The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1900-05-10
TEN MONTHS OF I'M
PRIS0NMENT.
WM. BRUCE TELLS OF HIS Cap
TURE BY THE FILIPINOS.
His Subsequent Privations and
Escape.
Continued from last week.


Escape.
CONTINUED from last week.
The next day four more suspected
spies were added to our number, but
fortunately for our feelings they were
not illtreated on arrival. These people
for generation have become so accus-
toned to being thrown into prison for
every offence, no matter how trivial,
that it has apparently become second
nature to them. On entering the cell
they Immediately remove their outer
garments, place them where they will
keep as clean as possible, light cigar
cite, and then, so far as outward ap-
pearances 60, they seem perfectly at
homo and eontented
The following day another prisoner
was placed in our cell This was the
worst case of cruelty and barbarity that
witnessed during my imprisonment.
The prisoner was an insurgent soldier,
not over fifteen years of age, who for
some reason, was suspected of being a
traitor, arrested, tied to tree and
burned with cigarettes to make him
confess what he had revealed to the
Americans When he entered our cell
he presented horrible sight. There
WASH spot on his face, head, neck
or arms the size of ten cent piece, that
had not been burned. The cigarettes
had been in contact with the flesh for a
sufficient time, so that on removal the
skin came off with them, leaving raw
burn. This was one method of punish
ment among the Filipinos, who in every
edition of their paper, the La indie
pendencia, published some article in
which they mentioned their gentleness.
kind heartedness, advanced civilization,
and wondered why the world did not
consider them capable of self govern
ment.
BY February 18th the time had pass
ed which we had given the American
troops to make their advance, and as
far as we could see, nothing was being
done, although the prison guards in
formed us that fighting was going on
continuously. We had been examin-
ing our surroundings with the inten
tion of making our escape if nothing
was done for our release, and on the
morning of the 18th, seeing no hope of
an early release by our troops, we be-
gan making preparations TO obtain free
dom through our own efforts. We de-
cided that the weakest point in our
surroundings was our window, which
had been partially filled in with stone.
We found that one of the bars of the
window, which were of wood two in
ches square, had been broken and could
not be replaced except by removing the
easement, as it had been built in with
the stone. The upper part OF the bar
was held in place by wooden wedge
which prevented it from sliding down.
We found that we could remove the
wedge and slide the bar down behind
the stone, and it would leave sufficient
space to squeeze through. We were
then waiting for fav' BILE night. Our
plan was to get OF the town the best
way possible, trusting to Providence
to show us a way; then to cross to the
northeast OF the railroad, as we had no.
tlced on coming to Malolos that all the
towns We're on the southwest side, and
to follow the track, or near it, until ar
irving at a small river which we knew
to be near Caloocan. On reaching this
river We intended to follow it until ar
irving at the bay and there if possible
find small boat or raft and make an
attempt to reach our gunboats, which
we thought to be anchored near the
mouth Of the river.
Ito be continued