The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1900-01-12
RESCUED PRISONERS.
Lieutenant Gilmore Tells a Thrill
ling Story of Captivity.

RESCUED PRISONERS.
Lieutenant Gilmore Tells a Thrill.
ling Story of Captivity.
Manila, Jan. 7.-Lieutenant ]. C. Gill
more, OF the United States gunboat
Yorktown, who was captured by the in
surgents last April near Baler, on the
| coast Of LuzOn, and rescued few days
| ago by Colonel Luther r. Hare, of the
Ihlrty-third volunteer infantry, sat to-
day in the apartment of his sister, the
wife OF Major Price, at the Hotel Oriente.
in Manila, and told a remarkable story
OF his eight months in captivity, ending
with his dramatic deliverance from a
death that seemed inevitable.
The steamer Venus came into the har
Dor last evening from Vigan, province of
South llOcOs, with Lieutenant Gilmore
and 19 other American prisoners. includ
ing seven of his sailors from the York
town. Lieutenant Gilmore, after re-
porting, came ashore and hobbled along
with the aid Of cane to the Hotel
Oriente, where American officers and
ladies were waltzlng through the halls to
the strains of "Aguinaldo's March"
Although tanned and ruddy from ex-
posure, he is weak and nervous, show
ing the results OF long hardships. He
speaks warmly Of Agunaldo and very
bitterly against General TinO, declaring
that while in the formers Jurisdiction he
was treated splendidly, but that after he
fell into TinO's hands he suffered everv-
thing.
Colonel Hare and Lieutenant Colonel
Howse, the latter of the Thirty-fifth vol
unteer infantry, rescued Gillmore's party
on December 8, near the headwaters OF
the Abalut river, after they had been
abandoned by the Filipinos and we're
expecting death from the savage tribes
around them. When the rescuing force
reached them they were nearly starved,
but were building RATS in the hope of
getting down the river to the coast.
Orders to Kill Them All.
Lieutenant Gilmore made the follow
ing statement to correspondent of the
Associated Press: The FiipinOs aban-
dOned US on the night OF December 16.
We had reached the Abalut river near it's
source that morning and the Filipinos
RATED US over. We then went down the
stream along a rough trail, guarded by
a company Of Filipinos. That night we
were separated from this guard and an
other company, armed with Mausers,
was put in charge of us. | suspected
something and questioned the leuten-
ant in command. He said: 81 have
orders from General Tino to shoot you
all, but my conscience forbids. | shall
leave you here"
81 begged for two rifles to protect us
from savages, adding that | would give
him letters to the Americans, who would
pay him well and keep him from all
harm. He refused this, however, saying
he We Nld not dare to comply. Soon
afterwurd he left with his company. We
had seen some savages in war paint
around us and we prepared to fight them
with cObble stones, the only weapons
that we're available to us. The next
morning we followed the trail of the
Filipino soldiers, feeling that it was bet
ter to stick to them than be murdered
by savages, but we could not catch up
with them. Then [ ordered the men to
build RATS in the hope OF floating down
the river. 1t was forlorn hope, but |
knew the river must empty into the sea
somewhere. | was so weak myself that
| did not expect to get out, but | thought
some of the men could. On the morn
ing of December IS, while we were work
ing the rafts, the Americans came to-
ward US, yelling: One of my men shouted
They are after u.s. He was lashing
bamboos. | knew it was the yell of
Americans. The rescuing troops thought
we had Filipino guards and called to US
in English to lie down so they could
shoot the Filipinos. That was the finest
body OF officers and men [ ever saw"
Lieutenant Gilmore could not speak
enthusiastically enough about the 40
picked men who had rescued him and his
party.
The command spent the day in max
ing RATS. Colonel Hare thought Lieut..
Gilmore too weak to live through the
trip, but there was no alternative. They
shot many rapids, the men losing all
their effects and Lieutenant Gilmore
somesvaluable papers. Olly IA out of
| 81 rats survived the first night of the
| experience, and 80 men were practically
unable to walk when Tigan was reached.
Half Starved by Captors.
Describing the fight from Bangued
when the Americans appeared, Gilmore
said: 'The Filipinos, completely terri
fed, left December Z. They hurried the
prisoners from town to town, often re-
tracing the trail, not knowing where the
Americans would attack. After being
almost without food for three days, they
killed several horses and we lived on
horsefesh for several days. I did not
have full meal from December Z until ]
reached Figan. Indeed, the rescuing
party lived largely upon rice without
salt. There was one day, when l wal
reduced to chewing grass and bark
| While we were in the hands of Genera