Arizona republican., 1900-07-30


 out and shortly after daylight came we met a band of ladrones in rice field q short distance from thls place. In numbers we were equally divided. There were only twenty of us mounted on American horses. We rode up With in about 100 yads of them before they discovered our presence. We drew otir six-shooters and charged them. They started to run, but there was no place for them to hide, except in some tall grass on the border of a small stream near them, and that was small security. The most of them lay down and be- gan to shoot. The scouts rushed in among them like a flash of lightning; the bullets were like hail; the ladrones fought like fiends. The fight Was 3il over in a very few minutes. The scouts rode around over the little battle field watching the blood gushing from the ladrones' bodies; beside, or near each one was gun. which they tried SO har1 to beat us back with.
 l see by the papers that occasionally reach us that there is a great deal of written comment in the states on the way war is carried on in the Philip pines and undoubtedly a great deal of it is caused by letters from here. Such accounts as I have written you do not sound much like we were fighting for humahity's sake. but the people in the states dp not understand the situation here or the class of people they are trying to rid these islands of I don't think there ever was tribe or band of Indians in America that was more cruel or treacherous than the Malay bands of thieves, robbers and murderers that We have to deal with here on these islands. They do hot confine their depredations to Americans or other foreign people that are here. but rob and kill their own people. Just two days past there Were, two Chinamen boloed Gin other words, all cut to pieces) and tied to- gether, floating down the river past here. One of the Chinamen has a dry goods store in this town. His brother has now fallen heir to it. Is it cruel to hunt down and kill fiends that cut and mangle women and children with their bolos to make them show where the few Gf any) coins they may have are secreted?
 To be taken prisoner by them means horrible death by torture.
 The better class that cast their for tunes oh the aide of the insurrection have become disguised at the horrible crimes and robberies that they are committing and many of them are giv> ingN what help to the Americans they can. l suppose that there is less strife on these islands now than there has been for years. These islands have been noted for their Malay pirates and ban dits since their earliest discovery. but If the war department will continue to allow the Americans the privileges they have now they will soon exterminate the bandits. There is rumor that one Of the Worst cutthroats that ever roamed this island has been captured. and will arrive here today. He has. within the past four months. been charged with more than fifty rapes and murdered more than 100 of his own race in the same time.
 think 1 have said enough about these people for one letter. There have been many letters written by soldiers to their friends in the states complain ing of their hardships and ill treat ment. Some complain about their hard duty, others about their food, others about the hot weather Git is pretty warm, in. fact it is mighty warm). I read letter that had been written by a soldier who had only been here a few days. He wrote a glowing description Of these islands. I knew his regiment had not been out of the Qualifications at Manila. He finished his letter by say ing: T have not been in any very hard battles yet. I will try and bring a monkey home.with me when I come. if I can" He will probably get the monkey all right, for there are plenty of them here. I doubt if he or his | friends ever have a very hard battle Not unless they leave the trenches at Manila (where there has not been a skirnish since I have been on the ! island). Those that are continuously chewing the rag over here do the army no good, nor themselves. either think it would be better for all parties | if the humanitarians in the United | States would quit their everlasting jab- bering about things that not one in 5OC know any thing about We are better fed, clothed, and quartered than any army in the field ever has been. In due 1 time there will be absolute peace or these islands and I hope by that time | the anti-expansionists too will have | crawled back in their holes.
 This writing paper we captured re gently from a depositary of Aguinaldo'. | personal property. There was nothing | that I cared to take as a souvenir tha
 was not too bulky. We each got pail 1 of Spanish spurs and enough khaka cloth to make two suits of clothes w | brought thirty-four pack-mule load
 out of the mountains and burned mucl
 more. The depository was in the noun
 taines about fifty miles from here. I
 was through a native spy that W,
 learned of it's location.
 I expect to join my company in a fey
 days. My company is located on tn
 coast of the China sea and the nortl
 end of this island, about 400 miles iron
 here l will probably go from here l. ! Manila fa he