The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-01-27
TODD BY LIEUT.. GILMORE.
The Yorktown's Officer Tells a Story
Of Hardship at the Hands
of the Tagals.
An the American Prisoners Were ordered
TO he Shot by tien. rino, But the Fill
plnO Omesr Charged with the Decd
Simply Left Them to the Mercy Of the
IA. Teth

Simply Left Them TO the Mercy Of th'
Savage Tribes.
Manila, Jan. S.-Lieut. ]. C. Gilmore
of the United States gunboat York
town, who was captured by the in
surgents last April near Baler, on the
coast of Luzon, and rescued few days
ago by Col. Luther II. Hare, of the
Thirty-third volunteer infantry, sat
yesterday in the apartment of his sis
ter, Mrs. Maj. Price, at the Hotel
0riente, in Manila, and told remark
able story of his eight months in cap
tivity, ending with the dramatic deliv-
erance from death that seemed inev-
table.
The Rescued Prisoners Land.
The steamer Venus came into the
harbor Saturday evening from Vigan,
Province of South Ilicos, with Lieut..
Gilmore and 10 other American pris-
oners, including seven of his sailors
from the Yorktown. Lieut.. Gilmore,
after reporting, came ashore and hob
bled along, with the aid of a cane, to
the Hotel Oriente, where American Of
ficers and ladies were waltzing through
the halls to the strains of "Aguinaldo's
March,"
Praises AEuinaIGO, Blames TinO.
Although tanned and rudy from ex-
posure, he is weak and nervous, show
inG the results of long hardships. He
speaks warmly of Aguinaldo and very
hiffarly ms f
that while in the formers jurisdiction
he was treated splendidly, but that af-
ter he fell into limos hands he suf-
fered everything.
The Rescuing Party.
Col. Hare and Lieut.. Col. Howe, the
latter of the Thirty-fourth volunteer
infantry, rescued Gillmore's party on
December is, near the headwaters of
the Abalut river, after they had been
abandoned by the Filipinos and were
death from the savage tribes
around them. When the rescuing force
reached them they were nearly starved,
but were building RATS in the hope OF
getting down the river 10 the coast.
Lieut.. Gilmore made the following
statement:
Lieut.. GIImOre's Story.
"The Filipinos abandoned us on the
night of December 16. We had reached
the Abalut river, near its source, that
morning, and the Filipinos RATED us
over. We then went down the stream,
along rough trail. guarded by com
pany of Filipinos. That night we We're
from this guard, and anoth- |
er company, armed with Mausers, was
put in charge of us. suspected some
thing, and questioned the lieutenant |
n command. He said:
Filipino With n Conscience.
81 have ordres from Gen. limo to
'hoot you all, but my conscience for
bids. 1 shall leave you here
Il begged him for two rifles to pro-
ect us from savages, adding that ]
would give him letters to the Ameri-
ans, who would pay him well and
,eep him from all harm. He refused
his, however, saying that he would
lot dare to comply. Soon afterwards
e left with his company.
In Danger from SavnEes.
I'VE had seen some sayages in war
aint around us, and we prepared to
ght them with cobble stones, the only
Feapons that were available to us. The
ext morning we followed the trail of
he Filipino soldiers, feeling that it
'as better to stick to them than to be
by savages, but we could
OF catch up with them. Then l or
cred the men to build RATS in the
ope of floating down the river. 1t was
forlorn hope, but l knew the river
lust empty into the sea somewhere.
was SO weak myself that did not ex-
ect to get out, but l thought some
the men could.
the Voices of Friends, {
ION the morning of December IS, I
lille we were working on the RATS, I
lie Americans came toward us yelling. I
ne of my men shouted: They are on d
s. He was flashing a raft of bam- !
JOS. I, however, knew it was not the t
III of savages, but the yell of Ameri- a
ms. The rescuing troops thought we I
I'd Filipino guards, and called to us IL
English to lie down, so that they L
uld shoot the Filipinos. That was S
e finest body of officers and men | a
err saw" e
Lieut.. Gilmore could not speak en-
enough about the 14o h
cked men who had rescued him and Ii
5 party. h
A Nights Rough Experience.
The command spent the day in max M
9 RATS. Col. Hare thought Lieut.. Sc
lmore was too weak to live through tic
e trip, but there was no alternative, nj
icy shot many rapids, the men los al
all their effects, and Lieut.. Gil is
IRE some valuable papers. Only IA ID
of the 81 RATS survived the first vi
yht's experiences, and so men were liz
lctically unable TO walk when Vign
S reached. Gt
describing the fight from Benouet.
en- the Americans approached, Lieut..
more said: \.
The FiltpinOs Were Terrified. 10
The Filipinos, completely terrified ne
Benguet on December Z. They to
FRIED the prisoners from town to Va,
vn, often retracing the trail, not wi
1wing where the Americans would ~,
ack. After being almost without NJ,
d for three days, they killed sew hi
horses, and we lived on horse flesh az,
several days. l did not have full
a from December until 1 reached
an. Indeed, the rescuing party I
ID largely upon rice without salt SIT