The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-01-13

Ahh LUG EhBOuCHo
to BE Shot by Gen. Tino, But tho Fill
pino Omcer Charged with the Deed
simply Left Them to the Mercy OF the
Savage Tribes.
Manila, Jan. S.-Lieut. j. c. Gilmore,
of the United States gunboat York
town, who was captured by the in
srrgents last April neal Palero, on the
coast of Luzon, and rescued a few days
ago by Col. Luther R. Hare, of the
Tbirty-thNrd volunteer infantry, sat
yesterday in the apartment of his sis
ter, Mrs. Maj. Price, at the Hotel
0ricnte, in Manila, and told a remark
eble sorry of his eight months in cap
tivity, ending with the dramatic deliv-
erance from n death that seemed inev-
liable.
The Rescued SOL Land.
The steamer Venus came into the
harbor Saturday evening from Nigan,
Province of South Ililos, with Lieut..
Gilmore and 10 other American pris-
oners, including seven of his sailors
from the Yorktown. Lieut.. Gilmore,
after reporting, came ashore and hob
bied along, with the aid of a cane, to
the Hotel Oriente, where American Of
fcers and ladies were waltzing through
the halls to the strains of "Aguinaldo's
March,"
Praises AgutnaIdo, Blnmes Tino.
Although tanned and rudy from ex-
posture, he is weak and nervous. show
Ing the results of long hardships. He
speaks warmly of Aguinaldo and very
bitterly against Gen. Tino, declaring
that while in the formers jurisdiction
he was treated splendidly. but that af-
tel he fell into Tino's hands de suf-
fered everything.
The RescuinE Party.
Col. Hare and Lieut.-Col. Howse, the
latter of the Thirty-fourth volunteer
infantry, rescued Gillmore's party on
December IS, near the headwaters of
the Abalut river, after they had been
abandoned by the Filipinos and were
expecting death from the savage tribes
around them. When the rescuing force
reached them they were nearly starved,
but were building RATS in the hope of
getting down tn" river TO the coast.
Lieut.. GillmoTc made the following
statement:
Lieut.. GiImOre's Story.
1.-The Filipinos abandoned us on the
night of December 16. We had reached
the Abalut river near its source, that
morning, and the F%ilipinos RATED lis
over. We then went down the stream,
along a rough trail, guarded by a COM
pany of Filipinos. That night we were
separated from this guard, and anoth-
er company, armed with Mausers, was
put in charge of us. l suspected some
thing, and questioned the lieutenant
in command. He said:
Filipino With n Conscience.
81 have orders from Gen. Tino to
shoot you all, but my conscience for
bids. l shall leave you here"
Il begged him for two rifles to pro-
tect us from savages, adding hat |
would give him letters to the Ameri-
cans, who would pay him well and
keep him from all harm. He refused
this, however, saying that he would
not dare to comply. Soon afterwards
he left with his company.
In Danger from
"We had seen some savages in war
paint around us. and we prepared to
fight them with cobble stones. the only
weapons that were available to us. The
neNI morning we followed the trail of
the Filipino soldiers, feeling that it
was better to stick to them Than to be
murdered by savages, hut we could
not catch up with them. Then l or
dered the men to build RATS in the
hope of floating down the river. 1t was
n forlorn hope, but | knew the river
must empty into the sea somewhere.
] was so weak myself that / did not eX-
pect to get out, but L thought some
of the men could.
Recognized the Voices of Friends.
On the morning of December 10,
while we were working on the RATS,
the Americans came toward us yelling
One of my men shouted: They are on
u.s. He was lashing a raft of bam-
boos. /, however, knew it was not the
yell of savages, but the yell of Ameri-
Soho' Inv SSuhh 'oopo thouSht we
had Filipino guards, and called to us
in English to lie down, so that they
could shoot the Filipinos. That was
the finest body of officers and men j
ever saw"
Lieut.. Gilmore could not speak en-
Enthusiastically enough about the 14O
picked men who had rescued him and
his party.
a Nights Rough Experience.
The command spent the day in max
ing RATS. Col. Hare thought Lieut..
Gilmore was too weak to live through
the trip, but there was no alternative.
They shot many rapids, the men los
ing all their effects, and Lieut.. Gil
more some valuable papers. Only IA
out of the 81 RATS survived the first
nights experiences, and so men were
practically unable to walk when Vigen
was reached.
Describing the flight from Benguet
when the Americans approached, Lieut..
Gilmore said: