The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-28
THE TRAGEDY AT BALABAC.
Crimes of Some Famous DcpOrted
Spanish Prisoners.
From the Chicago Daily News.

From the Chicago Daily News.
Manila.-The Island of Balabac, away
down at the southern end of the Para
guas. was a very bad island For many
years the Spanards sent all their des-
perate native criminals there, so that
eventually the population became as
wicked and notorious as ever penal
colony could produce. In course of time
many of these deportados escaped and
became pirates. wreckng ships on the
coast and plunderng small trading YES
sells that became becalmed along their
shores And that is why the Sulu Archi-
pelago has borne for so long such an evil
reputation among the coastwise traders
between Manila and Borneo.
Now. down at the extreme southern
point, just across the Straits of Balabac
from Borneo. there stands alone on
lofty rock the great Baabac light, which
for years had gowed benefcently out in
the night to guide the big East India
men and swift tea clippers through the
straits on their long journeys from Amer
lea and England to Chin and the Indies.
In all the South seas there is not a finer
or more costly lighthouse. for Spain
spent many many thousands of dollars
in building the fortress-lilSe tower and
many more in keeping the light burning.
A Filipino kept the light. and for COM
pany in his lonely exile he had his pretty
wife and children.
In the town of Balabac, northward
few miles, there was stationed about
year ago small garrison of Spanish sol
diers. One Sunday morning they were
all In the little church at Balabac, and
thronRed in behind them were a couple
score Of natives There was no thought
of treachery in the minds of the devout
Spaniards. so they knet all unsuspecting
while the mass was being said. While
their heads were low in prayer there was
a quiet unsheathing of knives behind
them. Bayonets and knives were stealth
lily drawn from the folds of native gar
ments and the throng of natives pressed
silently forward Then a wild yell burst
out on the religious quiet of the church
and the natives buried their knives deep
in the brains of every one of the Span
ish soldiers. Even the white women and
children were not spared in those awful
five minutes of massacre. When II was
all over the garrison had been wiped
out and the hagstones of the church were
running with blood
Then the deportados threw the bodies in
a we'll, and free of all restraint, plunged
riotously into a life of debauchery and
crime Thus they lived for some time.
the Filipino lightkeeper took his family
and fed in a small boat across the straits
10 Kudat, In British North Borneo, and
the great guiding light of Balabac ceased
TO wink out over the waters at night.
One day the American gunboat Manila
picked her way in over the reefs and
rocks and anchored in the shadow of the
hill Mallory and Nelson went ashore
and climbed up to where the lighthouse
stood, 600 feet above the beach, and learn
ed from a native boy that the lightkeeper
had gone to Kudat. So the two Ameri-
can officers scrambled down and return
ed to the ship. and the Manila sailed off
to Kudat and got the lightkeeper. Then
they returned once more and installed the
lightkeeper, hoisted the American flag
and sailed away for a cruise around the
Paraguas.
In a week the ship returned again to
see how the light was working. Once
more Mallory and Nelson climbed the
path, pushing their way up through the
tall scrubs and underbrush, but when
they reached the level plateau on which
the fortress-like tower stands they were
amazed to see a Filipino flag flying. while
scattered about the yard were a number
of natives armed with rifles and knives
and lances Without revealing their pres
ence the two naval officers crept back in
tangled path to the beach.
In half an hour they were climbing up
again, and with them was Lieut.. Bissett
and a boats crew of sailor men, all well
armed with rifles and revolvers They
did not know whether or not their move
ments had been observed by the gang Of
derortadors, and they momentarily ex-
pected a volley to fash in their faces from
the matted scrub above. But II was evil
dent that their presence was not known
10 the natives, for they reached the crest
without opposition
paerins through the fringe OF under
growth that skirts this level table land,
thew got their bearings and rushed out to
the attack. A high iron fence surrounds
the tower and at the huge iron gate
on one side "a sleepy sentry sat with his
rife loosely resting by his side. He
snran4 up In startled alarm and attempted
to lock the gate, but a sailor struck him
down with the stock OF a rife and the
attacking party dashed into the Enclosure.
On the porch Of the tower there was TIE
widest commotion. Natives ran out OF
the tower TO see what the excitement
was. Ono of them raised his spear to
strike down Bissett who shot him through
the heart. Another sprang on the para
net and turned to shoot into the Amer
leans but a sailor shot him and his body
went crashing down the side OF the cliff
Others OF the deportados ran into the
tower and began firing from the windows
bus the officers and sailor men got out Of
range before any were hit. One or two
natives attempted TO cut down the Amer
leans with their barongs and were shot
down by the sailors.
Within ten minutes the fight was over
Bissett called out for those inside to sur
render or he would kin every one OF
them After a short parley some OF them
surrendered their rifles, while the rest
escaped by leaping from the back win
dows. jumping many feet down the clff
One or two dead bodies lay on the porch.
a couple more were badly wounded six or
seven prisoners sat sullenly In the tower
and several captured rifles were taken in
charge by the sailors.
Up in the tower the Americans found
the lightkeeper ana his family, half
starved and frightened nearly 40 death.
The lightkeeper told the story Of his ad-
Soon after the Manila had left him in
charge Of the light and had enlled away
the leader % the deIortados. q notorious
old brlgand who had been FOR many years
q prisoner on Balabac Island. oame to