The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-09-07

dico, an important and prominent officer
of the insurgent government, issued the
following order for the uprising and at
tack to be made that evening in the city:
"First-You will so dispose that at 8
o'clock at pight the individuals of the
territorial militia at your order will be
found united in all the streets of San
Pedro, armed with their 'bolos' and re-
volvers and guns and ammunition, If con-
venient
'Second-Filipino families only will be
respected They should rot be molested,
but all other individuals, of whatever race
they may be, will be exterminated with
out any compassion after the extermina-
ton of the army of occupation.
"Third-The defenders Of the Philippines
in your command will attack the guard at
Bilibid and liberate the prisoners and
.presidiarios,' and, having accomplished
this, they will be armed, saying to them,
Brothers, we must avenge ourselves on
the Americans and exterminate them,
that we may take our revenge for the
infaYnies and treacheries which they have
committed upon US. Have no compassion
upon them; attack with vigor. All Fill
live Filipino independence.
"Fifth-The order which will be fol-
lowed in the attack will be as follows:
The sharpshooters Of Tondo and Santa
Anna will begin the attack from with
out, and these shots will be the signal
for the militia of Trozo, Binondo, Quiapo
and Sampaloc to go out into the street
and do their duty. Those of Pace, Ermita
and Malate, Santa Cruz and San Miguel
will not start out until II o'clock unless
they see their companions need assist
ance.
"Sixth-The militia will start out at
o'clock in the morning. If all do their
duty our revenge will be complete Broth
ers, Europe contemplates Us. We know
now to die as men, shedding our blood
in defense of the liberty of our country.
Death to the tyrants, war without quar-
ter to the false Americans, who have de-
ceived U.S.
The savage barbarity of this order
shows the character of the insur-
gents, and how totally unfit they are
to organize and conduct a civilized
government.
This Sandico is one of the ablest and
most prominent men. He " as one of the
on May 5, 1898, advised Aguinaldo that
There will be no better occasion than
the present for the expeditionary forces
to land on those islands and to arm them
selves at the expense Of the Americans
and assure the attainment of our legiti-
mate aspirations against those very peo-
ple.'
That order of Feb. 15, Just quoted,
t.
aspirations against our people"
The uprising prescribed by the order
of Feb. Is did not, on account of the ac-
tivity and vigilance of cur people, take
place on the 18th, but did occur one week
later, on the night of the 22d and 23d of
February. A part of the scheme was to
fire TIE city at numerous points, and for
this purpose many buildings, in different
parts of the city, had been saturated
with kerosene, and Tagal sharpshooters
had been secretly station in adjoining
buildings for the purpose of shooting
down our men while attempting to put out
the fires. The outbreak began with the
firing of the city about p. m. on the
22d. The first house fired was in the SUBJ
urbs OF Santa Cruz.
1t was an abiding place of Filipinos.
AS to what occurred after this, will
quote from Gen. Hughes'-provost mar
shal-report:
The police, as represented by the Thir-
teenth Minnesota Infantry, u S. Y, ar
rived on the scene almost Immediately
and were able to establish beyond a doubt
that the fire was of incendidary origin
and that kerosene oil was the fluid made
use of in starting 1t. The wind
at the time was variable and it was nee
essary to fight the fire from three sides.
Efforts were made to prevent the eff
cheney of the firemen by occasional shots
from the surrounding houses. :.
Efforts were also made to destroy the
fire hose by puncturing it. The
locality was well selected for the nefari-
GUS purpose of the incendidary The build
ings were constructed of light materials
and the streets narrow. Furthermore, it
was district peopled by Chine<nen, and
they had large stores of dry cocoanut
shells stored for fuel. Owing to these
causes it was IL o'clock p. m. before the
fire department could get sufficient con-
troll of the fire to assume the offensive
and subdue 1t. This fire burned two
blocks, as shown in the accompanying map
marked A. 1t would seem. that the object
of this fire was to burn out the barracks
of the Tenth Pennsylvania volunteers and
the police company on Gale Dolores.
About the time the fire in Santa Cruz was
brought under control second one was
noticed in the suburb of Tondo. .
This fire was started by insurgent soldiers
who had entered the city by passing
around the left of Gen. MacArthur's line.
1t was started at different points to wind
ward of the location of two of the city
police stations-Companies M and C, Thir-
steenth Minnesota-with the evident in
tention of roasting them out. The posi-
bility of such tactics on the part of the
enemy had been foreseen and provided
against Unfortunately enemies
were on all sides and occasional shots
were fired from houses in the vicinity.
The first attempt of the incendidaries to
start fire in the rear Of the troops was
made in the main building of the Binondo
market. A second and successful
effort was made by setting fire to some
nipa structures outside the main building
The lesson learned by these fires
is that we are living in the midst of cruel
enemies, who are capable of resortIng to
any means to further their ends"
But will not take further time to quote
are anxious to read the full details of this
horrid attempt to burn the city and de-
stroy our soldiers can read the reports by
Cen Hughes. Col. Ames and Captains
Morgan, McKelvey, Robinson and Metz,