The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-02-16

Continued from Fourth rage.
aud leave d handsome surplus for the
American government later Oh. The
food was all that could be desired, the
natives cooking it in their own fashion.
und obtaining a plentiful supply. a
military band was to be found here,
mud il was a band Of no little note, be-.
cause 1t was the child Of the gallant
Major Bean Of the Thirteenth Mime
sofa. Our military prisoners were
placed in this prison, also, apart from
tho natives, pending their %transporta-
ton to the United States. Spanish
thrift endeavured to run up against
Uncle Sam. and after the investigation
Of the trumped up charges against the
natives had been made, Uncle Sam
started into to do a little Investigating
OH his " account and found that the
communicate Of the prison. together
with bis lieutenants. had not been do
ing a thing but classifying the records
10 the tune Of something like $50, 900.
The government didn't do a thing to
these fellows but compel their bonds.
men, under the Spanish law, to make
good their deficiency and to give each
one Of them ten years in the prison
where they heretofore had had such
high times all by themselves.
Returning To the city Of old Manila,
we found, as | said last week, the gov.
eminent officers, colleges, converts,
artillery depot and cathedral. The
churches had been utilized for the care
of 5000 Spanish prisoners that mad
stacked their arms in front of the Enl.
noe. They didn't seem to be having q
very hard time Of 1T, inasmuch as the
government furnished them the same
rntions that were furnished the Ameri.
can soldiers, and these poor, misguid-
ed fellows said that the first food that
they had had since they left their home
in sunny Spain was that that had been
provided by the American people. AT
first it was difficult to distinguish a
Spanish officer from a Spanish soldier,
but as it became more and more ap.
parent that the people Of the United
States were divided in their sentiment,
the arrogance Of the officer began to
manifest itself. First came the, straps
aud the various insignia Of their office,
and then, as the utterances of some
men such as Senator Hoar or Pettigrew,
or the writings Of Mr.. Atkinson Of
Boston. were cabled across and became
common property in the Spanish pap.
ers published at Manila, the natural
arrogance Of the officer manifested 1t.
self as against the soldier and the
American officer who was his equal in
rank. They would crowd the narrow
sidewalks; they would jostle the sol.
diers or the officer, whether in the
hotels or on the streets. II an Ameri-
can officer happened to sit down at
the same table in a public restaurant,
the Spanish iabber would indicate
that he was a very unwelcome visitor.
A single instance that occurred in the
Paris restaurant, at that time the prin.
oipal one Mt Manila, when an American
non commissioned officer, we'll versed in
Spanish. sat down OF a table at the
same time with some four or five
Spanish officers. The DON was full,
1t being a popular resort Tor military
men Of the Spanish army. They be.
gan to pass some remarks not to the
credit of Americans, when suddenly.
with the back Of his hand, the Ameri-
can officer slapped the man that was
alongside of HIM, and, in most excel
lent Spanish. told the other three that
II they would not desist he would do
the same thing to them. and place them
under arrest for reasonable u%tterances
in an American city. The one whom
he had assaulted was indignant and
Immediately there was al uproar in the
restaurant, but the American had
plenty of friends that were about him.
and had 1t come to IN open rupture
there would have been q warm thing
or two in that restaurant. Needless to
say, after this one outbreak, a Spaniard
was unwilling to talk, even IN Spanish,
il there happened to be any American
where he was. 1t was the same way in
the streets until finally forgetting the
n~atuarl dignity that attaches to an
American private or officer, the Ameri-
can would keep his eye straight in
front of him and, like a battering ram,
would go straight through any of these
little knots, and 1t was often l%aughable
to soc the Spaniard picking up his hat
from the gutter or brushing some dirt
from Off his clothing, when he had been
spilled out into the road by the impet.
uous American attending strictly to his
business, going OH his way rejoicing.
"The Spanish prisoners, together
with the officers. were compelled to be
in the walled city Of old Manila nfter 8
O'Clock in the evening, inasmuch as the
American soldier was supposed to BIO in
his quarters after Z. These men were
allowed to enjoy themselves, aud had
the freedom Of the city during the
whole Of the day. and 1t Ia needless to
say that comparatively few Of them