The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-16

IL has Just been learned that a Seattle
man was among the party OF Lieut.. CHI
more which has recently returned 10 Ma
Mia after several months imprisonment
and terrible hardship among the fiipinos.
II was Edward Burke Connors, son OF Mr..
and Mrs J. w. colnors. Of 800 Cherry
street Young Connors is a marine on the
battleship Oregon. He started his naval
work on the training ship Enterprise, at
Char.estown Mass, and after serving on
her for time, Joined the oregon Mt the
Brooklyn navy yard in Decernber, 1898. He
IS q years old, aud was born in Waitham,
Mass.
The marine has written a long letter I'M
der date OF January to his parents. In
which he describes the incidents OF his
four months imprisonment among the FIJI
'pinos He was with the party that steam
ed up the GRANT river, leaving Manila Sep
TENDER IL Of last year. On the way up
the water suddenly merged into shoal, and
the captain gave orders TO go astern at
fill speed; but the engineer misunderstood
the signal and ran ahead, showing the
ctaft onto a sand har.
scores OF Insurgents were in the woods.
ard In the afternoon opened nre on tne
boat. I'VE manned the guns, and stood
the insurgents of for over an hour pro-
ceeds the letter: hut at the end or that
time two OF our guns had played out, and
two of our men had been wounded. the
gun, and was not three feet away. load
ing hoppers when he dropped like log
j carried him into the gangway and wash
ed the pace M his side where he had
been hit"
The crew was then given orders to leave
the ship in the small boats. Four men and
the captain took the only boat and pushed
of, giving the others, including Connors,
orders to destroy the guns and make the
other side OF the river by swimming The
four men in the boat were killed by the
Filipinos, and the captain died on the way
across the river. Connors and his com
Insurgents and taken prisoners
''As soon az we landed" proceeds the
letter, eve were tied up and should have
been boloed had not an officer who had
more humanity than the others protested,
and stopped the angry mob Of soldiers. We
were then. marched to the town OF Orani
whore we were kept for the night. Then
We were fed. given dollar. and started
for the fnsurgent capital, called Tarlac. On
Tho way we were kept at Porac for eight
days. After remaining at Tarlac two and
half days We were sent TO san Carlos
where we were kept four days. receiving
the best OF treatment
'iAt the end OF that time twentyrfour
more American prisoners were brought in.
and the governor OF the province. thinking
he had too many to keep In one town. de-
cfded to divide us into bodies of four and
distribute us among different towns In the
province. Three OF ns blueiackets and a
arrived November 3, and were kept ten
DAYS, when ten more Americans Joined us,
and we were started for the mountains,
as the Americans were pressing the Fiji
ginns hard
"tfp to this time we had received the best
OF treatment; but now II all stopped. and
they could not seem TO do enough to make
US miserable We we're marched from Mo-
vemher Is until the 10Th, harefooted and
half-clnthed, over the worst kind OF roads.
ana considered ourselves In luck II we
go two meals OF rice day and n piece
OF meat, however small, once week, on
the 2ath we were taken into a town called
Banaues. where we met Lieut.. Gilmore
and hia gang ~ thirteen. who were In jail.
ave were promptly showed into jail with
them. and kept there unttil the morning
OF December 8. when the Fiiipinos learn
Ing that our troops were advancing upon
the town, marched Va away under n guard
OF City men, with fixed hayonets and load
tnrnpteS 10 escape. We marched all day
and hair the Might with scarcely anything
90 eat no shoes or clothes until the even
ms Of the 10Th. when the Filipino lieuten-
ant who had charge OF us said he had or
ders from his general TO kin us. but that
he did not have the heart to DO H. He
said he was going Ia leave us there In the
mountains TO our fate. We asked him for
some guns 10 protect rs from the savages
hut he declined, SAYING he expected these
Wild mon 70 do his work for him. And
then he loft w."
The remainder OF the letter Is an inter
eating description OF the hard trip OF
these unfortunate men until they were
found by their fellows, and went down the
river. ard thence IN transport TO Manila
where thcy arrived January &