The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-10
THE ESCAPE
OF AGlJINALD0.
Exciting Chase After the Filipino
Chief.
FULTON BOY WRITES HOME.
The Willy AguinaIdo Disguised Himself id
Woman's Clothing and Got Away.
How the Towns Are
Taken.

An interesting letter has been received
~ u either of Fulton from John Llnck,
a Fulton boy, who is a member of Com
pany X United States Infantry, which
is in the Philippines. Mr.. Linck writes
from Cavite Viego, I.uzon Island under
date of January 18th and says: The
rainy season is over and actual pursuit
of Aguinaldo is on in earnest. We are at
present making roundups-that is, sur
round a town. capture every man, search
all the houses and take all contrabands
of war. The movement to a town is
made at night, and at the first break Of
dawn we close in on the town and search
it. Several nights we surrounded the town
/ am now in, and, with the aid of Il ma
tive spy. we captured 165 men, including
three majors. four Iieutcnants, four cap
tains and one inspecting officer.
1t is just as much fun to make these
captures it was when we used to go
o'possum hunting at night near Dutch
Gap. All officers of high rank that are
captured are sent to the Island of Guam
as exiIes. On the morning of January
18th my company AMI several other COM
panies of the Fourth Infantry and three
troops of the Fourth Cavalry, with de-
tachment of the native police (who had
obtained the information that ASu1naldo
was visiting his mother at her residence.
in the little town of Binacayon, about
one and one-hnlf miles from Cavite Vie
Eo), where ordered a secret march.
1t was not until we had surrounded the
little fishing village, situated on Il point
of land projecting out in the bay, that
we learned of our mssion-that is to cap
ture the cunning chieftain.
The native police begged to be allowed
to proceed to capture him.
Give us two American soldiers they
pleaded. and we will go at once to the
house and capture him, while we know
he is there
EVERY HOUSE SEARCHED.
The mission was TOO an important one
20 be left in the hands of few men. At
daybreak the party advanced, surrounded
the little village and drove everything in
front of them no distinction being made
of age or sex: every house was searched
and the inmates ordered to turn
out and join the roundup.
When the house occupied by Sonora
Aguinaldo fhis motherl was reached the
uproar of the hunt had already awakened
the household. The invalid mother was
the calmest member OF the party, al
though She needed rot to be told the
object of the visit. but questions pro-
pounded TO her were received in silence.
-NOlIiliS Coi-J nc ltGliittt from Tie llOuSc-
hold as to the Whereabouts OF the OBJ
ject of SO many fruitless searches. The
inmates of the village (,Een. women and
children) were driven to Cavite Viego,
where they were made to pass under the
gaze OF those who knew them; namely,
the native police. Women and children
were passed rapidly through the ring
with little scrutiny. The men then were
passed under the line, and when (, face
appeared that had given trouble before
he was given to the guards with fixed
bayonets to be sent to the guard-house.
This was continued down to the last
man. Among those captured was Colo
mel Candida Bait, an eX-insurgent of high
standing, who had taken the oath of allie
glance to the United States and had since
lived at Cavite Viego, who was suspected
as aiding Aguinaldo in his escape. After
several hours of hard work, the guard
heard him say that he had held con-
ference with Aguinaldo at his mothers
residence.
DISGUISED AS A WOMAN.
In the search at the house several ar
ticles of clothing indicated his method of
escape-in the guise of a woman-thouSh
nothing could be CLEANED as to the hour
of the escape. 1t was probably during
the hurried scrutiny of the women.
The failure was a disappointment to
all, but to none so bitter as the COM
mander Of the expedition. Capt. Browne,
manlike, shoudered the responsibility
and, tears in his eyes, he cried: 1t was
all my fault"
Among those captured was Aguinaldo
Muchacho tbody servanD, who was very
reticent about the escape OF his master,
until he was certain he had not been Ia
ken. Threats, rewards, persuasions and
;J1j 70 hi ia oil
his master escaped. Several days ago, un-
der promises of secrecy TO friend, he
told the following story:
HIS SERVANTS STORY.
For months we have been in the
midst of the Americans and they have
not suspected us. My master has even
spoke with American soldiers! Block !
heads! to be fooled SO easily and often. |
When my master was wounded, IN Sep
tember we wrapped him in mating and
floated him down the river past the |
who thought it was q dead
body
For months we stayed among the |
waiting for master to recover
from his wounds as he could not travel. |
Then we started for Manila, travelling by |
lay with a few ponies and bags OF rice,
always stating when stopped by Amerl- |
IAN officers that we were going to market. [
We have been in San Nicolas and linus |
many times and my master has seen his |
invalid mother many times. How the |
Americans found out that we were TO |
visit his mother l do not know. Some |
onc betrayed us and he will be punished
for it. At midnight we knew that we |
had been betrayed, and the Americans |
we're upon US. If they had advanced upon
heir arrival, my master would have been
Master tried to rea CHI the river, |
,ut the soldiers were between him and
he river. His invalid mother begged |
lin to hide in the WELL No, he said, !
will not be taken like a lizard out of |
he mud. He suddenly shouted to his |
mother to bring one of her garments. as
can be a bonita senorita (pretty Girl) |
.o-night. He put the garment on and
wrapped himself up closely, as if suffer |