The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-27
III Story OF Be Flag
I'm De Philippines
$3.50 aAskN AM.ksaMa -


Manila Correspondence of the Globe.
The first American flag. nay, the only
nag carried across Luzon from coast to
coast was carried by ST. Paul boy. 1t
is now highly priced relic In the pos
session of Col. Hare,yof the Thirty-third
regiment. This unique flag was made by
two Americans while prisoners Of ire
Filipinos at Victoria, province of Tar
lac
William Langford, st. Paul boy, who
has had an adventurous career for the
past ten years, was captured by Filipinos
N July, 81, while attempting to reach
Manila from Bulacan by night With
three companions and two native boat
men, he left Eulacan in native canoe
about 6:S0 p. M, expecting to reach Ma
Mia by daybreak after an exciting
nights run through insurgent territory.
The native boatmen proved treachcfous,
however, and ran into an ambush pre-
pared for the reception of the adventurous
Americans. In the unequal fight that
ensued four against sixty, the treacher-
Gus amigos met with their Just reward
but one American was shot through the
head and instantly killed, and one cap
tured. Langford, although wounded in
the leg, desperately stuck to the canoe,
trying to run the deadly gauntlet with
the bleeding body of his comrade
The odds Were too great. The canoe
was riddled with shot and he was com
PEELED to leave it. and swim the river,
first, however. Killing an insurgent
lieutenant. Landing upon the opposite
bank, he was joined by one other of the
party and together they managed to
eVadc their foes that night.
RUN DOWN AND CAPTURED.
Next morning, lost in the traclzless
sWamps ami unarmed, they were run
down and captured. They We're soon
stripped of all their valuables the natives
being highly pleased at the discovery Of
$1,000 on Langfords person
After suffering untold hardships In the
sWamps, escaping twice and being re-
captured, they were finally sent to Vic
toria, eight miles from Tarlac, the in
surgent capital. Early In October, four
teen fortunate prisoners were paroled and
sent into Manila, among them being the
two companions of Langford. For him,
however, they seemed to hold a special
srudge and his eyer busy brain soon
planned reVolt.s643y the end of October
twenty-one American prisoners were
gathered together IN Victoria. and Lang
ford was elected aehfef With the as
sistance of Corporal Gordon, of the Third
infantry he made an. American flag out
Of ell sorts of material they could Law
hands on. The plan TO seize the in
surgent block house; hoist the American
| flag, burn the town and hold out until
| rescued by the Advancing troops of Gen.
Lawton, was well conceived and would
have proven successful but for three
American dsserters in the party. Learn
ing Of the plot and knowing what fate
would be theirs if it succeeded, they
FASTENED to give information to Gen
Macabulos. The consequence was Lang.
ford and his party were marched out Of
town that night. heavily guarded, en-
route for the mountains. Days and nights
Of marching followed, climbing noun
tains, fording rivers footsore, weary and
starving and still Langford kept possess
sion of the precious flag, emblem of lis
erty, but which he knew would cost him
his life If discovered in its hiding place
around his waist Thanksgiving eve the
little party, Tow dwindled to twelve men
reached Bengued, an insurgent stronghold
and the prison of Lieut. Gilmore and his
party of thirteen.
CHEERS IN THE JAIL.
You can imagine the meeting in the old
jan and the cheers that were given at
sight of the old flag 1.-THE flag for which
they had fought and suffered and which
some of them had not seen for almost
year. Their stay, however, was
short in that boosted stronghold. as the
victorious Americans, advancing from
Vigan, drove everything before them.
TerTor-stricken, the cowardly insurrec-
tors flee before the avenging troops,
dragging with them their helpless cap
tives, whose lives were now an endless
misery. Living on horseflesh, at times
deyouring it raw, sometimes unable to
get even that, compelled to live on roots,
grass and belriesh they were in des-
perate condition. % Langford's faith was
still firm and, cheering his comrades on
with visions of the old flag leading them
on to liberty, he attempted to make a
desperate stand against his captors
Weakened in BODY and spirit, however,
the majority of them broke down before
the fearful odds. rsI45angford and the ever
faithful Gordon, who attempted to see it
out, were soon staring down the muzzles
of score Of rilesr7expecting every in
slant to hear them belch forth their
doom. A bolo cut back of the head