Las Vegas daily optic., 1899-03-24
FILIPINOS PREPARING FOR A Big BATTLE
Race WARM Arkansas Results in the Death Of Ten
Negroes
GOV. ROOSEVELT WILL coME TO LAS VEGAS


MANILA, March 24.-The rebels ar
heavily massed in trenches opposite ou
lines on the north. Agulnaldo evident
ly bdlieves that blow will be strucI
sooI. at Malolos, heircapital Prison
oners brought in within twenty -foul
hours say the rebels will make the mos
decisive stand they have yet taken
| The second line OF defenses occupied
by the rebels is between SansMateo anc
| Mannaliches. There ARE rows OF
Itrenches there and the advance Of ou,
troops can only be step by step, with
resistance to be expected at every
| trench.
PLANS OF THE FIL1PIN0s.
MANILA, March 24sTwo Spanish
prisoners, who escaped from Polo to
the lines of the Kansas regiment, re.
port that the Filipinos have concen.
trated their forces at Malabon and Polo.
They add that only Aguinaldo's body.
guard is at Malolos, and the rebel lead
ers apparently intend to stake their
fortunes on a fight at Malabon, where,
it was expected, the engagement would
take place yesterday. If defeated, it is
asserted, the rebels intend to disperse to
the swamps and mountains. There
were putting the .bolos in front, be-
lieving the bolomen's charms will avert
the bullets. The bolos of the Filipinos
greatly ontnumber the rifles In their
hands. Therebels are further said to
have admitted that they cannot with
stand the American shells and bayonet
charges. The escaped Spaniards corro-
faA n cfn - - IL
among the rebels, and added that hos
pitfalls were short of supplies.
ENEMY ACTIVE MAKING DEFENsEs.
The enemy is active in the vicinity OF
Malabon. preparing defenses. They
keep well under cover. A small body
emerged from the Jungle yesterday and
fired upon the Kansas troops in tren-
ches, fatally wounding Privates Cohen
and MUIR. The Oregon volunteers and
the Twenty-second infantry marched to
the front today. General HI. G. Otis
brigade struck tents this morning early
and move Improbable.
OTIS PLANS.
WASHINGTON, March 24.-It is. un-
derstood here that General Otis, within
week or ten days, will begin move
ment which is expected to mark the
destruction of Aguinaldo's army. AL
though stragglers and fugltives may
infest the island of Luzon for some
time, it is believed that after Otis has
delivered the next blow the insurgent
army. as an organization, will have
ceased to exist.
Otis has procured thirteen gunboats,
formerly owned by the Spanish govern
ment, which are to play an important
part in the development of the cam
paign MANY troops engaged on the
outer lines, up to the date of General
Lawton's arrival at Manila, have been
withdrawn to the water front and a
complete Reorganization of the army is
in progress. Reinforcements are now
arriving and are being used to maintain
the strengthen the lines running from
Manila to Pasig, established by Whea-
toms flying brigade.
1t is believed that Otis will place a
complete brigade on board the vessels,
steam rapidly northward and land them
beyond the insurgent headquarters &C
Malolos. II this movement succeeds,
as it should If made with rapidity, the
insurgent army will find itself complete
ly penned in with no opportunity for re-
treat. If this plan carries, the insur-
gents cannot avoid a decisive conflict,
which must end eitherin their break.
ing through the American lines or sur
render. 1t is evident Otis expects the
latter, for he already advises the war de-
partment that the insurrection cannot
last much longer