The Bolos of the Filipinos great
ly outnumber the rifles in their hands.
The rebels are further said to have ad-
mitted that they could not stand the
American shells and bayonet charges.
The escaped Spaniards corroborated
the stories told Of food shortage among
the rebels and they added that their
hospitals are short of supplies.