New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-29
MURDER ON TAWI TAWI.
AMERICAN SOLDIERS FoULLY ATTACKED
BY NATIVES.
HEROIC STRUGGLES AGAINST OVERWHELMING
opps - SWIFT RETRIBUTIoN ON
THE AssAssINs.

THE AssAssINs
Under date of February Captain S. A. Cloman
go Infantry writing at Bongao Philippine Islands.
made the following report to the Adtutant- General
of the District Of Mindanao and Jolo:
have the honor to report the folIowing e. has
ig dake a page liz ne Ia"i "' group Oh
on january 26 1900 a party consisting of Ser
geant Eebert Y De Wolfe. Corporal Leonard J.
Mygatt Privates Webster +. Gibbons William t
Carter and John A. Greathouse, all of Company H
2sd Infantry left the post a small sailboat on a
sever day pass for the purpose Of visiting the See
also had nstruetions at the request of the 90, engi
fantry. TO map all country passed and make
a written report Of their Journey as the data was
quarters. ] might say here that hunting parties
DarT 81 The island Of TaWi tTaWf during our two
months stay here, sometimes as many as three
bears have been killed there during this time, and
friendly comrades OF the soldiers assisting them
in every way. and also continually visiting this
post This is also true OF all the other islands IN
this group that have been visited by myself or the
The aforesaid party left the post about a. m.
Friday. January Is. and proceeded up the coast Of
TaWt Tawi about twelve miles where they camped
on the beach for the night. on Saturday night
they also camped on the Tawi Taw beach about
three miles from the island Of Bilimhing, on which
Is 2rEe NATIVE yagT Of 5he 50 This dn 9n
hours being entertained in the chiefs houses and
were present however, one being in Jolo and two
visiting adjacent Islands. They, left the town
feelings on both sides.
THE NATIVES FRIENDLY
The party next went into camp on small unin-
hahited island about eight miles above B SIN 3lng
praus Cnative boats about mile off shore where
lar remark as praus continually coming and
in the boats Early the next morning these praus
landed and the natives ten in number, came to
being of the inhabitants of Bilimbng. who had
treated them SO nicely; so every effort was mage
fast and deck OF cards that they seemed 10
About z a m. the party broke camp and pro-
ceeded over 70 the main island OF Tawi Tawi, al
though the natives seemed TO insist their stay
ing where they were until high tide in the after
It was found later that the natives We're right.
and the land could not be approached until hlgh
and fro. followed by the praus, until p m when
,esr th 800, Tho landed shortly after
ward. cut some wood and came to the camp. where
they made voluntarily collected some leaves
for the soldiers beds, shaTpened a Ratchet and
with them In the mean time the soldlerS bathcd'
explored the vicinity, discovered a spring, etc.
ma 9FR Was us taking 20 of his aS in e
the tent while the Other four men were blazing
surrounded by the natives. who seemed greatly in
had no weapons with them except their wood cut
tiers, tools consisting Of native hatehets and pa
but none Of these were visible at the time time
afterward heard some screaming and two
A MURDEROUs ASSAULT.
In the the game had continued for about
five minutes after the corpora[s departure When
the native Standlng pelnG scream ne HoiIS g
struck the sergeant the neck. nearly severing
At almost the same time Private Gibbons was
struck on the side of the neck and head making a
which the brain oozed, and Private Grea thouse
external carotid artery and exposing the internal
artery and spine The psrang (which now have
is badly niclled and dulled or the head would have
been completely severed The edge OF the parang
The tent canvas and only staggered him. but at
almost The same tiTne another Moro struck him a
made. He staggered toward mis- gun but another
native sunk a Ratchet deep into his back. injur-
ing his spine He thea ran 10 the cook fire about
twenty yards distant the AK. but by the time
disappeared but the three who were chopping Pri-
vale Gibbons. and these ran before he could reach
In the mean time Private Gibbons had reached
and STAGGERING. It was without effect and then
be5s could de- 1.-THE more than Struggle bare handed
for its possession. while the three natives literally
them got possession Of the gun and shot him below
The natives then ran for their boats and pushed
off, taking with them three rifles, revolver and
This whole melee did not last more than one
minute. being simply wild chopping and scramble
When the corporal returned from the beach he
gun with one hand and holding his head on straight
with the other. Shortly afterward Private Carter
The whereabouts Of the natives their intentions
Soon
after going in camp the plug had been pulled from
the bottom OF the boat. and she allowed TO
ana she had to be bailed out The dead sergeant
and Private Gibbons had to be carried through
the woods the boat. and they Were over thirty
miles from friends or help. with to sail
the boat and take care of the three wounded. Cor
poral Mygatt proved equal to the emergency, and
deserves the greatest commentator for his good
judgment and work while Privates Carter and
Greenhouse assisted the limits their strength
Private Greenhouse being handicapped by the fact
from his body. including all the muscles OF the
Ia q ha npC O WAS n fOrl him
he exerted his enormous strength with the other.
raTkabe example Of human endurance have ever
known. The boat aground a reef once dur
hours but was finally pushed over two hundred
yards of coral by Corporal Mygatt and Privates
about a. n. the morning.
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE
The wounded had been bandaged and washed
with salt water. but the hot morning sun on the
arrived here they were in a very bad condition
Strange to say both men are still living. and INC
constant and skful treatment of the post surgeon
afternoon. and during the day / collected what
native boats could preparatory TO expedition IN
in the neighborhood and Il IS a poor affair that
was dangerously overloaded with ten soldiers
ing from five soldiers each. Enough Were
boatmen. and the expedition left the next morning
"wednesday, January 80 at a. m, accompanied
by Datto Fanton and Datto Sakilan, Of this place
with eleven followers The sea was very rough
for these small boats. bur very much TO my re-
o. n This town is built over the water on piles
ana IS commanded by a native stone fort on the
Immediately upon landing the town was sur
rounded. and upon the appearance of the chiefs
they were told order all the inhabitants ashore
unarned and assemble them below the fort This
Is oensely pDpu4en WISE rb 19 Two nun
Were then sent through the village TO throw out all
who had not obeyed the summons, the people
such small intelligence that they