The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-09-29
HOME FROM THE WAR.
William Rumbley, of the Twentieth,
Reaches llOme-llis Views
of Things

Will Rumbley, corporal in Co. l,
Goth Kansas, reached home yesterday
from the hospital at San Francisco to
which he was sent from Manila two
months ago on account OF disability
due to gunshot wound in the lett
hand. The wound has healed but
the hand is permanently disabled to
"a certain extent, thefrst two fingers
being practically useless. Otherwise
Mr.. Rumbley is in excellent condi.
ton. A REGISTER representative
had long talk with him this morn.
ing, add here are some Of the things
he said.
81 do not regret my enlistment by
any means Aside from the service
as II older, the trip was worth all 1t
cost in time and risks. But 1 do not
want to go again. have had plenty.
1.-The lola boys were all good sol
diers. There wasn't one OF them
flunked or flinched.
"The boys never talked much
about expansion. | think they
rather took it for granted. | know
that we never thought OF the Govern.
ment giving " the Islands, and
know that none OF them ever had any
computations about killing the mig
gers Almost from the first day we
landed every man in the army knew
that the war would have TO come
s)oner or later, knew that we would
have to give them good thrashing.
The Filipinos found out very soon
that we had orders to not get into
trouble with them, and 50 they did
everything to provoke an attack.
They tried it once too often.
"Nobody who was there at the
time doubts that if Aguinaldo's army
had been allowed to come into the
city at the time Manila was taken by
our troops, they would have muir.
dered every foreigner, particularly
every Spaniard, they could lay hands
on. And if our troops should leave
now and turn the islands over to
Aguinaldo the same thing would
happen. They would murder the
foreigners and then fall out among
themselves and go to lighting each
other They are utterly incapable
of self.government,
81 am convinced that the mass Of
the Filipino people do not desire war.
and would put an end to it if it were
not for their leaders who tyrannize
over them and compel them TO fight.
Time after time We found Filipino
soldiers lying in the trenches which
we captured with their throats cut
from ear to ear. We didn't do it, 1t
was done by their own officers, prob.
ably because the men refused to re-
treat when ordered to do so, but re-
manned intending to give themselves
up az prisoners. AZ soon as they
found that we didn't kill our prison.
ere a great many of them allowed
Themselves to be captured, pretend
ing to be dead or wounded until our
llhc hhh Bot pooN Ahoil'
don't think the rebellion will last
long after the dry season sets in.
But l think the Filipinos will be
found to be good deal like our In
dians. They will pretend to be good
until they can hide away "a lot of
arms and ammunition, and then go
on the war path again. 1t will take
n considerable army and constant
watching to keep them peaceable.
~ he island is rich in many ways.
Enough rice could be grown there, |
believe, to supply the whole United
STATES. A great deal of fine hemp il
raised also. The Spaniards say that
there are rich gold mines in the
mountains that have never been
worked because they had no mills.
~ never heard soldier speak a
good word for General Otis. 1t is
the general opinion that ne is in
competent"
MIR. Rumbley was shot while carry
ing the supper from the cook tent to
his mess in the trenches before Caloo-
can under fire. The Fllipinos began
firing on him as soon as he left the
trenches, and it was their last vol
ley, fired as he was nearly back, that
hit him.
A