Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-04-22
IRE DETAILS OF CAPTURE.
information Concerning the
Disappearance of Lieut.. Gill
more Arrives.
THE CUTTER DISAPPEARS
Give Hope That Americans Are Still
Alive but Lend Additional Mys-
terry to Strange Capture.

President Mckinley Has Sent Instructions
to Admiral Dewey to Open Negotiations
at Once for Exchange of Prisoners-Na-
tives Near BaIer said to be Particularly
Vicious.
Manila, April 21.-Further details
concerning the capture of Lieutenant
Gilmore and fourteen men, while try
ing to rescue a beleaguered Spanish
garrison at Baler, have become known.
They read like a chapter from a novel
by Robert Stevenson. While they
give more hope that Lieutenant Gill
more and his brave men are still alive,
they lend additional mystery to the re-
markable disappearance.
The gunboat Yorktown on April II
visited Baler, which is on the east
coast of the island of Luzon An at
tempt was made to communicate with
the Spanish garrison of fifty men and
three officers, who had been resisting
the insurgents surrounding them for
a long time, and We're. in fact, ignor-
ant of the existence of war between
Spain and the United States
The Yorktown sent a cutter with
fourteen men. commanded by Lieuten-
ant Gilmore The cutter landed ut
night, and Ensign Stanley and a quar-
termaster who climbed the hill say
that the Spanish flag was flying from
the church in the town.
Lieutenant Gilmore. with the cutter,
entered the river, taking the sound
ings as he proceeded.
In the morning Ensign Stanley re-
turned and reported that he had
heard three volleys of musketry. ac-
companied by cheers, but had heard
no fire from the colt gun on board the
cutter.
Nothing has since been seen of the
cutter, nor has anything been heard
of Lieutenant Gilmore and his com
panions, but it is possible that they
were rescued by the Spaniards of the
Baler garrison.
Later boats were sent ashore to
search for the missing party. but the
Filipinos, twice fired on their flags of
truce and refused to have any commu-
nication with the Americans.
The native force around Baler is es-
timated Mt 400 men.
TRYING TO SAVE THEM
Washington. April 21.-Presiden Nc
Kinley has sent instructions to Admir-
al Dewey to open negotiations at once
for the exchange of our sailors who
The power is also given to the Adj
miral to ransom the men If Aguinal-
do refuses to make exchange. No limit
is given to the sum that Dewey is
authorized to pay.
No news of the fate of Lieutenant
]. G. Gilmore and the rescue party
that he headed has been received by
the Navy Department. and the officers
are very much alarmed because the
natives of the section where they were
made prisoners are known to be par
ticularly vicious.
1t will take about twenty days for
the Baler insurgents who hold our
men to communicate with Aguinaldo
There is an uncontirmed rumor afioat
that the President had authorized Am
bassador Choate at London and Hen
ry Nigna,fd, Secretary .of the Ameri-
can Embassy at Paris, to treat with
AgOncillo for the ransom, naming
S3,000,00o as the sum.
The President has been reluctant to
open negotiations with the rebels. but
the taking OF Gilmore and his men left
no alternative in his estimation. There
is little hope that an exchange will be
agreed to. although Dewey may offer
any reasonable number of the 1000
Filipinos held captive by the Ameri-
can forces.