Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-19
FROM CAPT. ECKERS.
Was Sent On an Expedition After
a Noted Insurgent General.
IS STATIONED At DlNALUPIJAN
Says He Has But Little Hope of Catch
ing His Quarry-Looks Upon it as a
Wild Goose Chase. but Can't Miss
the Opportunity.

4
Frank w. Eckers, of this city, now
stationed in the Philippines as COM
mander of company in the Thirty
second United States infantry, in
letter to Joseph G. Hinsey, received
yesterday, states that he is about to
start on a scouting expedition after a
noted Insurgent general. The captain
had but little hope of catching his
quarry but says that he cannot afford
to miss the opportunity to make a
name for himself which a. successful
conclusion of the pursuit would surely
do. The letter, tho short, Is very in
teresting. 1t is dated at Dinalupijan,
Batoon, and was written June 1. After
writing of personal matters, the cap
tain says:
We are having some very hot
weather now, but | am not affected
much by it. The rainy season is about
due. AS yet we have had only few
showers, but soon will have enough
rain to make up for the whole year.
1t is said by the natives that during
the worst part of the rainy season the
water will be four or five feet deep in
this place, but hope to be away from
here by that time, as am here only
temporarily. Our major is in the Unit
ed States on leave, and he should be
mere In a month. But as it is custom
airy | suppose he will secure an ex-
tension of sixty days. have no OBJ
Jections, as his absence means an in
crease of $5S per month in my pay,
and think / can manage to stand it.
Everything in this immediate local
ity seems to be quiet and we are hav-
ing absolutely no trouble There have
been several attacks on posts of this
regiment, but they can't have amount
ed to much as there never are any
casualties on our side. I have been
doing considerable hiking thru the
hills" and have secured in all about
one hundred rifles which is the Sec
ond largest number secured by any
company in the regiment and third to
any in the brigade.
In the north Of the island the in
surgents are making considerable
trouble, but they are paying very dear
ly for it. 1t is thought that they are
making a great effort just at this time
for the purpose of impressing the new
commission, which comes, believe,
today. $50
There has been an attempt to or
ganize force for a great uprising in
Manila tomorrow night, but General
Macarthur has put a dampener on it
by putting the leaders in jail, and no.
tifying the prominent Filipinos that
fnnv will no hold ,ncnopcihIa it
THAT is the system turnout the
island now, and the better people in
each community are beginning to see
that it is for their interests to help us
all they can. If a telegraph wire is
cut, two or three houses in the vicin-
ity are burned. and if a soldier or
squad of soldiers is fired on from
"barrio" (village), the whole thing is
wiped out.
General MacArthur's hand is felt
over the whole island. He is just the
man for the place, and while he has no
more ability than General Otis, he has
a much greater knowledge of the con-
dition outside of Manila. He has been
over the ground, and when he issues
an order it is based on his personal
knowledge of the condition in that To-
cality in which it is to apply. have
instituted civil government in three
different towns and they all seem to
be running very well. 1t is hard to
run a town government, as the only
way to raise money now is by personal
taxes, licenses, etc.. About the first
thing the new commission will have 10
settle is the property question. The
church, or rather the religious orders,
own great portion of the real estate,
and they haven't as yet been compell-
ed to pay any taxes.
.'The Dominican friars own every
stands, and they have always refused
to sell any part of it, but now am of
the opinion that they would sell out
cheap, as they are afraid that the gov
eminent is going to confiscate all Of
it and give it back to the people who
have been "buncoed" out of it. The
government could win these people
over in this way quicker than any
other.
81 am going out tomorrow with
some men to look for the noted gen.
eral Mascardo, who is now the most
prominent leader of the insurgents.
have no hopes of capturing him, but
reliable native has told me that he
is only about twelve miles from here
in the mountains. / have been on wild
goose chases before after the same in
diyidual, and I will be surprised if it
amounts to anything. But would
feel cheap if found out afterwards
that threw away the chance of maxi
ing a reputation which the capture of
Mascardo will certainly make at least
with Macarthur. am sending you
under separate cover one OF my pho
tos, to let you know that this climate
and war agrees with me.
'Well must close as some visitors
have arrived.
yours very truly,
Frank w. Eckers."