The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-04-06
FUNsToN's STORY.
me Daring General Tells of the Cap
ture of Agufnaldo-A Well-Laid
and Clever Plan.

| Thursday, made the following state
ment concerning the capture OF the
Filipino leader:
The confidential agent Of Aguinaldo ar
rived February q at Pantabangan. In the
province of Nueya Ecija, northern Luzon.
with letters dated January II. IL and H.
These letters were from Emilio Aguinaido
| and directed Baldermero Aguinaldo ia
take command of the provinces of Central
Luzon. supplanting Gen. Alejandrino.
| Emilio Aguinaldo also ordered that lo1
men be sent him as soon as possible, say.
| Ing that the bearer of the letters would
guide these men to where Aguinaldo was.
Gen. Funston secured the correspondence
| Of Aguinaldo's agent and laid his plans
accordingly. Some months previously nd
had captured the camp Of the insurgent
general Lacuna. incidentally obtaining La
| cuna's seal. official papers and auantty
of signed correspondence. From this ma
| terial two letters were constructed, osten-
| sibly from Lacuna to Aguinaldo. One o.
these contained information as to the prog
| ress of the war. The other asserted that.
pursuant to orders received from BaAer-
nero Aguinaldo. Lacuna was sending MS
best company to President Emilio Agui-
naldo.
His plans completed and approved, Gen.
Funston came to Manila and organized ms
| whom spoke Tagalog fuently. Twerty
wore insurgent uniforms. and the others
| the dress of Filipino laborers. This Maca-
bebe company, armed with 90 Mausers,
| Is RemingtoEs and ten Krag-Jorgensens,
was commanded by Capt. Russell T. Haz-
| zard. Of the Eleventh United States volun-
| teer cavalry. With him was his brother.
| Lieut.. oliver p. M. Hazard. of the same
| regiment. Capt. Harry w. Newton. Thir-
| ty-fourth infantry. was taken because
| of his familiarity with Casigurapf bay.
and Lieut.. Burton j. Mitchell Fortieth
| infantry, went as Gen. Funston's aid
| These were the only Americans accompany
| ing the leader OF the expedition. with the
Macabebes were four ex-insurgent officers.
| one being Spaniard and the other three
| Tagalos, whom Gen. Funston trusted i'm
plicitly. Gen. Funston and the officers
wore plain blue shirts and khaki trousers.
| They carried each half blanket, but
wore no insignia of rank. The Macabebes
were carefully instructed to obey the or
ders OF the four ex-insurgent officers.
On the night of March the party en-
| barked on the United States gunboat Ficks-
| burg. 1t was originally intended to take
| cascoes from the island of Polillo and to
drift to the mainland: but storm arose
| and three of the cascoes were lost. This
| plan was abandoned. At two a. m. March
| IA. the Vicksburg put her lights out and ran
| inshore 20 miles south of Casiguran. prov
| ince of Principe. The party landed and
| marched to Caslguran. The Americans
| had never garrisoned this place. and the In
habitants are strong insurgent sympa
| thizers. Having arrived there, the ex-in-
surgent officers, ostensibly commanding
| the party. announced that they were on
| the way to join Aguinaldo between Pauto-
| bang and Baler. that they had surprised
an American surveying party and that
| they had killed number, capturing five.
| They exhibited Gen. Funston and the other
| Americans as their prisoners.
The insurgent presidente OF Cesiguran
| believed the story. Two of the Lacuna let
| ters, previously concocted. were forward
| ed to Aguinaido at Palanan. province of
| Isabella. Gen. Funston and the others were
kept imprisoned for three days, surrep-
| titiously giving orders at night. On the
morning of March II, taking a small guam
| tity Of cracked corn, the party started on
| a 90-mile march to Palanan. The country
Is rough and uninhabited, and provisions
could not be secured. The party ate small
| shell fish, but were almost starved. Wad-
! ing SWIFT rivers, climbing precipitous
mountains and penetrating dense jungles.
they marched seven days and nights. and
| on March % had reached a point eight
miles from Palanan. They were now SC
| weak that II was necessary to send to Agul.
| naldos camp for food Aguinaldo DIS
patched supplies and directed that the
American prisoners be kindly treated, but
| not be allowed to enter the town.
On the morning of March @ the advance
was resumed. The column was met by the
staff officers of Aguinaldo and a detach-
ment of Aguinaldo's body guard, which wa 3
ordered to take charge of the Americans.
While one of the ex-insurgent officers con :
versed with Aguinaldo's aid. another, a
Spaniard, sent courier to warn Gen. Fun
ston and the rest who. with II Macabebes,
nh han kolt x.I
ceived this warning, Gen. Funston avoided
Aguinaldo's detachment and Joined the
column, avoiding observation. The Taga-
los went ahead to greet Aguinaldo and the
column slowly followed finally arriving at
Palanan. Aguinaldos household troops,
30 men in neat uniforms of blue and white,
and wearing straw hats, lined up to receive
the newcomers. Gen. Funston's men
crossed the river in small boats, formed on
the bank and marched to the right and then
In front OF the insurgent grenadiers. The
Tagalos entered the house wher Agunal-
do was.
Suddenly the Spanish officer. noticing
that Aguinaido's aid was watching the
Americans suspiciously, exclaimed: Now,
Macabebes, go for them" The Maca bel es
opened fire, but their aim was rather in
effective. and only three insurgents were
killed. The rebels returned the fire. On
hearing the firing, Agulnaldo who evident
ly thought his men were merely relebrat-
ing the arrival OF requirements. ran to
the window and shouted: stop that fool
ishness; quit wasting ammunition"
Hllario Placido, one OF the Tagalog off,
GERS and a former insurgent major, who
was wounded in the lung by the fire of the
Kansas regiment at the battle OF Caloocan
threw his arms around Aguinaldo, exclaim-
ing You are a prisoner of the AmerI-
cans"
Col. Simeon villa. Aguinaldos chief OF
staff. Maj. Alambra and others attacked
the men who were holding Aguinaldc
Placido shot Villa In the shoulder Alam-
bra jumped out of the window and attempt
ed to cross the river. 1t Is supposed that he
was drowned. Five other insurgent off,
GERS fought for a few minutes and then
fed, making their escape.
When the firing began Gen. Funston as
sumed command and directed the attack
on the house, personally assisting in the
capture Of Aguinaldo. The insurgent
bodyguard fled. leaving 20 rides. Santiago
Barcelona, the insurgent treasurer. sur
rendered without resistance.
Aguinal6o. who talked freely OF past
events, said he supposed Gen. Trias would
proclaim himself dictator, even not know
ing that Trias had surrendered. He be-
haved courteously and gave no trouble.
Gen. Funston says Aguinaldo Is above
the average in intelligence and has pre-
possessing manners.
Col. Mcclure Retiren.