, 1899-12-01

Manila, Dec. when the landing
party of the United States battleship
Oregon, under Lieutenant Commander
McCrackin, took the town of Vigan,
province of South Ilocos, last Sunday,
they found there an escaped prisoner,
A. L. S~onnenshein, who furnished the
first authentic account of the expert
ence of Lieutenant James c. Gilmore
of the United States gunboat Yorktown,
who, with a party of the Yirktown, was
captured by the insurgents near Baler,
on the east coast of Luzon, last April,
while making an examination of the
mouth of the river in an armed boat.
Mr.. So%nnenshein was imprisoned at
Abra for a long time with Lieutenant
Gilmore and seven sailors, but N
trived to escape, carrying a concealed
note, written in naval cipher, dated
Abra, November 10, addressed to ANY
Naval Officer" and saying:
"You may have perfect confidence in
anything the bearer says"
The note was signed "Gillmore."
According to Mr.. S%onnenshein, when
Lieutenant Gillmore's launch entered
the river from Baler harbor, under
cover of Ensign w. H. Stanley's gun
the landing party was received with
three volleys. Two of the Americans
were killed and two MORALLY wounded.
Every man was hit, Lieutenant Gill
more receiving a flesh wound in the
leg, and both his feet stuck fast in the
mud. 1t was a choice between surrend-
der and being slaughtered.
Lieutenant Gilmore asked the terms
of release. The insurgents proposed
that he should procure the delivery to
them of the arms and munitions OF the
Spanish garrison, undertaking, if this
were accomplished, to send the Span
A sailor Of Lieutenant Gillmore's par
ty carried this proposition to the garri-
son. The Spanish commandant replied
that it was an insult to Spanish arms,
anu tAptlltu lie sdlIOl, Il opdhlsH ool-
der firing on him as he went.
The Americans were then bound
hand and foot and taken to San Isidro,
when General Luna ordered their exc
~cution. They were marched to the Pla-
"a, and in the presence of a crowd were
lined up to be executed.
Lieutenant Gilmore said: "As an
American officer and gentleman, I pro-
test against being shot with my hands
tied"
Aguinaldo interfered and prevented
the prosecution. When General Law
ton approached San Isidro last June
the Americans were removed to Abra,
where they were kept confined in cells
for two months. Subsequently they
were allowed greater liberty, but the
report that Lieutenant Gilmore has
a house and servant is untrue. He had
the same quarters as the men, and the
Americans ~ given the same allow
ance as the Spanish prisoners-1ve
cents a day with which to buy rice and
bananas, virtually the only rations.
General Macarthur is now in Bayam-
bang Cor Bayamban), preparing to
sweep the country on both sides Of
the Manila-Dagupan railroad. Gener-
al Wheaton is at San Fabian and Cen
eral Lawton at Tayug.
The Gordon from San Fabian to San
TSidrO royarS all tho road and OCcuDips
all the towns on the line. The Ameri-
cans policy is to prevent any more in
s%urgents escaping to the north and to
force them toward the country west Of
the railroad.
Major March, with a battalion Of the
Thirty-third infantry, occupies Vigan,
having made a forced march from San
Fabian. The remainder of the regi-
ment is on the way. .
Dispatches just received from Iloilo,
island of Panay, says that at / O'Clock
on the evening of Sunday, Nov. 26, the
Eighteenth regiment encountered an
~entrenched force Of the enemy at Pavia,
who opened a heavy fire. The leading
battalion replied and after several vol
leys the Americans flanked the Filipi-
nos, driving them out Of their trenches,
The enemy retreated to the mountains,
At the beginning Of the fight one cap
tain and one private Of the Eighteenth
were killed.