Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-16
Experiences of Two American Pris-
oners Who Escaped.
STORY OF PRIVATE BURD OF TEE 18TH
Captains Commission Among the
Rebels Offered to Him.
HIS RETURN TO THE ARMY

Infantry, and Private Desmond of the Sig
nal Corps enjoy the distinction of being
the first two American prisoners to escape
from the Filipino insurgents. Burd
Gently arrived at Manila and told thrill
ing story of his experiences with the in
surgents. He said he was captured at
Polo October o last. While walking down
the street in the evening he struck
sudden blow from behind, evidently with
a sandbag, and rendered unconscious, in
which condition he remained until the
next day He then lying in the bot
tom of boat with a sack over his head
His limbs were bound tightly that ne
could scarcely move. When he showed
signs of life his bands were removed and
ne was able to sit up and look around
He saw that they were crossing tributary
OF the Pasig river near MeyCauayan. The
party consisted of several Filipino soldiers.
including three bolOmen, in command of a
lieutenant
According to Burd's story he was taken
to the swampy country back of Manila and
closely confined IN prison for two nights
and a day, after which he was taken
der guard on a thirtysix hour march,
without food, over the mountains back of
Manila. During this march he had chance
to observe the Filipino method of recruit
ing. which was nothing but 'shanghaiing"
Whenever town was reached the most
promising men were selected and
PEELED to join the army, whether they
wanted to or not.
Offered Commission.
I'VE were seven days crossing the noun
tain" says Burd and finally came to a
town which l think was San Miguel. There
] was brought before Pillar Contrary to
my expectations, he asked me to dinner
and treated me more like a guest than a
prisoner. But ] soon learned his motive
During the meal he endeavored to draw
me out in regard to many matters con-
corning the Americans with the aid of an
interpreter However, 1 gave him no salts
isfaction- After the meal he asked if /
was not willing to accept a commission of
captain in his command. / Indignantly re-
fused this and told him plainly what I
thought of him. At first he appeared to
get angry. but reconS1dered, and seemed to
think more of me than If i had accepted.
At that time Pillar had command only of
his own regiment, numbering 100 men,
and was close to CalOocan.
From San Miguel we We're taken. in
company with two others. a baker named
Hayes from Malolos and I'd Artilleryman
named Baker, in the direction of San Isl
dro. but We ran into a fight which was in
progress at that place. A detour was made
in order to avoid 1t. After another 36-hour
night and day march We arrived at a town
named Santa Rosa Here my guards threat
ened me with their bolos drawing them
across my neck and saying they were GO
ing to Kill me. evidently to torture with
fear
Another nights march after two hours
sleep with "A halt at a town for meal
Drought us to Victoria, about eight miles
from Iarlac the then insurgent capital |
Here everybody red-hot insurgent-
men. women and children. though 1 am not
surprised there We're so many friendlies
when GU troops took possession later
We only remained at Victoria for two
hours and then were taken to Tarlac |
where We We're brought before Col Leybe.
an aid of Aguina lido I.eyba is the son of
an English father and Filipino mother and
speaks English very well. He also tried to
pump me. but / only told him he was a
Iooi. winch ne didn't seem to like very
much, though he did nothing.
Deserters and More Prisoners.
AFTER a day here we were returned to
Victoria, and remained there two weeks |
Here there were many other American pris-
oners. and among them a man named
Langford who Is an agent for some beer
hrn; Curns of the 10Th, Gordon. Betterton
and others. There were also four desert
ers TWO of whom were from the California
regiment One of mem, Howard Though I
uoh thlnk that's his proper nance, held a
commission as captain of artillery. He ted
me he was an Englishman, and gave me a
Dig song about San Isidro and San Fernan-
40 Delns retaken- He said that the Fill
plnos had taken 400 American prisoners on
the south line, including General Cram
VINO had blown his brains out. and Lowe,
and that they were about to take Cay,te
l told him that 1 didn't believe him and
nnally trfcked him IN a conversation about
the way the Californians had shot on the
and he took the matter up so yjeorousIv
that he completely gave himself away, after
which he would talk to me no more
Sailors From the Urdaneta,
From Victoria 1 was taken to Genoa
over muddy country, in the night, and
from there to San Carlos. where met five
sailors, taken from the Urdaneta The in
surgents fed us poorly all the time until
now. but here they fed us UP, and then
led ne int
hNe and sent US to- various places In INV
party were Huber of loves Scouts Bet
tertnn OF the I'd Infantry. Scott of the 18th
ana an engineer. We We're sent to Santa
barbara. and after five DAYS here during
which ! was suffering with the chilIs and
fever. We started for Bangabang, in the
mountains where Gilmore then was put
were cut off by American troOps An,,Sar
dttour took US to Bayombong, from there
10 Lrdaneta and then to Margataren, where
We found Tour more deSerters Martin fro,o
the CALIFORNIA;. Waits. a fellow nar,ad p Oi
and 4th cavalryman Martin tried 10 get
IN the lnsursent army, but the FiIipinos
oistruSten him too much.
Prom Mangatarcn ten of us u,a-a .,
70 small barrio in the foot hills whera a
nlendiy Filipino captain held US four davs
over orders in the hope that the. Arnerics-,s
would come. as he wanted TO go 10 Maniia
FINALLY Company A. SD infantry. took M.
ssttaIth urIVlns out five or six hundred
insurgents and then We We're sent to the
mountains 10 reJ"in Alejandrinos force
Il and Desmond of the Signal r,or,,s ,,.,,-,
the first to escape from here on the 18th of
November. We hid in tall grass from .
pm until night. The others got AWAY the
same night and struggled into Manpatarar
t"o Gays Etter Desmond and l had a hard
time We had to Chamber down a staen
gorge. feet foremost, sometimes falling six
or eight feet. in the bed of a small straw,
until we finally crawIed through rnJar
DTuSh 10 a river about half as wide as The
fdsle- Al one time We thought we were
lost and Climbed to the crest of a h1lI 20
see Where We We're We had yery little
clothing and had torn up our shirts to wr,o
around our torn and bleeding feet We
SWAN the river in order that We might
walk easier on the sandy strand on rba
other side AT one time We passed rirbt
under the insurgent artillery, about thirty
fcet1 from an outpost but they must have
been asleep, as they neither saw nor heard
US We then found path leading away
from the river and chose to follow it, think
ing II safer than the river. After two miles
We came TO the rice fields. and becoming,
oolder. went south by east according 10