Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-05-11
A SPANISH WOMAN FIGHTER
Sonora Gamundi Who FearIcssly Lee
q Revolt of Prisoners Held
by EilipinOs.

The Spanish commission estimates
the number of Spanish subjects yet in
the hands of the rebels at 200. Stories
of their wretched condition are coming
into Manila daily. They are on the verge
of starving, for the mountains where
they are detained can provide very lit
tie food and the Americans are holding
the principal towns round about. Sc
nora Gamundi, wife of Second Lieut..
Pedro Gamundi, is among the 500 pris-
oners now held in the hills surround
ing Mount Cristobal, at whose base is the
village of Dolores. The district con-
tains many rebels of the worst class.
men who have done no work for the
last three years and have lived by car
rying a rifle and preying on the inhab-
itants, says the New York Sun.
Sonora Gamundi, so the story goes,
has proved herself Castiian Joan of
Arc by putting herself at the head of
the forlorn band and defying the Fill
Pine keepers. Aiming her male com
panions with sharp sticks and stones,
she led wild charge which came very
near effecting the liberty of the entire
lot. She is a type of the natives OF
Galicia in Spain. She is slight of build
and has long auburn hair and fair
skin. Unable long to endure the indigni-
ties to which her comrades were sub
jected she at last started the revolt
which she had been secretly urging the
men themselves to make. ''To be killed
is better than to starve," she declared
one day, land we can at least enjoy a
revenge"
cit will be useless to try. We shall
only be killed or else be compelled to
submit to further torture" the men
said. 1.-The Filipinos have guns and
will shoot us down like dogs"
Follow me. then, We cowards!" she
cried.
She seized club and stone. Her
spirit inspired a short period of de-
spairing reckless daring among the Of
ficers and men around her. In an in
slant there was a riot. The Filipino
guards yelled 'Halto!" and in vain
raised their rifles threatening1y. The
foremost received th-ack from the
stick in Sonora Gamundi's hands and
he dropped his gun and fed for his life
This was all that was necessary to
start the movement. Let a Filipino be-
come panic stricken and run and his
comrades will quickly follow. Guns
were abandoned by the keepers and
picked up by the Spaniards. A gen.
eral alarm was sounded throughout
Malvar's camp.
1.-THE Spanish are escaping!" was the
cry.
Sonora Gamundi and her band al
ready began to taste the sweets of VIC
tory. ITO San Pabloi To San Pabloi''
she cried, and headed the fight of the
prisoners toward the American camp.
But San Pablo was distant and the
mountain trails were difficult The
Filipinos fastened to head them off,
well knowing there woIs,d be little
danger to themselves, for the prisoners
had picked up only few guns and for
these they had no ammunition. And
SO at last the rising was quelled. Soon
er than be shot down the Spaniards
halted. Their captors closed in with
jeers and marched them back to pris-
on. Since then the Filipinos have
looked upon Sonora Gamundi with won
der. They have many times charged
her with being an Americana, firmly
believing she was Disgusting herself by
her tongue. "Only an American wom-
an would be SO brave" they reason. 1T
is not in the Spanish"