The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-06-02
Among the Philippine Troops on the Ap-
proach of the Wet Season.
OUR TROOPS IN THE TRENCHES
Kept Constantly N Watch Against Sudden ashes-Insurgents Return
to Old NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Flocking Into Our Lines-De.
pendent on Our Government for Food-Americans At
tacKed Under a Flag of Truce-Civi1 Courts Or
ganized-The Body of a Murdered Sailor
Mutilated.

Manila, May 28.-8 p. m.-The ap-
proch of the wet season finds the in
surrction seemingly taking a new lease
on life. All along the American lines
the rebels are showing more aggres-
sive activity, in their guerrilla style,
than at any time since the fall Of Ma
lalos.
They keep the United States troops
in the trenches, sleeping in their clothes
and constantly on the alert against
dashes upon our outpOsts and they
make life warm for the American gar
risons in the towns.
The bands of Generals Luna and Mas
cardo, which retreated toward Tarlac
when they feared they would be caught
between General Macarthur and Cen
eral LaWtOn, have returned in force
to their old trenches around San Fer
nando where there are daily collisions.
Opposite our lines ON the south pro-
tecting Manila, all the way around San
Pedro Macati, the Philippines have
three rows of trenches most of the dis
tance.
Reports from prisoners indicate that
the insurgents construe the peace ne
gOtiatiOns to mean that the Americans
have had enough Of fighting. The
Philippines are also encouraged by the
belief that the Americans are preparing
for an interval of activity during the
wet season.
This period is sure to be followed by
much suffering. Thousands of acres
that were under cultivation last year
have not been plowed this year, and
the government will probably be obilg-
ed to feed thousands, just as it fed the
Cubans. Friendly natives "amigos,"
continue to pour into the American
lines by land and river routes, coming
from the territory CT instruction into
the country where the passage of the
two armies has left nc feed, and practi-
cally throwing themselves upon the
charity of their cCrquerers. Such able
bodied men as are rot in the Philippine
ranks have been kept by the i%nsurgent
leaders to dig trenches, and old men,
women and children fern the mass of
the refugees. These are doing some
blowing, but they will be confronted
with hunger before they can realize
an subsistence from their crops.
TREACHERY OF THE PHILLIP
NOS.
Manila, May 29.-Captain Tilley, of
the signal corps, with a detachment
made up of members of the corps,
landed at Escalanto on the island of
Negroc, to pick up ard repair the cable.
The natives had a white flag flying
over the cable house when the party
landed. The latter, however, were no
sooner on shore than they were fired
upon by the natives. They at once took
to the water and a pUmber Of them
were picked up by a boat, but Captain
Tilley and two natives of the party are
missing.
CIVIL COURT ORGANIZED.
An order has been issued re-estaIish-
ing the Philippire courts, which have
been cl0ced since the American Cccu-
patton. 1t Tevives all tha Spanish sys-.
tenn net conflicting win the sovereign
ty of the United States. The chief JUS
tice is CayetanO Arrellanc. Thc asso-
ciates of the civil branch are Macucl
Araulla, Colonel CrCwdcr and Grcgorio
Aranita. The j~ucti-cs CT the crimical
branch are RaymurdC M2Iliza, Am
brosiO Ri rzares, Julio Lorept0, Major
Young and Captain Bitkhcimcr. The
attorney general ic F1orertio Torres.
This corresponds with the American
supreme court. This oath prescribed
begins:
4 recognize and accept the supreme
authority of the United States of Amer
lea" etc.
The Philippine members are all
prominent lawyers. Arrellano is the lead
er of his profession in the islands. In
the early stages of the Philippine
movement he was Aguinaldo's princi-
pal advisor. Aranite was a member
of Aguinaldo's first cabiret. Melliza
was president CT the insul g-nt govern
ment at Iloilo; Torres is the leader of
the local committee working with the
commission to conciliatc the insurgents.
Spanish will be the official language
of the courts.
There has been agitation among the
local British and American business
men and American lawyers who came
to the Philippines tC makefortunes, to
have the English code and language
adopted, but Major Gene1al Otis con-
~cluded it would BE- uow:se, even if prac-
ticable, to upset lCrg usage. He
thought it bc-t tC give the natives
courts in the language to which they
have been accustomed. The Spanish
salaries proved q stumbling block to
obtaining good men, the highest being
only $500, the Spanish judges receiv-
ing fees, which are abolished. All the
judges are representative men.
Two correspondents Of a New YORK
newspaper have been disbarred for fab
ricating an interview with General
Lawton, dated May 23rd at Manila, and
for evading the censorship.
The steamer Ell Cano has arrived
here from the island Of Guam, bringing
the Philippines who were exiled there
by the Spaniards for participating in
the old rebellion.
MORE TROOPS ARRIVE.
Washington, May 29.-The war de-
partment has received the following