The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-03-21
QUEER TALE ABOUT AcUINALoo:
Disguised rs q Chinaman He Was In the
American Lines.

DISC uised rs a Chinaman He Was In the
American Lines.
An army officer who has just returned
from the Philippines says that it is
generally believed there that Aguin-
aldo was recently a prisoner for four
days in the hands of General Young
and that, being released without re-
vealing his identity, he has taken re-
tuge in the mountains in the southern
part of Luzon disguised as a China
man. The orders of General Otis
have been to disarm native prisoners,
give them square meal. talk to them
kindly, explain the intentions and
policy of the American authorities and
set them free unless they are men of
rank or suspicious characters.
One day, about two months, ago,
General Young captured part Of
Aguinaldo's bodyguard which was at
tended by twenty or thirty Chinese
cargadores or burden bearers. The
entire party was detained four days
and the Fiiipinos were closely ex-
amineG for information of the fugitive
chief. Although Questioned separately
their stories seemed to agree. They
explained that, being exhausted by
the hurried march aud the lack of
food and rest, they had fallen to the
rear Of Aguinaldo's party and were
unable to catch up with it before they
fell into the hands of the, troops.
They spoke freely OF Aguinaldo's
movements and plans, gave the names
of people who were with him and con-
fessed that they we're glad to give up
the fight. They said that Aguinaldo
was trying, to reach some seaport
where he could find boat that would
take him to Hong Kong or some other
neutral port where he could throw
himself upon the protection OF for
eign Government and that he had
abandoned everybody and was sacri-
icing everything for his own safety.
The members of the Filipino body
guard were so candid in their state
ments and professed such eogerness
to remain With the American troops
so that they could get food and pro-
lection that nobody thought OF ex-
amining the half-naked and exhausted
Cinnamon who huddled together
wherever they could And shelter and
snappled like starving dogs at such
food as was placed within their reach
and when General Young moved on
the soldiers gave them WORKOUT shoes
and clothing and as liboral an allow
ance OF rice as they could spare, warm
ing them not to take up arms again,
but to 60 back to their homes and
s,ttle down to useful labor. :
Sometime after one of the Filipino
bodyguard came into town where
there was an American garrison and
confessed that Aguinsldo was among
the burden bearers disguised as a
Chinaman and almost frightened to
death for fear he should be betrayed
aud discovered. The informant e1-
planned that the party captured by,
General Young was not made up of
ssragglers, but was the remnant Of
Aguiualdo's escort, and that every
one OF them expected to be shot or
hanged as soon as they fell into the
hands of the American soldiers. In
order to save themselves they agreed
to make the explanations narrated
With the hope Of securing their own
release aud sending their captors on
wild-goose Gu .e. r..
After this incident Aguinaldo, ae-
sompauied by two companions dis.
guised as Cinnamon, entered the
mountains and continued his flight to
some seaport where he hoped to secure
means for leaving the island. William
E. Curtis, in the Chicago Record.
?.