Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-10
,FunSt0n'S Execution OF
Two Scouts
IS TO BE INVESTIGATED
Liquor Drinking in the Philippines
The Administration Defended
The Question of More Troops Has
Been Raised.

Manila. April 9, 500 a. m.-An interest
ing topic of conversation in army circles
is the investigation of Brigadier General
Frederick Funston's execution of two
Filipinos n the possibility of a court
martial resulting therefrom. The story
is that the Filipinos captured three Maca-
bebe scouts who We're crossing the
try near San Isidro and We're preparing
to kill them when one of the Macabebes
escaped and found General Funston with
a scouting party near. This man guided
the Americans to the rescue Of his COM
panions and when the troops appeared
the Filipinos fled. leaving the Macabebes.
Several of the Filipinos We're shot and
General Funston captured two of them.
took them to the village square and hang
ed them without trial, as a warning to
the Filipinos.
The present method of warfare and in
stances of the mutilation Of prisoners
have incensed the American soldiers to
such a degree that they feel justified in
making reprisals, which has been done on
several occasions recently.
There is a strong feeling among the
residents and friendly Filipinos that the
Chinese General Pana, who, as announc-
ed March lj, SuTIeIuerou 10 bIlSduicT
General Kobbe after terrOrizing the prov
ince of Panay, should be severely punish
e.. 1t is pointed out hat his career has
been more that of a brigand than a SOL
der, as he looted and extorted money by
torture from worthy natives n burned
alive some Of his followers who intended
to desert him. 1t is believed Pana sur
rendered because he feared his own men,
and he expected to be paroled, like other
officers, and enjoy the fruits of his brig
andage.
Washington. April "A defense of the
administration Of affairs at Manila is
contained in a report just made to the
war department by Chaplain c. c. Pierce.
This officer particularly antagonizing the
morals of the American troops in the
Philippines. making charges of whole
sale in~toxication and telling of the enor-
nous increase in the number of liquor
drinking saloons in Manila.
The chaplain declares that the figures
as to the number of saloons have been
perverted; that the American saloon
took the place of an untold number OF
native gin shacks which dispensed liquor
poison With d~eplorable effect upOn the
American troops and that the substitu-
ton of the regimental canteens resulted
in an Improvement in the sobriety of the
troops. Chaplain Pierce also speaks in
terms of praise of the reformation of
sanitary cOnulIlOnS III Mania resulting IN
the general Improvement of health.
Washington, April 9~.--Adjutant General
Ccrbin said to-day regarding the dispatch
from Manila, which stated that reinforce
ments had been requested by Generals
Young and Bell of General Otis: 1T is a
fact that l have learned that such rein
forcements nave been requested of Otis.
No official notice has been given ME re-
gaIding this matter, but | can state that
the forces under Young and Bell are in
adequate. General Bell, in particular is
greatly in need of troops. and I have
heard through direct sources that his OPP
erations, owing to the lack of troops.
have been greatly hampered time and
ii q again."
Genera Corbin went on to say that
Otis has directly under his command
more men than he really needs, and that
beyond all probability the requests of
Young and Bell will be Immediately
granted n that they would b. supplied