The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-08
A NEST OF REBELS.
Town of Bacolor Must
Be Rid of
Filipinos.
CHINESE MURDERED
Insurgents Commit Horri-
BILE Depredations Before
Quitting San Fernando.

Manila, May Z, $40 p. INTO clear the
Filipinos out of Bacolor. about FIVE
miles southwest. of San Fernando, will
be the next task of the Americans. The
rebel general Mascardo, has a force Of
5000 men there well armed and pos
sessed of plenty of ammunition. His
troops have never met American sol
diers; and they think, according to re-
ports carried to San Fernando, that
they can whip the whole lot"
Bacolor is well entrenched and thou
sands of natives are working like bea
vers, digging trenches and carrying the
dirt in baskets. The enemy uses his
rihemen for fighting only, but eompels
the Bolomen and Chinese, and even the
women, to labor necessarily.
The rebels have an outpost about
mile beyond San Fernando with a
trench that holds between 200 and 300
men. From that point several volleys
were fired last night upon the camp OF
the Twentieth Kansas regiment.
Neither Major Gen. Macarthur nor Ma
jor Gen Lawton moved today, although
own vicinity for some miles from head
quarters, developing the presence OF
small forces of the enemy
In the vicinity of Laguna de Bay the
rebels were extremely active, but the
lines of Gen. Ovenshine and Col Whol-
ly, who is commanding Gen. KING
brigade during the latter's illness, nave
been materially strengthened, and there
is no danger in that direction.
M Il esta T,po R9V
and Cavadonga, under Capt. Grant,
have gone to Guagua, about five miles
southwest of Baceoor, presumably to
establish there a base of supplies Tor
the troops engaged in the northern
campaign. 1t is rumored that Mablni,
president of the cabinet, and minister
Of foreign affairs in the so-called Ellis
Pine government, who is a fauleal, is
to be succeeded by Palermo, Trainer OF
the Spanish treaty of 1896. This change
is regarded as significant at the pres
ent iuncture The entrance of the
Americans into San Fernando was viz
tually unopposed. The Filipinos, who
expected the invaders to approach from
the sea, had that side OF the town
strongly guarded but there was only
one line of trenches beyond San Tomas
Two battalions of the Fifty-first Iowa,
which swan the river north OF the
city, were smartly peppered while IN
the river; but the rebels disappeared
as soon as the Americans reached the
shore.
In the meantime. the hospital squad
had walked across the bridge into the
city, supposing the Americans were
there. They encountered no natives.
The few Spaniards and Filipinos who
were left welcomed the Americans and
opened their houses to them. Gen.
Macarthur accepted entertainment at
the hands of Senior Hizon, sugar
rnagnate. If the inhabitants of the
San Fernando region are to be believed,
there is little sympathy with the in
surrection in that quarter Before
eyacuating the city, the rebels burned
the church and the public buildings.
and looted the Chinese quarter They
drove many rich Filipinos with their
families out of the city before thems
as well as hundreds of Chinese, to pre-
vent them helping the Americans. They
cut the threats Of some.
Many Chinese hid on roof tops or IN
cellars. and some escaped by cutting
off their queues. There are oO fresn
graves in the chJrrchyard. The coun-
try beyond Calumpit is full of inge-
NOUS trenches and pitfalls in the
roads, with stakes of sharpened bam-
boo. Fortunately, the Americans es-
capped the latter.
In the sWampS near San IomaS,
where Gen. Wheaton's troops did their
hardest fighting, the men sinking to
their waists in mud are many bodies
of Filipinos.
The army is really enjoying life at
San Fernando, which is the most pic
turesaue and wealthy town the Aneri-
cans have entered since the occupation
of Manila. 1t is largely built of stone,
the river runs close at hand and high
hills almost surround it. Many sugar
factories Indicate a thriving industry
in that respect, and there are numer-
Gus fine residences
Gen. MacArthur's permanent head
quarters are established in the best
house in town, which is richly deco
rated with frescoes and carved wood.
The troops are encamped around in
the suburbs and are beginning to think
they may be quartered there during
the wet season. After Bacolor has been
cleared, water communication with
Manila may be established.
Along the roads to Calumpit the fuel
wagons and bull teams dragging pro-
visions have to be ferried one by one
across two rivers: but the Filipinos
have several launches in the river
delta The American troops are much
exhausted by the campaign, except
the Iowa troops, who are compare
lively fresh The regiments of the
division average less than so men to a
company and all have a weather-worn
appearance. Senator-elect Albert J.
Beverage of Indiana is here studying
the Philippine question. Brig. Gen.
Charles King has sailed for the United
States on board the transport Pueblo.