The suburban citizen., 1900-04-14
FILIPINO BANDIT-RO0ST.
AMERICAN SOLDIERS CAPTURE A
RENDEZVOUS STORED WITH BOOTY
Tho story Of the Exploit Is the Most weird
That Has Been Forwarded From the
Philippines--An Ancient RObber Band
broken Up-DeRth Of the Leader.


That Has Been Forwarded From the
Philippines--An Ancient Robber Band
Broken Up-DeNth of the Leader.
Ali Baba's Forty Thieves shrink in.
to insigni6cance when compared with
the nest of robbers which. according
to War Department dispatches, has
been cleaned out on the island of
Negros by Captain b. a, Byrne and a
detachment Of the Sixth Infantry.
The story is by all odds the most
weird that has been forwarded from
our newly acquired archipelago up to
date, and, on the whole, the achieve
ment in military sense is the most
remarkable.
IT seems that for several years past
in Negros there have existed bands of
mnrauders and robbers who lived in
the mountains and deied authority
Under Spanish rule they exacted
tribute from the haciendSs aud pueb-
los without much interference, and
the prospect that their revenue would
be cut off under the new regime has
not served to make them warm friends
of the United States.
The greatest stronghold Of these
bandits was at Bobong, where they
were about 450 strong, and, when
Captain Byrne received orders to at
tack them, they had been for some
time making life uncertain aud prop
erty unsafe in the San Carlota dis
trict. Indeed, the natives were in
such terror of them that it was very
difficult to get any information Gs to
their exact whereabouts.
AT length, however, everything
necessary was ascertained as to the
situation Of the robber town and its
approaches, and it was also learned
that the outlaws had an observation
tower and signal station on the noun
tain top, from which they could watch
the movement OF troops marching
against them.
"On this account" says Captain
Byrne, in telling the story, IL de-
cided on a night march of fifteen
miles, though the odds seemed much
against success, part Of the way being
through trackless jungle. But it was
that or nothing, il the bandits were to
be surprised, and in that manner only
could a blow be delivered with fatal
effect
st had 1O5 men. Ny plan was to
60 in command OF seventy men and
land them, if possible, in such posi-
tion on the mountain side as TO com.
maud 10th Salupitan and Bobong, the
attack to be on the place where the
enemy happened to be strongest at
the time. Another column OF thirty
Eve men was to march to the vicinity
Of Sanguinit and hold the mountain
pass there, by which the bandits
might escape should they elude my
column.
cat 73O o'clock the men were nOti-
fed to be in ranks at 8. Exactly on
time the column started.
''It had been raining most Of the
afternoon; the night was as dark as
night could be; the rain came down
as though the heavens had opened, as
it only can in this country,
after entering the jungle the night
was as black as ink the hand held one
foot from the face could not be seen.
The rule was that each man should
hold on to the man in his front. and
each man was required to keep in com
munication with the man in his rear
by touch or voice, not speaking louder
than q whisper. In tdis manner the
men with difficulty were kept together.
SIN this way, with an occasional
halt to close up the column, we marched
until , o'clock a. m, when the guide
informed us that we were near the
base Of the mountain, which it would
be impossible to climb until daylight.
"We therefore rested until o'clock,
the day beginning to dawn at that
hour.
"At o'clock we began tho ascent
Of the mountain.
'Steep at first, and then, getting
almost perpendicular, it ceased to be
marching and was only climbing in
stead.
Foot by foot the men pulled them
selves up Dy gfasplnB tOOCS ana small
trees anything to hold on TO or upon
which the foot could rest, was taken
advantage Of, and, moving in this way
for ten OF fifteen yards, all would stop
and rest
"We climbed to the top OF the hill,
and, looking cautiously over, we were
astonished TO find one Of the robbers
block-houses and observation towers
not over fifteen or twenty yards away
II had q commanding view of the valley
and all the trails in that vicinity, but
not of the route we came
Some OF the bandits we're cooking
breakfast in perfect ignorance Of our
presence. We instantly rushed upon
them, and, before those in and around
the house had realized what had hap
pened, seven out of the nine had been
shot down, the two who escaped, zig
zaging so quickly in their fight that
they could not be hit before reaching
some high grass.
II soon heard continuous firing in
the direction Lieutenant Nesbitt had
taken, and 1 started thither. / had
proceeded but few hundred yards