The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-09-21
OF BoL0 MEN.
Story Of a Bo's'n's Mate Recent
ly Back From Manila.
CAUGHT WITH NETS ON A WAGER,

For Five Months He Was Held as
Made to Write Decoy Letters to
American officers Exhibited In
Villages as a Freak.
William Juraschka, chief boatswains
mate of the United States gunboat
Helena, is one Of the $50 time expired
warrant officers and Jack T3rs aboard
the Dixie in the navy yard just home
! from Manila, says the New York Post.
Juraschka says the Filipinos are ''all
right after you gets used to their
ways" and .Juraschka ought to know,
for he was ambushed by Filipino
bolo man, captured with nets and held
a prisoner five months last winter
until released by American troops of
the Eighteenth infantry.
ut amt so much as objected to
the little beggars trying to take me-
said the mate. rubbing his head, "as it
: was the way they did it. You see,
was ON detached duty aboard the gun
boat Marivelas, blockading round the
island of Sikagon, near the island of
Panay. Our business was to take
every Filipino craft in sight, putting
the crew ashore with provisions and
burning their boat, cargo, and all. And
we had some fine bonfres, too. The
officers allowed US to save enough out
of each cargo to trade with the natives
ashore for fresh meat. We generally
got young calves in these trades, and
in swapping goods we had sort of made
the main village of the island our mar
keting place.
Eve got to be real chummy with the
villagers. They called us their bosom
friends in the sign language, and we
gave 'em red bandannas. 1t was so
sociablelike that we got careless. On
the morning of Oct. 16 we captured a
parao native one masted boat, load
ed with kerosene. Fresh meat was
short so. taking landsman and two
apprentices, went ashore to trade for
calves None of us was armed, but
had my gun and cartridge belt strapped
about my waist. We went ashore in
style with the captive Filipinos rowing
us and traded the oil for calves.
"sWhere are the crathurs? sung out
one of the Irish boy apprentices after
the parley was over. The villagers
made faces and pointed to little
grove back of the town, SO we all
started for the calves, leaving one man
with the boat. Sure enough, there
were two calves tied to a tree in the
middle of the grove, but we had no
sooner cut them loose and thrown
them on the ground than l heard the
boy behind me shout. RUM grabbed
my calf and struggled to my feet to see
a band of Filipino bolo men closing in.
The calf galloped away, and started
for the boat. reaching for my gun as
ran, but before l could load the beg
CARS were upon me with them things
the professors catch butterflies with
In Africa. Before knew it was on
the ground. pinned down by about ten
of the darned things. They We're made
of thorny vines, which cut my clothes
and dug into my flesh like needles. j
saw it was no use. so gave up. The
boys got away safely to the ship. and
she opened up such hot fire on the
town that it became too warm to stay
around. and the Filipinos tied me to q
bulls back and hustled me into the
mountains. For five days they luggeC
me around that island. tied to the ami
mails back. exhibiting me to the vii
layers. My clothes were gone and my
body was cut and bruised from thu
beatings l received. Upon entering {
village band would appear and an
nounce my coming with flourish O
horns and the inhabitants would dane,
and howl about me, giving me dig O
poke whenever they felt disposed.
''Then they took me across the waite
to the island of Panay, and once NOR
was exhibited like a freak in a circus
but here ! became sick, and my cap
tors suddenly changed their tactics
nursing me through a hard case O
fever But the American troops wer
hard after the band that had me al
this time, and we were kept movin
rapidly. Little kids, who would be to
young to go to school in the States, cal
ried this information on hullback rio
ing in the mountains.
at was about six weeks after wa
caught" said the bo's'n's mate reflect
lively, that the little fellows tried t
take the town of Para, on the isle @
Panay. Picture thin line of funn
little Filipino houses strung around
600 foot square, and you have the vi
) lage of Para. The square was ,coyere
with tall rank grass except whel
paths crossed it. like on little Ne'
England common. On one corner {
the square was the officers quarter
and soldiers canteen, and diagonal
across on the other was the barrack
The insurgents was cute enough to g
on to the fact that after 'reveille' eac
morning the bugler sounded assembly
and the soldiers hurried across tt
square to fall in for muster by the of
GERS quarters, leaving their rifles b
hind them in the barracks.
"Ther safety rested in the outpos