The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-08

ant ]. C. Gilmore of the United States
gunboat Yorktown, who was captured by
the insurgents last April near Baler on
the coast Of Luzon and rescued rev
days ago by Colonel Luther r. Hare of the
Thirty-third infantry, sat today In the
apartment OF his sister. Mrs. Major Price,
at the Hotel Oriente in Manila. and told
a remarkable story OF his eight months
In captivity, ending with his dramatic
deliverance from death that seemed in
evitable.
The seteamer Venus came Into the har-
Dor last evening from vigan, province OF
South Ilocos, with Lieutenant Gilmore
and nineteen other American prisoners,
Including seven OF his sailors from the
Yorktown. Lieutenant Gilmore. after re-
porting, carse ashore and hobbled along,
with the aid Of cane, to the Hotel Orb
ente, where American officers and ladies'
were waltzing through the halls to the
strains OF "Aguinaldo's March"
Although tanned and rudy from expos
ure, he Is weak and nervous. showing the
results OF long hardships. He speaks
warmly of Aguinaldo and very bitterly
against General rino, declaring that whllo
in the formers jurisdiction he was treated
IplendidIy, but that after he fell into
Tinos bands he suffered everything.
Colonel Hare and Lieutenant Colonel
Howse, the latter OF the Thirty-fourth
infantry, rescued Gilmores party Decem-
Der 49, near the headwaters OF the Abu-
lat river after they had been abandoned
by the Filiplnos and were expecting death
from the savage tribes around them. When
the rescuing force reached them they were
nearly starved. but were building RATS
in the hope Of getting down the river to
the coast.
Lieutenant Gilmore made the following
statement to a correspondent of the Asso-
ciated Press: THE Fllipinos abandoned
US on the night OF December lG We had
reached the Abulat river near its source
that morning and the Filipinos RATED us
over. We then went down the stream,
along rough trail, guarded by q company
OF Filipinos. That night we were separat-
ed from this guard and another company,
armed with Mausers, was put in charge
OF us. | suspected something aud ques-
TONED the lieutenant in command. He
said; j have orders from General Tino
TO shoot you all, but my conscience for
bids. Ishall leave you here
u begged him for two rides to protect
us from savages, adding that would give
him letters to the Americans, who wouit
He refused this, however, saying that h
would not dare to comply. We had see
some savages In war paint around us an
We prepared to fight them with cohble
stone, the only weapons that were availa
Bile to us. The next nf0rning we foliowe
the trail OF the Filipino soldiers feelin
that IL was better to stick TO them tina
to be murdered by savages. but we coul
not catch up with them. Then l ordere
the men to build RATS In the hope
hoating down the river. II was a forlor
hope but I knew the river must empt
into the sea somewhere. was so wea
myself that | did not expect TO get GU
but ! thought some OF the men could.
"on the morning OF December is, viii
We We're working on the RATS, the Amer
cans came toward MS yelling. One OF n
mon shouted; They are on us He "
lashsng raft OF bamboos. /, howeve
knew II was not the yell 81 sayhges b
the yell OF Americans. The troops thougI
We had Filipino guards and called to
In English to lie down so that they cou
snoot the Fillpinos. That was the nne
body OF officers and men ever saw"
Lieutenant Gilmore could not speak @
Enthusiastically enough OF the 100 men wi
had rescued him and his party.
The command spent the day In maxi,
rafts. Colonel Hare thought Lleutena
Gilmore too weak 10 live through the tr,
out there was no alternative They sh
many rapids, the men losing all tn,
eIects and Lieutenant Gilmore some valu
Bile papers. Only fourteen out OF thirt
seveu RATS survived the nrst nights q
periences.
During the flight from Benguet VIII
the Americans approached Lieutenant G
more said The Fllipinos, complete
terrified, left Benguet on December
They hurried the prisoners from town
Town, ntten retraeing the trail. not kno
ing 'Shen the Americans would alta
After long time they killed several or.
and lived on horscnesh FOR several Ia
did NOT have full meal from iecemt
until ] reached Vigau. Indeed. he r,
cuing party lived largely upou ,lcs wit
out salt. There was one day when u
reduced TO chewing grass and bark
While we were In tho hands OF Gene
lino's men he issued an order that n
person aiding an American nv food
money should be treated as GRIMM
citizen OF Viga Senior vra, was XII
practically for befrendlng us. we wo,
nave starved but for the kindness of 40
OF the residents of the town and "a
OF the Filipino colonies, but others trea'
US orutally Wherever there was a pri.
We we're kept there When there yyas
prison they would lodge us IN a conys
We suffered from want of exercise as v
as lack OF food
For weeks Lieutenant Gilmore was G
cred with boils and Ia great pain. w,
the Fllipinos found the American tro
were approaching the treatment beca
better There was a sign painter Ia
party and he painted advertisements
the rocks throughout the retreat with Z
hlems. like skull and the word ~
sence," by means OF which the Amerlc
were able to follow.
The Filipir& treatment OF the spanIa,
said Lieutenant Gilmore was brutal
the extreme The Insurgents had
grudFes 10 wipe cut against them NJ
talked about the reconcentrados In Gu
but ] have seen spaniards dying at
rate OF two or three day from stava,
In the hospitals at vigan have !
Tagalo officers strike spaniards In the
with whips and rcvoivers'
Lieutenant Gilmore declined TO sn
regarding political conditions excepi
say that HE THOUGHT THE INST
RECTIoN WOULD LAST AS LONG
THERE WERE ANY TAGALos LEFT
The members OF the party reported
General Otis this morning They W
barTfooted srnburned and ragged Sc
carried riaes others pet monkeys.
They attracted great deal OF atteni
~ they passed along the streets TIN
whose enlisfments are about expiring
~ sent TO the United States The 9th
vii. b. returned 10 their respective
wnuinotl0na Amona the prinoners