Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-04-03
AGUINALD0 CAPTURED.
LEADER OF PHILIPPINE INsUR-
RECTIoN A PRISONER.
UoRY OF THE srRATEGEM SUCCESS
FULLY ADOPTED BY GENERAL
FuNsToN-AGUINALDo COM
PLETELY FOOLED.

N'f""ipp'he ihsurlectlons Whs captured
- ,aiansn, in the northern province OF
Lussnon March % by Gen. Funston. The
story OF the capture is one of stratgem and
dariDg. The confidential agent OF Agui-
naido arrived Fen. 2s at Panta banrau, In
the province OF Neuva Ecija, northern Luz
ron, with letters dated Jan. IL, II and Ia.
These letters were from Emilio Agui-
naldo, and directed Baideremo to take
command of the provinces OF central
Luzon, suppianting Gen. Aljandrlno.
Aguinsido also ordered that 400 men be
sent him as soon as possible, saying that
The bearer of the letters would guide these
men to where Aguinaldo was.
Gen. Funston secured the correspond
ence OF Aguinado's agent and laid his
plans accordingly. Some months pre-
viously be had captured the camp OF
the insurgent general Lscuns, incident
ally obtaining Lseuna's seal, official. pa =
pers and quantity OF signed corre-
spondenee. From this material two
letters were constructed, ostensibly from
Lseuna to Auginsldo.
One of these contained information as
TO the progress of the war. The other
asserted that, pursuant to orders received
from Aguinsldo, Lscuna was sending his
best company to AguinsIdo.
NATIVE TROOPS.
His plans completed and approved,
Gen. Funston came to Manila and Or
gan'zf ID his expedition, selecting seventy
signs Mscabebes, all whom spoke Tagalog
fiuensly. Twenty wore insurgent uni
forms and the others the dress of Fill
pino laborers. This Macahebe company,
was commanded by Capt. Russell I. Haz-
gard. With him was his brother, Lieut..
Oliver p. NJ. Hazard, both of the 18th U.
3 cavalry. Capt. Harry w. Newton, 3ith
infantry, was taken because of his famil-
iarity with Casiguran bay, and Lieut..
Burton j. Mitchell, 10th infantry, went
as Gen. Funston's aides. These were the
only Americans accompanying the leader
of che expedition.
With the Mscabebes were four ex-
insurgept officers, one being a Spaniard
( and the other three Tagalogs, whom Gen.
i Funston trusted implicitly. Gen. Fun
ston and the American officers wore plain
blue shirts aud Khaki trousers. They car
ried each a half blanket, but wore no
insignia of rank. The Macabeoes were
carefully instructed to obey the orders OF
the four insurgent officers.
ON THE MARCH.
On the night OF March s the party en-
! barked on the United States gunboat
"vIcksburg.n 1t was originally intended
to take caseoes from the island of Polio
I and to drift to the ma finland, but a storm
arose and three OF the eascoes were lost.
This pisA was abandoned. AT 2 a. m.
! March IA, Nc "vioksburg" put her lights
s out and nv In shore twenty-five miles
south of Cal turan, province OF Principe.
The party ID yied and marched to Casigu-
ran. The Americans had never gsrri-
Z soned this pla and the Inhabitants are
sstrong ipsurgaJA sympst hizers. Having
|ssrrived there, ttSex insurgent officers os-
E.ensibIy commaA ing the party snnoun-
ced that they WV on the way to join
Aguinaldo bet@N Pantobagsn and
Baler, that they haVsarprised an Ameri-
can surveying para and had killed a
number, capturing They exhibited
Gen. Funston and thu her Americans as
their prisoners. NJ
The insurgent presid "a of Casiguran
believed the story. TAroi the Lacuna
letters, previously concotNsed, were for
warded to Aguinaido at Pa van, province
OF Isabella. Gen Funston 4 fthe others
were kept imprisoned for tn, tdays, sur
reptitiousIy giving orders at Tight. On
the morning of March II, TAXI small
quantity OF cooked corn, the pai started
on a ninety-mile march to PalaI v The
country Is rough and uninhab. I, and
provisions could not be secured a The
party ate small shell fish, but was nost
starved. Wsding swift rivers, ciik Ing
precipitous mountains and penetrt Ang
dense jungles, they marched seven aSes
and nights, and on March y had reach Y
a point eight miles from Palanan. ThA :,
were now so weak that it was necessary
to send to Aguinaldo's camp for food.
Aguiualdo dispatched supplies, and direct
ed that the American prisoners be kindly
treated, but not allowed to enter the
town.
THE CAPTURE.
On the morning of March % the ad-
vance was resumed. The column was met
by the staff officers of Aguinaldo and a
detachment OF Aguinaldo's body guard,
which was ordered to take charge OF the
Americans.
While one OF the ex-insurgent officers
conversed with Agulnaldo's aide, another,
Spaniard, sent courier to warn Gen.
Funston and the rest, who with eleven
Macabebes were about an hour behind.
Having received this warming, Gen. Fun
ston avoided Agninaido's detachment and
Joined the column, avoiding observation.
The Tagalogs went ahead to greet Agul-
naIdo, and the column slowly followed,
finally arriving at Palanan.
Aguinaldo's household troups, fifty
men In neat uniforms of blue and white
and wearing straw hats, lined up to re-
aosxra tha uameamara Gan. Eun5tJn's