Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-16
Valuable Work of Well-Known
Washington Ethnologist.
CURIOS FOR TIE NATIONAL MUSEUM
A Scientific Study Of the Natives Of
the Philippines.
NET AGUIN ALDO'S WIFE
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
Col. F. T. Hilder. the first Of Uncle Sans
expert ethnologists to visit the Philippines
in an official capacity. recently returned to
this city, heavily laden with treasure. He
bought with him thirty-fve packages OF
rare and valuable specimens. Seventy or
eighty more parcels are to follow him with
in the next month or two. The entire COL
lection will be exhibited first at the pan
American exposition, in Buffalo. 1t VIII
be afterward installed in the great Ma
tional Museum, this city. Here 1t will give
future generations a vivid idea as to how
our oriental possessions were thriving at
the time of Yankee occupation.
Doubtless the most important part OF Col.
Hilder's work was the institution OF sort
of Bertilon system Of measuring and
photographing the many race types Of the
Archipelago. Just as our police wish to
carefully preserve all peculiarities of GRIM
mails for purposes of future identification,
Uncle Sans scientists desire to perpetuate
the characteristics Of the many different
Filipino race types, liable to lose their lden-
tity within the next century. Before leav-
ing the islands Col. Hilder laid before a
well-equpped representative, LEFT in the
field, a detailed plan for pursuing this work.
The measurements will be so extensive in de-
tail as to admit of an accurate reproduction
individual will be photographed from three
views-front, side and profile Samples of
these pictures exhibit the nude bodies OF
well-developed Filipino men, taken full
length. They will aid the sculptor in CIV
ing expression and character to the fin
ished casts. Col. Hilder has obtained a
valuable collection of Filipino costumes
representing most of the tribes. Some Of
the WomenS dresses are eXQuisitely en-
broidered.
Models of HOuses and Boats.
He has obtained models Of the represen-
tative houses of the whole group, models
of curious native boats, a complete collec-
ton of every kind of net. hook or other
device used in fishing, agricultural imple-
ments of all kinds. musical Instruments
weapons, armor, puzzles, games children's
toys and samples of native products. A set
Of archaic musical instruments represent
ing the epoch an.edating European infiu-
ence, are made entirely of bamboo.
Gen. Otis gave Col. Hilder his pick of a
vast collection Of war trophies stored in
the Manila arsenal. A number of Filipinos
are still engaged in increasing this and
other collections. Uncle Sans soldier boys
would have had an easy walkover had all
of the rebellious natives been armed with
such weapons as the ethnologist unearthed
Among them are cannon made Of piping
reinforced with bamboo and wound with
telegraph wire or rattan, curious devices
for the manufacture of tmpromptu arms,
a large collection of boios or native knives
armOr woven of vegetable fiber but afford
ing ample protection against native swords
and arrows; blowguns, bows and poisoned
arrows used by the wild tribes in the in
terror of Mndanao.
The colonel also obtained an interesting
Internal machine placed by rebellious ma
tives upon the railroad near Manila and
captured by the engineer of a train Just in
time to avert serious catastrophe. 1t is
an oblong box filled with gunpowder and
fitted with a decorating apparatus and
trigger attached to a string.
Brought n Garrote With Him.
Americans have read of the terri
bic garrote. the engine Of capital pun
ishment used throughout Spain and her
domin1ons. Soon they will be able to feast
their eyes upon the real thing. Col Hilder
procured In Manila the actual garrote used
in that city for public executions. 1t is the
first instrument of its kind to enter this
country. After the Philippine capital came
into the hands Of the Yankees this grim
implement was removed from its establish
ed position and stored away in the peni-
Tertiary at Bilibid. The ethnologist pro-
cured 1t for the National Museum, through
the courtesy Of Major Rodgers, in COM
mand Of that prison. 1t is an upright post
about ten inches square at the base and
five feet high. having attached to 1t a
shelf-iike seat upon which its many IN
fortunate victims were bound, their backs
resting against the vertical portion. The
base of the upright post is fitted with
clamps with which 1t was originally fast
ened to the scaffold platform. A large,
double-handled wrench Is fastened to the
end OF long screw passing through the
post, at the height Of the victims neck.
ed to the post. The extremity of the
screw, which bores Its way into the neck
within the collar, Is so blunt that 1t COM
bines slow strangulation with the agony
aptaj1ed nv Of he nrfo 20
spine. .
Civil Execution.
On March 30, while Colonel Hilder was in
Manila, there occurred at San Carlos the
first civil execution under the American
regime. Antonio Morales and Faustino
Gonzales, two F1lipinos who had murdered
fellow natives, were hanged upon a high,
double scaffold. The, day before the hang
ing two companies Of our soldiers brought
the condemned men on special train from
Bayamban, where they had been confined
they were visited by three village priests
who had previouslys erected in their cell
an altar surmounted by a cross and lighted
candles. The prisoners spent their last
night counting theiy beads and praying
with the attendant fathers. At 6 o'clock
the following morning chocolate, buns and
eggs were set before them, and they ate
of these until two hours later, when given
beer, which they appeared to relish. Later
they smoked cigarettes and cigars for two
hours. At II o'clock they confessed their
crimes to the priests. During this ordeal
they knelt side by side before the altar
resting their foreheads upon its edge. In
the march to the scaffold, which directly
followed, Gonzales walked proudly erect
with his hat placed jauntily on one side
of his head Ascending the scafrold steps
he dotted his hat and made low bow to
the spectators gathered around. Morales
followed, carrying a prayer book in his
hands and a cross between his teeth Both
unfortunates calmly took their places upon
dition when the drop fell. Death in both
cases was due to strangnlation. The exc
cutfon was in charge Of Colonel Emith Of
the 18th Infantry, who previous to the
the scaffoid and addressed a representative
tbartpD ~ ottf1ouS assembled arO,,pA