Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-29

'In one sense it is pitiful, and in another
amusing, to see the little procession of refu-
gees and apparent non -combatants passing
constantly through the lines, making their
way back to the homes they fled from as
the American troops advanced in the cam
paign for the capture of Malolos, homes
that may be but heaps of ashes, around
which homeless dogs howl at night, snged
cats prowl, and where chickens that have
been too agile for the foraging soldiers still
continue to roost, and pigs that have lived
for days upon the bodies of the insurrectos
killed in the woods and rice fields, root
for something else to satisfy their appe-
tites. Pathetic only, and in no sense
amusing to one not hardned to all the finer
sensbilities would the sight be if it were
i'll fact what it Is in appearance-helpless
and innocent refugees, driven from their
homes by cruel war and returning to them
in fear and trembling to procure the neces-
saries of life. But to the soldier who has
been the midnight target of the rifles of
some of these innocent-appearing non-com
batants the sight is different. He watches
them pass with a scowl on his face, and
often with curses his lips, uttered to
himself and his companions, not to the refu-
gees, however, for the officers enforce the
strict orders that have been given not to
modest or offer any indignities to these So
called non-combatants. He would like to
shoot every able bodied man among them,
and feels indeed badly used because he is
not permitted to seize upon them and make
them build the trenches he is compelled
to work upon in the hot sun to protect him
in the dark hours from their fellow non
combatants who have not yet organized
PROFESSIONS or from some of these men
themselves, who are thus humbly march
ing trough his camp, carrying protecting
white flag, for the purpose of getting the
information that will enable them to shoot
to better advantage next time.
zone who has not worked or fought all
day in the hot sun and been robbed of his
sleep all night by the shots of these
guerrillas; one ttat does not understand that
the white-shirted amigo would give the sol
dier a glass of water day by day. with
low bow of mingled courtesy and servility,
by night gives him MauseT bullets, with
deep Tagalog malediction cannot fully ap-
preciate the frame Of mind into which the
soldiers at the front have come
"As have said, these refugees are all nom
combatants under the orders in force, and
yet all are, or at least were, participants
in the nsurrection. They helped the cause
along by serving in the army, giving secret
information manufacturing ammunition
and in building trenches, shooting guns,
burning houses, destroying railroads and
telegraphs, and mutiating the bodies of the
few Americans that have fallen into their
hands; and when they fled from their
homes they did not do so as innocent vic
tins of the horrors Of war, but as partici-
pants afraid of punishment for their deeds.
Now they are beginning to return, knowing
the Americans will respect the white flag
they bear; bringing back their old men,
women and children whom they cannot
care for in the hills, either to give up war
because convinced the Americans are in
vincible, or to return again TO the hills
to resume fighting when their families have
been cared for.