The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-10-10
ORIGINAL
LETTERS
Guy r. Osborne Admits That
He Lied.
In His Stories About the LoOtlHg Of Private
Property In the Philippines Several
Months Ago.

The stories published at Salem from
Guy Osborne, an enlisted man in the
naval service, reciting looting Of churches
aud private property by United States
soldiers and marines are proven by the
department upon investigation to be
without foundation. The tales were
from an irresponsible young man who
had served a term IN the Reform echoo
and should never have been credited
The first letter of date Sept. %, 1900, IL
from A. w. Crowninshield, chief of the
bureau OF navigation to Geo. F. Sly oI
of this city as follows:
Replying 10 your letter OF April 9Th
1900, the Bureau encloses herewith, foI
your information, copies Of letter from
Guy X. Osborne and from the Command
ing Officer of the U. S. S. PARAGUA,
wberefrom IL appears that the letter OF
Guy X. Osborne published in the" Oregon
Statesman" of April 4th, 1900, was not
in accordance with the facts.
Then lie given letter signed "Guy
X. Osborne, Ids, U. S. S. Helena,
Iloilo, Panay Island, p. l., as follows:
Referring to my letter published in the
"Oregon Statesman" copy OF which
was forwarded by the Navy Department
IN the Commanding Officer OF the
Paragua for report, l acknowledge that
the letter was written for home letter
solely and that part which refers TO
looting done in Nueva Caceres by my.
self and others 10 not true. The few
trinkets | have we're given me by
soldier friends and are of no value.
have always regarded them as curios.
The correspondence concludes with u
letter from A. Althouse, Lieutenant, U.
s. N, commanding U. S. s. Paragua,
dated Iloilo, P. l., June IS, 1900, as fol-
lows:
Referring TO the Departments letter
number 2l3,63l and accompanying
newspaper clipping and endorsement, l
have the honor TO report that after n
full investigation of the matter contained
therein, find as follows:
!. That the author of the letter pub
lished in the "Oregon Statesman" Guy
X. Osborne, Ids. U. 3. N. at the mast,
after listening TO the letter read TO him,
did state before witnesses that he wrote
IL, but that he had endeavOred TO make
a good story rather than tell the PLAIN
truth aud the facts OF the case. He adj
milted the ialsity Of each and every item
r, garding the looting.
2. That a search OF his bag, ham mock, 4,
d tty-box, and other be ongjrg < evealed
but two rOsaries and several photos,
which may or may not have been taken
from Nueva Caceras, but which he
LII a.. s.sNl Ia
given him as curios by tho soldiers.
Their intrinsic value is apparently moth
ing.
3. That after questioning each mem
ber OF the crew of the Paragua, am un.
able 10 obtain any evidence either recog.
nizing these articles or connecting
Osborne with the theft OF them.
4. That il developed in the question
ing OF the crew that they had seen other
letters OF his IN his home papers which
were as false as this, though not Of such
a far.reaching character
3. That know from my own knowl.
edge that his statement is false because
my men were never really i'm the town
OF NueYa Caceras, but in small barrio
of the town on the river hank, and my
assistant, Naval-Cadet +. u. Horne, U.
s N, was with them practically all the
time, and because further that upon
their return TO the ship, after the arrival
OF the fret battalion OF troops, they were
individually inspected by me and
brought on board but one old Winches.
ter shotgun and few war Solos.
u, A written acknowledgment OF the
falsity of his statements in the letter is
Z. The papers in the case are here
with returned.