The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-27
SLEW HIS wOULD-BE AssAss1Ns.
Private Smith of South Dakota Vol
unteerS at Manila, Lost Blood, But
Not His Nerve.

. Private Smith of south Dakota Vol
unteers at Manila, Lost Blood, But
Not His Nerve.
From the New York Herald.
Sioux Falls, s. D.. April 15.-Among the
gallant United States soldiers now at Ma
Mia who have performed deeds which will
win for them the coveted medal of honor
as Thomas Smith. a private of Company e,
South Dakota Volunteers. To him was
also accorded the honor of being personally
congratulated by Gen. Otis
In an encounter with two Fillpinos who
sought to assassinate him while on picket
duty, Smith, after being badly wounded.
shot and instantly killed one of his assail-
ants and wounded the other so severely
that he died a short time later
Sergt. Kicker Corpl. Wheeler and three
privates, among them Private Smith, were
assigned TO outpost duty at Blockhouse
No 2 north of Manila. AT $50 in the
evening Private Smith went on picket duty.
His beat was one of the most dangerous
patrolled by American soldiers, passing
along a narrow road thickly fringed with
trees and bamboo thickets.
Shortly after o'clock, the sun having
set, Private Smith dlscerned two Fillpinos
to Manila. They were dressed In white
and walked In single file, one about six
feet behind the other. He challenged
them and they answered promptly the
first greeting him with the words 'fBuena
noche, amigo" ("Good evening, friendly.
The second repeated the greetingR and ac-
companied It with military salute. Smith
replied in English and, shouldering his
Springfield rifle, turned TO resume his beat
mas bn oil coIxr
turned his head to look after them. This
fortunate circumstance saved his life, for
Immediately after passing him the second
Filipino drew machete, sprang at the
sentry and aimed a terrific blow at his
head.
The stroke would probably have severed
Private Smiths head from his body had he
not caught sight of the descending knife in
time to dodge slightly causing the blade to
miss It's mark AS It was the blow was
sufficient to cut his left cheek open 70 the
bone from the temple to the jaw
With tho blood pouring forth in a stream
he whrled to face the natives, who In
stantly took TO their heels in the effort to
escape. Smith raised his rifle and shot one
of the fleeing natives through the heart be-
fore he had gone twenty feet. BY this
lime ne was so weak from pain and loss
of blood that he was forced to drop to his
knees, and while in this position he re-
loaded his rifle and fired a shot at the 9TH
err Filipino, who was just disappearing in
the edge of the thicket at the side of the
road.
This shot also took effect, for the dead
body OF the native was found next morning
In the thicket he having evidently crawled
as far as possible before expiring, for the
body was discovered some distance from
the point where he disappeared In the I'M
derbrush as Smith fired at him.
Comrades, attracted by the firing, rushed
10 the aid of the brave soldier, and pro-
curing a horse. placed him upon the ami
NAL aud conveyed him three miles to the
company's quarters, where his wound was
dressed by the surgeons. Smith bled SO
profusely that in going The three miles TO
the company quarters his clothing became
thoroughly saturated/ his shoes fun and
the horse covered With blood. He was
afterward taken to the hospital.
That man, after being so severely
wounded. should have the pluck not only
to face his foes and fight, but 10 kill one
Of his ASSISTANTS on the spot and mortal
w wound the other, excited the admiration
of an the soldiers at Manila. lie was con-
graduated on his piucky fight by practical
ly the whole army, even Gen. Otis calling
upon him while In the hospital and shaking
hands with him and commencing him for
his bravery.