The semi-weekly messenger., 1900-06-08

Vlgan, LuZon, June 2, (Vla Manila,
June 3)-Some of Major March's SOL
diers who have returned to Vigan tell
a circumstantial story of the killing or
wounding on May 10th at Lagat, by
detachment of the Thirty-third infan-
try, of a Filipino officer believed to
be Aguinaldo. The body was removed
by natives.
Aguinaldo had 100 men; Major March
125 The American commander on May
7th reached Leboagan, where Aguinal-
do had made his headquarters since
March 9Th. Aguinaldo had fled seven
hours before, leaving all the beaten
trails and travelling through the forest
along the beds of streams. Toward
evening May 10Th Major March struck
Aguinaldo's outpost about mile out
side of Lagat, killing four Filipinos
and capturing two. From the latter
he learned that Aguinaldo had camp
ed there for the night.
Although exhausted and half starv-
ed, Major March's men entered Lagat
on the run. They saw the natives
scattering into the bushes or over the
plateau. A thousand yards beyond the
town, on the mountain side, the figures
of % Filipinos, dressed in white with
their leader on a gray horse, were sill
houetted against the sunset. The
Americans fired a volley and saw the
officer drop from his horse. His fol-
lowers fled, carrying the body.
The Americans, on reaching the spot,
caught the horse, which was richly
saddled. Blood from a badly wounded
man was on the animal and on the
ground. TIE saddlebags contained
Aguinald2's diary and some private
papers, Including proclamations. One
of these was addressed: ITO the civ
ilized Nations" 1t protested against
the American occupation Of the Phil
ippines. There were also found copies
of Senator Beveridge'S speech, trans
lated into Spanish and entitled "The
Death Knell of the Filipino People
Major March, believing that the
Filipinos had taken to a river which
is tributary to the Chico, followed it
for two days, reaching Tiao, where ne
learned that a party of Filipinos had
descended the river May 2Oth on a
raft with body Of dead or wound
ed man upon a litter covered with palm
leaves.
There Major March reviewed his
command, shoeless and exhauted, and
picked outa24 of the freshest men, with
whom he beat the sounding country
for six days longer but without find
ing any trace of the Filipinos. The
Americans pushed on and arrived at
Aparri May 29th.
The officer shot was either Aguinal-
do or his adjutant, and as the horse
was richly caparisoned, it is fair
presumption that it was Aguinaldo
The soldiers of General Young, mill
tary governor of Northwestern LuZon,
captured early last month a native Of
ficer with papers revealing Aguinaldo's s
wereabouts. General Young imme-
diately organized for pursuit giving
Major March a chance to finish the
work begun in November. Major
March left Candon May 10th, hurrying
north toward Laboagan, while Colo
mel Hare with a battalion divided into
two parts, started from Rangued, Pro-
vince of Abra, covering the trails west
ward. The garrisons in the Cagayan
were disposed in such a way as to
guard the avenues of escape eastward
Spies heralded the approach of Major
March with signal fires. On reaching
Aguinaldo's handwriting, the ink Of
which was hardly dry, addressed to
an officer of guerriilas in the Filipino
army, and saying:
There having arrived this morning
at Laboagan a hostile column from
Bokoc. I have set out with all my
forces. My roa has no fixed desti-
nation
This was signed "Colonel David a
sobriquet. Aguinaldo called at the
Presidencia from which he issued de-
crees and speeches were made eulo-
gizing Gregorio del Pillar
issued DEGREES and speeches were made
eulogiZing Gregorio del Pillar
That night Major March'S men slept
in the bamboo, resuming the advance
in the morning and reaching Lagat,
40 miles distant, in two days, although
it was raining hard in the mountains
all the time.
Aguinaldo's papers are important.
They show that he took refuge in Isa-
bella Province, where he remained un-
til he established himself at Laboagan,
Province of Abra, where the proposed
to direct the rainy season operations