The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-10

mander that he should unite his forces
with those Of Datto Tito and march
against Maj. Brett and the American sol
diers at Cottabato and DattO Piang He
said he believed that by such "A union they
could wipe out Piang and the Moros. as
well as the American troops. and they
would then be supreme in this part Of
Mlndanao. As be spoke Datto Tito and
the other Moros present applauded aud
asserted. and they evidently all held To
the idea that Reynolds and Brett were
little independent dattos each OF whom
would gladly wipe out the other. our
officers In reply stated that such a com
binati0n was impossible; that all the
Americans were as brothers, and that
they wanted peace. not war. although
they were always ready to fight when
necessary.
Shortly after this the big mule wagon
was brought around and the dattos were
told that the troops hoped TO have the
honor OF driving them again TO their
boats. To this. however. old Datto Tito
decidedly objected and the others made
signs that they would rather walk than
be so taken up again. There was one OF
our warships in the harhor, and as they
left this gave them the honor OF parting
salute.
soldiers Butchered by the Noros.
II Is impossible for me to describe the
barbarity of our Moro fellow citizens.
IneN are IN many respects as savage as
any tribe of the African wilds. and |
prophesy that Uncle Sam will lose many
good American soldiers before he ha.
brought them within the pale Of his civil
iZation. Since the first part OF this letter
was written the report OF the first butch
cry has come to hand. The event hap
pened the other day on the island of Bon
gao, This island Is at the southwestern
end of the Sulu archipelago, within about
forty miles of Borneo. 1t is so small you
will need a large map to find 1t, but look
for the island of Twai Twai and you may
know that II Is just off the western end Of
II.
We have a company stationed at Bon
gao. the soldiers living In an old fort and
barracks there which were occupied by the
Spanards The Moros were supposed TO
be very friendly and the soldiers thought
nothing OF going OFF into the woods in
small parties TO FISH and hunt. They
mixed with the Moros and treated them
kindly. The other day a party of five Of
our soldiers had gone some miles away
from the camp on n hunt They stopped
near a Moro village. and while one of the
men took bath In the stream the other
four sat down on the bank and played
cards.
They stacked their guns near them and
were having pleasant game when ten
Moros armed with krises and barongs
came up The soldiers greeted them and
pointed to their cards. explaining what
they were playing. As they did SO one
OF the Moros gave signal and several
OF the others grabbed the guns and ran,
while the rest assaulted the soldiers with
their krses. In less than two minutes
they had cut them almost to pieces They
then ran away. taking the guns with
them.
How they came to leave the man in
the water do not know, but they did not
modest him. As soon as they had left
he came out He found that one OF the
soldiers had been cut into five pieces by
az many strokes Of a harong Another.
who was cut almost as bad. died az he
came up, and a third had been 80 cut
through the neck that nearly every cord
but the 1ugular vein had been severed,
ana the man was living only by holding
his head on with his hand The fourth
man was terribly wounded. The soldier
managed t. get the living and dead into
the boat and rowed them back 10 Bongau.
when no arrived there one Of the wound
ed men mad died and only one Of the
i've besides himself was alive This was
the man who held his head on The boat
Was half fuN of blood
The soldier told hits awful story and
force of men at once started after the
murderrrs. When they arrived at the
village the datto at FIRST hrsitated about
giving them up bat he finally lid 50
Tho guns were also found ana upnn A
2.
The soldiers took the murdervrs and
camped with them that night near the
village. intending % take them back IN
the morulnS They made them gu after
wood ana water for the camp, hut as
SOON as the Moros ucarcJ the woods they
tried 10 escape and every one ~ the Zen
was shot dead bS IN" guards I am told
that this attempt TO escape was genuine
one. but l doubt NOT the soldiers We're glad
of the chance 90 gave chem 70 aVeugo
the death 81 thrir comrades
where iifc IL Cheap.
Life SIS IN fact the chetpc@t thing IN
THIS part ot the world and DEATH can ne
had oo sHkht pruvocatiou / have not Set
heard OF the Maros having PRISONS "
lals. though thc, may have r1cu 7, ..
cheaper go ktU q msl tbsn to trrl h.m
in prison. Ssr ~ta,ks hcfc amt r. rr~ q .
the patto Eaqui hal a. prisoner >o ft--
tened az the time cur troop. fnoA posse
siou ~ the fort The usual 9uuishm. ut
for AN oyrn~s IS death
MOI bong aRn Datto MsnI .na g~e.t
Mato chief ot Western Mindana.. -.ut frr
one ot h- men e. App,sY aetary him