The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1899-06-15
BIG BATTLE NEAR MANILA.
American Gunboats Shell the Fill
ipino Insurgents Position
at Cavite Viejo.
LAYTON HAS A LIVELY ENGAGEMENT.

The Rebels Open Terrific Fire the
T~enty-First Infantry \ Desperate
stand Made by the Americans Re
ported Assassination of Gen. Luna
Gen. Otis CablcGram.
Manila. June 13.-At daylight to-day
the rebels at Cavitc Viejo dropped two
shells from Il big smooth bore gun
mounted in front of the church in the
| navy yard. The only damage done was
splintering the top of the huge shears
on the Mole. The gunboats Callao,
Manila and Mosquito then proceeded
to dismount the gun. After breakfast
the rebels opened fire along the beach
to Bakoor. After silencing the big
gun at Cavitc Vieio the gun
boats ran close along the shore,
bonn harding the rebel position. The
rebels replied with rifle fire and with
the fire of some small pieces of artil-
lery. So vigorous was the enemy's fire
that at 9:20 Il. III. the gunbOat Helena
joined the small gunboats already
named and the Princeton, Monterey
and Monadnock, from their anchor
ages, dropped occasional big shells
among the rebels This. apparently,
only served to incite the rebels, as they
kept up an incessant fire of musket-
ry and artillery near the mouth of the
Zapote river, two miles north of BalIoor.
The fire of all seven warships was con-
| centrated on this point shortly after
noon, when the upper bay presented
the appearance Of being the scene of
great naval battle. The insurgents
were eventually forced TO abandon
| their guns after holding out for about
four hours. only TO be confronted by
Gen. Lawton'e force on land and in
their rear, where there was heavy
fighting. Beyond the destruction
of several buildings along he water
front, the effect of the bonn bardment is
not known.
Lively Engagement.
Manila, June 13.-Gen. LawtOn I'M
eXpectedly stirred up one of the hven-
est engagements of the war south of
Eas Pinas this morning upon which
occasion American field guns were en-
gagged in the first artillery duel against
Filipino battery, concealed III the
Jungle. Companies i and |, of the
Twcnty-tirst infantry, were nearly sur
rounded by large body of insurgents,
but the Americans cut their way out
with heavy loss During the night an
insurgent cannon was fired three times
at the Americans on the outskirts of
Las pinaa Gen. Lawton this morning
took battalion of the Fourteenth
regiment and two companies of
the Twcnty-first regiment to locate
the rebel battery, and then two guns
of the Sixth artillery and four
mountain guns were planted against it
at 600 yards distance. Tho rebels had
large gun from which they were fir
ing homemade canister loaded with
nails and also two smaller guns. Their
shooting was most accurate. The com
panies of the Twenty-drst regiment,
diminishing along the beach, with
amigo guides, found, apparently, a
handful of rebels. who retreated. The
men of the Twenty-first followed and
suddenly the rebels opened a terrific fire
on the troops from the sides and
rear. The soldiers Withdrew to the
waters edge, finding what shelter they
could, and We're picked off rapidly.
After their ammunition was Isearly ex-
hausted, the companies of the Twenty
first retreated, but Gen. Lawton dashed
down and rallied the men. A little
group made desperate stand. Gen.
Lawton, Mat. Starr and Lieuts. DonO-
van and Connolly taking rifles from the
wounded men, fired at the enemy,
| bringing down some of the rebel sharp
shooters from q tree. Finally their
cartridges were all gone and they were
forced to break through the enemy's
flank, carrying the wounded to the
main body of the troops.
Battle with the Insurgents.
Manila, June 1S.-The fighting at
Las Pinas continued hotly all day long.
Gen. Lawton called out the whole force
of 3, 900 men and at five O'Clock he was
only able to push the insurgents back
500 yards to the Zapote river where
they are intrenched. The insurgents
resisted desperately and aggressively.
they attempted to turn the left flank
of the American troops The American
loss is conservatively estimated at go.
Reported Assassination of Gen. Luna
Manila, June 3.-Information, be-
iieved to be reliable, has reached here
of the assassination OF Gen. Luna and
his aide-de-camp, Lieut. Pasco Ramon,
June 5, by Aguinaldo's guard as the
headquarters of Aguinaldo. Luna and
Ramon, 1t appears, went to the Filipino
headquarters TO CONFER with AZ ulhdAuO'
got into an alteration with the cap
tain of the guard and one of them drew
a revolver. The guard then killed
Luna and Ramon with their bayonets-
Gen. Otis Cablegram-
Washington, June 13.-The follow
| ing cablegram was received from Ten.
Otis:
Manila. June Is-AdJutaut General, Wash
/ iurton- I.awtons troops had severe engage
uept to-day with enemy in strong tntrench-
ments az crossing Zapote river, near Bakoor,
Cavite province; has driven enemy With heavy
loss: our casualties some 80 Insurgents IN this
southern section not uolested until threatened
| attack IN strong force Manila; now scattered
| and in retreat; doubtful II they make further