The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-04-04
Tie Narratps How His Little Band
Captured Aguinaldo, the
Filipino Leader.
VALUABLE CORRESPONDENCE SECURED
The General, in Organizing His Expe.
dition. Selected 78 Macabebes, 20
Wearing Insurgent Unitorms.
Owing to the Trenchcry of These
Men AsuinaldO Was Entrapped
aud After a sharp Fight Was
Made u Prisoner.

Manila, March 29.-Gen. Fred Fun
s,on, who, March %, captured Gen.
Emilio Aguinaldo, when interviewed
Thursday ny press representative,
made the following statements con
cerning the capture of the Filipino
leaders.
The confidential agent of Agninaldo
arrived February 2S at Pantabangan.
In ,hr province of Neuva Ecija. north
ern Luzon. with letters dated January
IL, - and II. These letters were from
Emilio Aguinaldo and directed lialdc-
mere Aguinaldo to take command of
the provinces of central Luzon, sup
planting Gen. Alciandrino. Emilio
a Ag,linado also ordered that 400 men
be sent him as soon as possible, say
ing that the bearer of the letters
would guide these men to where
ATuinaldo was.
Gen. Funston secured the corre-
spondence of AguinaIdo's agent and
laid his plans accordingly. Some
months previously he had captured
Che camp of the insurgent general,
Iacuna, incidentally obtaining La
uuna's seal. official papers and a guam
fity of signed correspondence. From
this material two letters were con-
structed. ostensibly from Lacuna to
A%uiraldo.
One of these contained informa ton
rs 10 the progress of the war. The
Sther asserted that, pursuant to or
6crs received from Baidcmrro Agui-
naldo. Lacuna WAS sending his best
company to Prcsidcntc Emilio Agui-
nado.
His plans completed and approved.
Gen. Funston came to Manila and
organized his expedition. selecting 7s
Maca abehes, all of whom spoke Taga-
log fuently. Twenty wore the in
surgent uniforms and the others the
dress of Filipino laborcrs- This Mac
abebe company armed with 50 Maus-
ers, is Remingtons and 40 Krag-Jrr-
gensens. was commanded by Capt.
Russell L. Hazard, of the 11th vol
unteer cavalry. With him was his
brother. Lieut.. Oliver p. NJ. Hazard.
OF the same regiment. Capt. Harry
W. Newton, 34th infantry, was taken
because of his familiarity with Ca
sieuran bay, and Lieut.. B. j. Mitchell.
Goth. h.infantry. went as Gen. Funst on s
aide. These we're the only Americans
accompanying the leader of the cX-
pedition.
With the Macabcbcs were four eX-
insnrgent officers, one being Span
lard and the other three Tagulos,
whom Gen. Funston trusted implicitly.
Gen. Funston and the officers wore
plain blue shirts and khaki trousers.
They carried each half blanket,
but wore no insignia of rank The
Mnca bcbes were carefully instructed
to obey the orders of the four eX-
Msurgeht officers.
On the night of March s the party
embarked on the United States gun
boat \icksburg. 1t was originally
Intended to take canoes from the is
land OF Pollillo and to drift to the
mainland. but storm arose and
three OF the canoes were lost. This
plan was abandoned. At . a, m.
March IA, the Nicks burg put her
lights out and ran inshore % miles
south Of Casiguran, province of Prin-
cipe.
lhe party landed and marched to
Casiguran. The Americans had never
garrisoned this place and the inhab-
itants are strong insurgent sympa-
thilers. Having arrived there, the
eN-insurgent officers ostcnsibly COM
nanding the party announced that
they were on the way to join Agui-
naldo between Fautobang 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 Presidentc of Casig-
0ran believed the story. Two of the
Lacuna letters, previously concocted.
were forwarded to Agninaldo at Pal
anan, province of Isabella. Gen. Fun
ston and the others were kept I'M.
prisoned for three days surreptitions-
Is giving orders at night.
On the morning of March IL, taking
u.
party started on "A gO-mile march to
Pa!anan. The country is rough and
uninhabited, and provisions could
not be secured. The party was al
most starved. Wading swift rivers,
climbing precipitous mountains and
penetrating dense jungles, they
marched seven days and nights, and
on March 90 had reached point
eight miles from Palanan. They were
now so weak that it was necessary
to send 20 Aguinaldo's camp for food
>2upaldo dispatched supplies and
directed that the American prisoners
be kindly treated, but not be al
lowed to enter the town.
On the morning of March % the
ad'aHe was resumed. The column
wa- a:ri by the STAFF officers of Agui-
nat'p and detachment of Agninal
do !.shy guard. which wus ordered
to sac charge of the Americans.
While one of the eA-insurgent Oil
GERS conversed with Aguinaldo's aide
another, Spaniard. sent a courier
to warn Gen. Funston and the rest
who, with IL Macabebes, were abou,
an nUur behind.- -Huving received tthi.
warning. Gen. Funston avoided Agui
naldo's detachment and joined the
cnlu,un avoidinO ohcarva ftou rhs