Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-31
Detachment of American Troops Be-
sieged by Insurrectos.
DISTRICT GOARDSMAN'S EXPERIENCE
The Deadly BoIo Welded With
Disastrous Effect.
BRAVERY OF TWO SENTR1ES
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

MAI.ITBOC. Leyte P L.. March 81, 1900.
For the edification of those members of
the District National Guard who felt ag-
grieved at not being able to pass the phys
icaI examination for Philippine service l
shall relate the experience of one of their
fellow guardsmen. There are many mem
bers of the guard at present serving in the
Philippines and from the meager accounts
to be obtained from boats stopping at this
port those from the District are more than
holding their own.
After our fight at Catbalogan. Island OF
Samar we received orders to proceed to
Tacloban to reinforce the list Battalion
which had been scattered around garrison
ing nearby towns leaving only small de-
tachnlent at Tacloban. Upon our arrival at
that place We learned that the night before
an attack had been expected from the in
surrectos, and the band and hospital corps
were obliged to shoulder rifles and guard
the town. The members of the band were
so glad to see us that they met us at the
pier and serenaded us during our landing
General Hobbies provisional brigade con-
ssting of the 41th and 43d Infantry and
several batteries of the Sd Artillery, have
a trying task in opening the ports on the
islands of Samar and Leyte. The Attn are
nearly all in southern Luzon. Therefore the
Add now occupies al the principal ports on
Samar and Leyte But digress.
Sent to Open a Port.
After landing at Tacloban a detachment
of twenty-five men from my company (lA),
under command of First Lieut.. Henry A.
Thayer, a resident of Washington, D. c.,
was sent to open the port of Malitboc.
Leyte We met with resistance upon
landing and were even cordially received by
the natives. At this place resides one OF
the wealthiest hemp dealers in the Philip
pines, who has erected substantial brlck
which would
with largest hotels. 1t was evidently
built with a view of Wlthstand1ng an at
tack from the insurrectos and thieves VINO
pounce down upon such unsuspecting ma
tives as are in affiuent circumstances. If
their demand for 'dinero' money) in such
cases is not met with a satisfactory re-
Spouse their victim is held in captivity
until the sum stipulated is paid The above
mentioned resident was so held until he
delivered up to General Lukban, one of
Aguinaldo's chief emissaries the sum of
Ss.no in Mexican currency.
The building mentioned is connected with
two large storehouses containing hundreds
of thousands of dollars worth of hemp, the
whole surrounded by thick wall of brick
and mortar about fourteen feet high, the
top of which is covered with broken glass
embedded in mortar. The buildings last
mentioned face the sea and occupy an area
of perhaps acre On the left of these is
a frame structure used a meeting hall,
which building was occupied by us, and we
congratulated ourselves upon being quar-
as heretofore our quarters were over a
horse stable invested with bed bugs, liz
ards and rats, not to mention bands of wan
dering mosquitoes of the most bloodthirsty
species.
Brief Period of Quietude.
Everything went lovely for about two
weeks. The boys. when not on duty, spent
part of the time in exploring the surround
ing country and. had fresh beef,
filled their haversacks with canned salmon,
which they exchanged for chickens. No
thought of trouble entered our minds, and
during the day only one sentry was on
duty pacing back and forth alongside the
barracks. At night two sentries were sta
toned, one at the foot of the stairs lead
ing To the entrance and the other paced his
post as during the day. OF an evening af-
ter retreat we would sit in front of the
natives huts and improve our minds in
learning the NiSayan tongue. Cigarettes
and bananas We're freely passed around,
and the native who had one two Amer-
canos sitting in front Of the stoop was
envied by his neighbors. who congregated
around and listened open-mouthed to our
uttcranceS in our best NiSayan.
Our first cause for uneasineSS was upon
learning that an insurrecto sergeant had
paid visit to the presidente, who is son
of Escano, the wealthy hemp dealer before
mentioned. Signor Escano had informed
our lieutenant that his a bad in
surrecto. and the lieutenant determined to
pay him visit on the following night and
endeayor TO catch him red-handed, so to
speak.
About 10 o'clock the following night a
detail of ten men surrounded the pres-
dente's house and Lieut.. Thayer. accom-
panied by Private Knox. boldly entered the
house and proceeded to search for the In
surgent sergeant. Eleven men We're found
asleep in the house, but if the aforesaid
sergeant had been there he had YAM
ooscd.' We corralled the men, however.
and locked them up in the calabOose fhe
town iaiD. The following morning they
were released nothing discriminating being
found on them, nor anything which showed
they were adherentS of the insurrectos
could be proved against them.
Presidente Makes His Escape.
After that the presidente was placed
under surveillance. but despite our watch
funess, one fine, rather dark, night he
skipped-or, IN Filipino parlance, YAM
oosed." When the inhabitants learned of
this there was great CONSERVATION. Quick
ly gathering together their valuableS they
either boarded boats at that time in the
harbor and set sail for Cebu fled to the