Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-01-08
GILMORE AT MANILA.
Tells of Great Crue|tyat Hands
Of tire Fi|ipinos.
Treated Well by AguinaIdo But Bru-
tally by General Tino;
Re.cuei When in Greit Danger AMI Moment
ar'y Expecting Deith.

Manila. Jan. $50 p M.-Lieut. J.
c. Gilmore Of the United States gun
boat Yorktown, who was captured by
the insurgents. last April. near BaIer
on the east coast of Luzon, and res
cucd a few days ago by Col. Luther r.
Hare of the 33rd Volunteer Infantry,
sat, today, in the apartment of his sis
ter, Mrs. Major Price, at the Hotel
Orientc. in Manila, and told remark
able story of his eight months captiv-
ity, ending with his dramatic deliver
ance from a death that seemed newt
able
The steamer Venus came into the
harbor. last evening, from Vigan, prov
ince of South Ilocos. with Lieut.. Gill
more and 10 other American prisoners,
including seven of his sailors from the
Yorktown. Lieut.. Gilmore. after re-
porting. came ashore and hobbled
along with the aid of a cane, to the
Hotel Oriente, where American officers
and ladies We're waltzing through the
halls to the strains Of 'Aguinaldo's
March,
Although tanned and rudy from
exposure. he is weak and nervous,
showing the results Of long hardships.
He speaks warmly Of Aguinaldo and
very bitterly against Gen Tino. de-
claring that while in the formers juris-
diction he was treated splendidly, but
that after he fell into Tino's hands he
suffered everything.
Col. Hare and Lieut.. Col. Howe. the
latter Of the 34th Infantry, rescued
Gilmore party. Dec u.s. near the head
waters OF the Abalut river after they
had been abandoned by the Filpinos
and We're expecting death from the
savage tribes around them. When the
rescuing force reached them they were
nearly starved, but We're building RATS
in the hope Of getting down the river
to The coast.
Lieut.. Gilmore made the following
statement to a correspondent of The
Associated Press:
The Filipinos abandoned us on the
night Of Dee. 1e. We had reached the
Abalut river near its source that morn
ing and the Flipinos RATED us over.
We then went down the stream. along
a rough trail guarded by a company
of F'ilipinos. That night we were sep
arated from this guard and another
armed with Mausers. were
put in charge Of us. | suspected some
thing and questioned the lieutenant in
He said: / have orders
from Gen. Tino to shoot you all. but
my conscience forbids. l shall leave
you here
Il begged him for two rifles to pro-
tect us from savages. adding that I
would give him letters to the Ameri-
eans who would pay him we'll and keep
him from all harm. He refused this,
however saying that he would not dare
to comply. Soon afterwards 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 were available to US.
The next morning we followed the trail
Of the Filipino soldiers. feeling that it
was better to stick to them than to
he murdered by Savages. but we could
not catch M with them. Then | or
iered 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 some
where | was 50 weak myself that l
lid not expect to get out, but | thought
some Of the men could.
ION the morning OF Dec. is, Wnile
wc We're working on the RATS. the
Americans came toward us yelling.
Dne of our men shouted: They are on
u.s. He was lashing a raft of bam-
DOCS. |. however. knew it was not the
veil of savages but the yell of Ameri-
ans. The rescuing troops thought we
had Filipino guards and called to us
IN English to lie down SO that they
could shoot the FilipinOs. That was
The finest body of officers and men 1
-ver saw"
Lieut. Gilmore could not speak enthusi-
stically enough about the 40 picked men
Who had rescued him and his party. The
'ommlnd spent the day in making RATS.
'ul. Hare thought Lieut.. Gilmore too
weak - live through the trip, but there
vas no alternative. They shot many
apids. the men losing all their effects
ma Lieut. Gilmore some valuable papers.
lnly IA out Of 81 RATS survived the first
lights experiences and 50 men were prac-
ically unable to walk when Nigan was
cached
Describing the flight from Benguet
when the Americans approached, Lieut..
fillmore said:
The Fiipinos. completely terrified, left
5enguet. Dec :. They hurried the pris-
ncrs from town to town. often retracing
Continued on page 50