New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-04
MAYHA VEKILLED AGUINALDO
MAJOR MARCH'S HOT PURSUIT OF THE
FLEEING REBEL LEADER

Nlgan. Luzon, June (via Manila, June S).-
Major March. with his detachment Of the 33d
Regiment, overlook what is believed to have
been Aguinaldos party on May 10 at Lagat.
about hundred miles northeast of Vigan.
The Americans killed wounded officer,
supposed to be Aguinaldo, whose body was re-
moved by his followers.
Agunaldo had one hundred men: Major March
125. The American commander reached La
boagan. where Aguinaldo had made his head
quarters since May 6, on May Z. Aguinaldo had
fed hours before, leaving all the beaten
trails and travelling through the forest along
the bed of streams Toward evening on May 10
Major March struck Aguinaldo's outpost, about
a mile outside of Lagat, killing four Filipinos
and capturing two From the latter he learned
that Agunaldo had camped there for the night.
Although exhausted and half starved, Major
March's men entered Lagat the They
saw the insurgents scattering into the bushes
or the plateau A thousand yards beyond
the town. on the mountain side, the figures of
twenty-five Filipinos, dressed in white, with
their leader on a gray horse were silhouetted
against the sunset The Americans fired vol
ley and saw the officer drop from his horse His
followers fed, carrying the body.
The Americans, on reaching the spot caught
the horse which richly saddled. Blood
from a badly wounded man on the animal
and on the ground. The saddlebags contained
Agunaldo's diary and some private papers, in
Guiding procamatons. One of these was ad-
dressed ITO the Civilized Nations" 1t protested
against the American occupation of the Philip
pines. There were also found copies of Senator
Beveridges speech. translated into Spanish and
entitled THE Death Knell of the Filipino Peo
ple'
Major March, believing that the Filipinos had
taken to a river which is tributary to the Chico,
followed it for two days, reaching Tiao, where
he learned that a party of Fiipnos had de-
scended the river May 20 a raft with the
body of a dead or wounded man upon litter,
covered with palm leaves.
There Major March reviewed his command,
shoeless and exhausted and picked out twenty
four of the freshest men, with whom he beat
the surrounding country for six days longer, but
without finding any trace of the insurgents.
The Americans pushed on, and arrived at Aparri
on May %.
The officer shot either Aguinaldo or his
adjutant, and as the horse richly capari-
soned, it is fair presumption that it was Agui-
nado.
The soldiers of General Young, Military Gov
ernor of Northwestern Luzon, captured early
last month insurgent officer with papers
revealing Aguinaldos whereabouts. General
Young Immediately organized for pursuit, Civ
ing Major March chance to finish the work
begun in November Major March left Candon
May 10, hurrying north toward Daboagan, while
Colonel Hare with battalion divided into two
parts, started from Rangued, Province of Abra,
covering the trails westward. The garrisons in
the Cagayan Valley were disposed in such way
as TO guard the avenues of escape eastward.
Spies heraIded the approach of Major March
with signal fires. on reaching Laboaga1i, he APP
pretended a letter in Aguinaldo's handwriting
the ink of which was hardly dry, addressed
an officer of guerillas of the Filipino army. and
saying:
There having arrived this morning at Laboa-
gan hostile column from Bokoc, have set
out with all my force. Ny road has fixed
destination.
This was signed Colonel David" a sobri-
Quet Aguinaldo called at the Preslencia, fro.n
which he issued DEGREES and where his follow
ers celebrated Easter with banquet at ii tri-
angular table, when speeches made culo-
gizing GregOrio del Pillar
That night Major March's men slept in the
bamboo, resuming the advance in the morning
and reaching La3at, forty miles distant, IN two
days, although IL raining hard in the
mountains all the time.
Aguinaldo'S papers very important They
show that he took refuge in Isabella Province
where he remained until he established himself
posed direct the rainy season operations
Until recently he ignorant of outside oc-
currences making pretence of directing the
insurrectOn, happy if, indeed he might be able
to keep alive among the hostile IgorroteS who
killed several Of his followers.