Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-25
TWO FILIPINO ASSASSINS
THEY WE'RE EXECUTED BY ORDER
OF GEN. MACARTHUR.
Tried by Military Commission for
Other q Chinaman.

Word has been received at the War De-
partment Of the execution Of two Filipinos.
named Gregorio de Castro and Marcelo de
Castro, on conviction by military commits
sions Of murder and other crimes. Gregorio
was captain Of flying company OF In
surgents devoted ito the secret extermina-
ton Of the American cavalry and Infantry.
It was shown at his trial that he was re-
sponsible for the murder OF Peter Cooper.
private In Company C. 3Sth Volunteer In
fantry; Leun Sui. q Chinaman. and Ma
riano Rojas. a native. Marcelo de Castro
was connected with these crimes. In re-
viewing the proceedings In the case Gen.
Macarthur said:
Gen. MacArthur's Remarks.
The record Of the court-martial shows
that Castro, acting under this order, d.
rected the murder Of the persons killed. He
was adjudged guilty Of all three. offenses.
but Gen. Macarthur disapproved the find
ings on the charge Of numbering the China
man. Referring to the murder OF the Chi
naman, he says:
1T appears that the murdered man met
his death at the hands OF Marcelo de Cas-
tro but no proof exists further than that
the assassin belonged to the band COM
manded by the accused. that he had guilty
knowledge of or was privy to the perpetra-
fiuenced in its finding upon this specihca-
ton by the nature Of the commission under
which the accused was serving may be in
ferred.
It may with justice be said that any
man who will serve under piratical a
commission as that held by the accused Is
deserving Of death at sight, not as man.
but as a monster in human shape. His
paltry defense of holding the office of a Sc
cret assassin was that It was given in
Spanish, and that he could not read that
language. Still guarded by the enlightened
and just laws Of the nation under which he
has been tried, the accused must be held
not guilty of the first specification. Had he
been tried for a violation Of the laws Of
war. for holding and conducting war under
his commission OF assassination, he would
then have had prior notice of the nature Of
the defense he was called upon to make,
and, If convicted, the fairness and Justice
thereof would not, as now. be open to
question. The finding upon this specifica-
ton Is therefore disapproved.
THE evidence in support Of the charge Of
numbering Rojas Is direct, mistaken and
conclusive that the accused and one other
man called their victim from his house, and
cause he had that day been arrested by the
American forces and released he must,
therefore, be an American spy, shot de-
ceased with rifle and thereby caused his
almost instant death.
'"The sentence which was approved by the
department commander on September IA,
1900, although deemed inadequate. is con-
firmed and will be duly executed at the
Preside de Manila, to which place the prs-
oner will be sent under proper guard
Death Sentence Executed.
Marceio was held mainly responsible for
the death Of Leun Sui, the Chinaman. As
to that case Gen. Macarthur said
1.-THE motive for the murder is clearly
shown. The accused was a member and
'teniente' Of one Of the bands Of guerrilla
marauders infesting the country. The MUIR
dered man had been prisoner in the hands
of the insurgents, and afterward, up to the
day Of his death. had, in discovering their
hiding places and identifying various ones
Of their number. rendered open and val
liable assistance to the United States
troops"
The sentence of death was imposed and
executed in the case of both Castros