The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-29
THERE WAS A FIGHT.
After Days of MarchingThrOugh
Wilderness.
Was in Prison at Casiguran for
Three Days.
Filipino Leader Was Completely
Deceived to the Last.

made the following statement concerning
the capture Of the Filipino leader:
The confidential agent of Aguinaldo ar
rived February q at Pantabangan, in the
province OF Nueva ECHO. northern Luzon,
with letters dated January II, L and Il.
These letters were from Emilio Aguinal-
do and directed Baldermero Aguinaldo to
take command of the provinces of central
Luzon. experimenting General Alejandri-
no. Emilio Aguinaldo 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.
General Funston secured the cOrre~
spondence of Aguinaldo's agent and laid
his plans accordingly. Some months pre-
v1ously he had captured the camp Of the
1nsurgent General Lacuna, incidentally
obtaining Lacuna's seal, official papers
and a quantity of signed correspondence.
From this material two letters were con-
strueted. ostensibly from I.acuna to
AguinaldO. One OF these contained infOr-
ma ton as to the progress of the war. Tho
other asserted that, pursuant to orders
received from Baldermero Aguinaldo, La
cuna was sending his best company to
PreSidente Emilio Aguinaldo.
Ills plans completed and approved, Gem
eral Funston came to Manila and organ
lied his expedition, selecting seventy
eight Maca bebes, ali of whom spoke Tag
alog duently. Twenty wore inSurgent uni
forms and the others the dress of Filipino
laborers. This A1acabebe company, armed
with fifty Mausers, eight Remingtons and
ten krag-J orgensens, was commanded by
Captain Russell T. Hazard of the Flew
enJh United States volunteers cavalry.
With him was his brother, Lieutenant
ment; Captain Harry w. Newton, Thirty
fourth infantry. was taken because of his
familiarity with Casiguran bay. and Lieu
tenant Burton J. Mitchell. Fortieth infan~
try. went os General Funston's aide
nying the leader of the expedition.
With the Macabebes We're four ex-in-
the other three Tagalos whom General
Funston trusted implicitly
General Funston and the officers wore
plain blue shirts and khaki trousers. They
each carried a half blanket, but wore no
insignia Of rank The Afaca bebes were
carefully instructed to obey the orders OF
the four ex-insurgent officers.
On the night of March the party en-
barked on the United States gunboat
Nicksburg- It 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 abandoned At a. m.
March Il, the Vicksburg put her lights
out and ran 1nShOre twenty-five miles
south of Casiguran, province of Principe
The party landed and marched to Cash
guran- The Americans had never garri-
soned this place, and the Inhabitants are
strong inslirgent svn1Dat hizers Having
arrived here. the ex-insurgent officers. os~
tensibly commanding the party. announced
that they were on the way to ioin Aglin-
aldo between PautObang and Baler: that
they had surprised an American survey
ing party and that they had killed
General Funston and the other Americana
as their prisoners.
The insurgent presidente of Casiguran
believed the story. Two Of the Lacuna
warded to Aguinaldo at Palanan, province
of Isabella General Funston and the
DAYS. surreptitiously giving orders at
night. on the morning of March II. TAX
ing a small quantity Of crooked corn the
to Palanan. The country is rough and
uninhabited and provisions could not be
but were almost starved. yVading swirl
waters, climbing precipitous mountains
marehe9 seven davs ara nfahfs ana og
March p had reached a point eight miles
from Palanan. They were now so weak
that it was necessary to send to Aguin-
r h
can prisoners be kindly treated. but not
be allowed to enter the town
vance was resumed. The column was NET
by the staff officers of Aguina1do and a
detachment of AguinaldO's bodyguard
which was ordered to take charge Of the
While one Of the insurgent officers con
versed with Aguinaldos aide, another. a
Spaniard, sent a courier to warn General |
Funston and the rest. who, with eleven
Macabebes were about an hour behind |
Funston avoided Aguinaldo's detachment |
ton The Tag3los went ahead to greet |
AgufnaldO and the column slowly fol- |
lowed. arriving finally at Palanan
in neat uniforms Of blue and white and /
wearing straw hats, lined up TO receive |
crossed the river in small boats. formed |
on the banks and marched to the right /
and then in front of the insurgent gren- !
adiers. The Tagalos entered the house |
where Aguinaldo was
that Aguinaldo,s aide was watching the /
Americans suspiciously, exclaimed: Now, |
opened IRE but their aim was rather in
effective, and only three insurgents were \
killed. The rebels returned the fire. On /
hearing the firing Aguinaldo, who evident I
~ thought his men were merely cele- /
brating the arrival of achievements, ran
to the window and shouted: stop that /
quit wasting aInmunition-"
tdlIarlo Piaeido one OF the Iagaiog OF
was wounded in the lung by the fire of /
he Kansas regiment at the battle of Ca
ocean, threw his arms around Aguinaldo. /
axclaiming: gu are a prisoner of the /
Americans Colonel Simeon Villa. /
Aguinaldo's chief Of staff; Major AlaTn-
bra and others attacked the men who
we're holding AgufnaldO. Placido shot Viii \
ia in the shoulder. Alambra jumped out
drowned. Five other insurgent officers
making their escape
When the firing began General Funston
ack on the house, personally assisting in
he capture Of Aguinaldo. The insurEenr
iaeo Barcelona, the insurgent treasurer
surrendered without resistance
nendously excited, but he Gained down
lnder General F'unston's assurance that
ston secured all OF Agulnaldo's CORE
spondence. showing that he had Kept in /
lose touch with the sub-chiefs OF the III
iurrection IN all parts Of the archipelago.
1t was also discovered that Aguinaldo,
January 2S. hac proclaimed himself die
even months undisturbed except when &
detachment of the Sixteenth Infantry Wis
ted the town On that occasion the en-
ire population took to he mountains and
emained there until the troops retired.
Aguinaldo admitted that he had come
rear to being captured before but he as
erted that ne had never been wounded. !
idGing: I should never have been taken
deceived by Lacuna's forged signature
lie feared he might be sent TO Guam and