The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-20
Gen. Otis Refuses to Entertain
1t For a Minute.
NEGOTIATIONS e Nd
Filfpinos Are Shown the Oregon
and Other Vessels.
Allowed to See Their Families
Before Returning.
Americans Receive a Porto
Rican Welcome at San Luis.

Manila, May 2O.-Gen. Gregorio del
Pillar, commander of the insurgent
forces in front of Cen Lawtons divis-
ion; Lieut.. Col. Alberto Barro, judge
advocate; Maj. Zealcita, of Aguinaldo' 5
staff, and Senior Graciognzaga, a former
member of the Filipino cabinet, the
commissioners appointed to cooperate
with Senors F'lorfntino Torres, Pablo
Campo and Teodore Yanco, of Manila,
for the purpose of negotiating terms of
peace with the American commission
ers. reached Manila by special train
from Malolos at SIS o'clock this morn
ing The party was met by Lieut. Col.
Barry, adJutant general and conducted
from the train to the launch Captain
and taken to the palace at Galacanan,
and after breakfast were driven through
the city to the Ayuntamiente-
The party was closeted with Gen.
Otis for more than an hour; but the
interview was very unsatisfactory to
the commission, they having nothing
definite to propose and being unempOw-
cred to negotiate terms.
The commissioners brought a COM
munication direct from AguinaldO ask
ing for an armiStice pending the declS-
ion of the Filipino congress as to what
policy should be adopted.
AS before, Gen. Otis refused to enter
tain the proposition. The commission
ers, after leaving the city hall, accepted
an invitation to visit the Oregon and
the other vessels Of the American fleet
in the bay; and they were also granted
permission to see their families before
returning.
KOBBE'S EXPEDITION.
Col Kobbe's expedition up the Rio
Grande met with no resistance except
at the outskirts of San Luis, where sew
eral hundred Filipinos were entrenched
on the banks of the stream. The rebels
retT ated beyond Candaba and the gun
boats steamed ahead. all the way train
ing their Calling hanks
and dropping shells wherever uniforms
appeared on the shore. The gunboats
dispersed the insurgents before San
Luis.
After they had passed sharpshooters
from trees across the river a hundred
yards distant harassed the Seventeenth
infantry, which was marching by fOurs
along the narrow wooded road from
which the troops were unable to see the
enemy The members of one battalion
laid on their faces in the road for
quarter of an hour trying to locate the
rifiemen and return their fire. Two
Americans were wounded.
The road wound close to the stream
and was thickly settled. 1t was a pic
turesque march. Many groups of hun
dreds of natives were clustered under
the trees on the opposite banks dis
playing sThite shirts towels. sheets or
anything white on poles. Some shouted
welcomes to the American soldiers. but
most of them maintained a sulIen
silence.
An old man in a carriage met the
troops two miles outside the town. He
said; 4 have lived in England and
have told the people that the Americans
are like the English and that they need
not be afraid
A PORTO RICAN WELCOME.
Capt. Grant, in command of the gun
boats. landed before the troops arrived
and met with Porto Rican'' welcome
The natives who had assembled on the
shore crowded about the Americans
with fulsome expressions of friendship |
apparently half afraid that they would |
be massacred.
Captain Grant quickly distributed the !
men from the gunboat Laguna de Bay |
to guard the town: and the natives |
sent a messenger to tell the people who /
had taken refuge in the swamps to re- |
turn.
Hundreds of the natives thereupon |
returned timidly man with an impro- |
vised flag of truce flying from a bam- /
boo pole preceding each party.
A CapuchIn priest, one of the few
whom FfliDinos had not imprisoned, |
was found at Candaba. He said it was |
useless to try to convince the natives |
that the Americans had not come to op- |
press them. as they believed their lead |
ers, who had strongly impressed this |
belief upon them. and who have told |
stories of massacres, outrages and Fill
1pinO victories. The walls of the town |
We're placarded with reports of the
slaughter of Americans hundreds of
whom We're said to have been taken
prisoners. As soon as Major Kobbe /
AGdNicQ Sdn LUIS the natives raldSd |
the insurgents rice stores. All day
stream Of half naked people emerged
from the storehouse in the manner of
ants. rushing to their homes with bags
OF rice on their heads.
BURNED THE TOWN
on Thursday night a body of rebels
returned to San Luis and burned part |
OF the town Lieut.. Cunningham with |
a signal corps party engaged in run. |
ming telegraph line, was camped near
the place. Major Kobbe sent the army
gunboat CaVadOnga there and found |
the party today in the town.
The Rio Grande, since Major KObbe |
started, has been the highway for the |
exodus of the natives and today there
Is a continuous procession of thatched |
cascoes. with white flags drifting down |
the river and containing whole famI-
lies, of 20 to 80 persons with their
household goods and animals on board |
Inc Nebraska regiment marched
rom San Fernando to Calumpit today
Tor 80 days rest The regiment num-
berS about 800 weather beaten veter-
ans Two of the companies are mere |
SQUADS and their battered canteens
anu SHINY clothes show unrnistalable
marks OF rough campaigning But. the
Soiulers are happy. Several of them
NLopped by the way from the heat but
Nhen they boarded the special train at
SaIu1nplt, bound for Manila. they yelled
IKE school boys and the other troops
Went TO their stations and cheered
heartily.
ANOTHER MEETING SET.
w aShlQRton RTaxy r-1,o 1