The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1900-04-12
TEN MONTHS OF I'M
PRIS0NMENT.
WA. BRUCE TELLS OF HIS Cap
TURE BY THE FILIpINOS.
His Subsequent Privations and
Escape.

1.-THE previous chapter OF Mr. Bruce 5
experience as a captive in the hands
of the F'ilipinos, left him and his
companion Elmer Honeyman, on
their way to Malolos, under an
armed guard, to sea Aguinaldo.
The had just passed within two
hundred yards of the Nebraska
camp, when the narrative resumes. ]
At the fourth outpost, we we're stop
ped by the officer in charge and turned
back, for the reason, as we afterwards
learned, that the road crossed a bridge
that was guarded by American troops.
1t was noon when we reached the third
post again and we were ravenously hum
CRY, but the commander refused to give
us mouthful, saying that we were
American dogs and not werth feeding.
A native, however, who had been in
the employ of an American officer in
Manila, gave us small plato of rice
and lump of sugar, mere tantaliza-
ton.
In the afternoon the march was re-
sumed by a circuitous path over the
foothills, where in places the Jungle was
so dense that we had TO push our way
through the vines and bamboo. We
passed through a number of towns and
insurgent posts. At San Juan del Monte
we witnessed a company OF filipinos
drawing their pay. The most that any
of them received was thirty eight cents,
Mexican money, or about nineteen cents
in our currency. At another post
half mile further on the officer in charge
treated us to war dance, with the evil
dent intention Of striking terror to our
hearts.
On seeing us approaching be drew his
bolo the native knife, and apparently
prepared himself for charge, but kept
at what he evidently considered a safe
distance. Then he stopped down, per-
formed all kinds of slashes and cuts
with his knife and finally concluded the
performance by drawing the knife
through his mouth, using his teeth on
the blade, as though he was so infamed
by passion at the sight OF as that he
could even eat steel. Seeing that this
pantomine had no effect on us aud that
we did not fall on our knees and beg for
our lives, he finally concluded to try
other methods to subdue the naughty
American dogs. He then snatched
rifle from one of the guards, loaded and
cooked it and amused himself awhile
by sighting it at us and telling us all
the time how he was going to pull the
trigger and blow us to kingdom come
as soon as he had dead aim on US.
When he saw that even this did not in
undated us, he tired of the sport and
signed our papers, permitting us to
proceed.
Toward evening we arrived at Caloo-
can, which is on the railroad. We
were marched first to the soldiers bar
racks and placed in small room I'M
derneath, the place was damp and FL
thy and the only articles 1t contained
were two stretchers made of bamboo,
on which we lay down to rest, as we
were very tired from our long march
This was the first place in which we
were placed behind barred doors and
windows, but it henceforth became the
rule. We had at last been recognized
as being desperate characters. We re-
manned in that cell for nearly an hour,
when we were remove to the town jail
and placed in cell on the second story
with four armed guards in the cell to
watch us. The President of the town
paid us visit there and ordered four
bananas each for our supper and ! be-
lieve, instructed one OF the guards TO
steal my companions hat during the
night, as on awalSing the following
morning the hat was missing, and we
were afterwards informed by natives
from that town, who were prisoners
with us, that they had seen the Presi-
dent wearing it.
We arose early, as our bed was not
the kind that induces man TO sleep
late, and at received breakfast con-
sisting of small piece of bread and
two bananas each; at we were marched
to the depot to take the train for Ma
lolos, where we arrived about 1890
We were marched through the princi-
pal streets of the town and were then
taken to the Secretary of Wars office.
Our statements taken at San Francisco
Malabon by the Adjutant General were
examined by the Secretary's staff, but
we were not even noticed and our ex-
pected interview with the President of
the Philippine Republic failed to ma
terialize. Just before being marched
from the Secretary's Office, however,
OiiC VI bliC SDOhO w US anu VOL
unteered the information that we would
be returned to Manila the following
day, but this was only another Filipino
promise. We were removed from the
war Office to the city prison and placed
behind strong bolts and bars. On en-
tering the cell assigned us, we were met
by the query spoken in English "have
you come to release me-, and found the
enaaklr tn ha, 10 utA
dian, who claimed to have arrived in
Malolos by train on January 2Sth, when
he was made prisoner and had been
in close confinement since that time.
When he saw us enter, wearing the u.
s. uniform, he thought we had come to
release him, but his hopes were speedily
shattered by reciting our story. As
this man played an important part in
our subsequent experiences, | will give
a short sketch of his life as he related
it to us.
He claimed to have boon born in
Montreal, Canada, where he passed his
boyhood days until reaching the age OF
seventeen, when he ran away from
home and went to Scotland where he
shortly afterwards enlisted in the army.
After serving nine months, most of the
time being spent in the guard house, he
deserted his regiment, secured work as
fireman on one OF the steamers running
between England and Canada and ON
arriving In Canadian port he left the
ship and returned home, went back 10
school and alter passing through col
lege he began studying for the minis
try ana was afterwards ordained a min
lister, eventually locating at St. Paul.
Mimi, where he became pastor of one
Of the princiI a. churches.