Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-07-13
SLEW WouLp.BE AssAssINsn
Private Smith Lost blood But Not His
* sMS4f Nerve. ss1

segst Nerve. sss
Among tie gallant United States
soldiers now at Manila who have per-
formed deeds which will win for them
the coveted medal of honor is Thomas
Smith, private Of Company p, South
Dakota Volunteers. To him was also
accorded the honor of being person
ally congratulated by General Otig.a
In an encounter with two Filipinos,
who sought to assassinate him while
on picket duty, Smith, after being
badly wounded, shot and instantly
killed one of his assailants and wounded
the other so severely that he died
short time later. -
Sergeant Kicker, Corporal Wheeler
and three privates, among them Pri-
tate Smith, were assigned to outpost
duty at Blockhouse No. 2, north of
Manila. At half-past six in the even
ing Private Smith went on picket duty.
His beat was one Of the most danger
GUS patrolled by American soldiers,
passing along o narrow road thickly
fringed With trees and bamboo thickets.
Shortly after seven o'clock, the sun
having set, Private Smith discerned
two Filipinos approaching him, APP
barently on their way to Manila. They
were dressed in white and walked in
single Ale, one about six feet behind
the other. He challenged them and
they answered promptly, the first
greeting him with the words, "Bueno
noche, amigo" ("Good evening
friendly. The second repeated the
greeting and accompanied it with q
military salute. Smith replied in Eng
llsh and, shouldering his Springfield
rife, turned to resume his beat.
Just as they passed him he care
lessly turned his head to look after
them. This fortunate circumstances
saved his life, for immediately after
passing him the second Filipino drew
machete, sprang at the sentry and
aimed terrific blow at his head.
The stroke would probably have sew
cred Private Smiths head from his
body had he not caught sight of the
descending knife in time to dodge
slightly, causing the blade to miss it's
mark. AS it was, the blow was sufi-
Client to cut his left cheek open to the
bone from the temple to the jaw.
With the blood pouring forth in q
stream he whirled to face the natives,
who instantly took to their heels in
the effort to escape. Smith raised his
rife and shot one of the fleeing natives
through the heart before he had gone
twenty feet. By this time he was so
weak from pain and loss of blood that
he was forced to drop to his knees,
and while in this position he reloaded
his rife and fred shot at the other
Filipino, who was just disappearing
in the edge of the thicket at the side
of the road.
This shoot also took effect, for the
dead body of the native was found
next morning in the thicket, he having
evidently crawled as far as possible
before expiring, for the body was dis
covered some distance from the point
where he disappeared in the under
brush as Smith fred at him.
Comrades, attracted by the firing,
rushed to the aid of the brave soldier,
and procuring horse, placed him
uDOu tu6 duu COAN0JCQ ullll
three miles to the company's quarters,
where his wound was dressed by the
surgeons. Smith bled SO profusely
that in going the three miles to the
company quarters his clothing became
thoroughly saturated, his shoes full
and the horse covered with blood. He
was afterward taken to the hospital. a :
That man after being so severely
wounded should have the pluck not
only to face his foes and fight but to
kill one Of his assailants on the spot
and MORALLY wound the other excited
the admiration OF all the soldiers at
Manila. He was congratulated on his
plucky fight by practically the the whole
army, even General Otis calling upon
him while in the hospital and shaking
hands with him and commencing him
Tor his bravery.-New York Herald.