The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-12
THE TRAGEDY OF SAMAR.
The Scene on TINT Fatal september
Morning Vividly Pictured.
New York Mail and Express.

New York Mail and Express.
Incident by incident. the wild and terrible
story and the tragedy of Balingiga, on the
Island of Samar, comes out of the meager
official reports. Much detail is still lacking;
but so grim and murderously dramatic are
the circumstances that the story shapes it
self more or less clearly in the mind. 1t is
impossible not to be possessed and sadly
moved by it.
We see a little coast Philippine village.
eastward-looking. its low huts and palm
trees commanded by a church and con-
vent, Joined together. The church has its
dome and bell tower; in this tower hangs a
chime Of bells, open to the weather. The
town is occupied by a company of Ameri-
can regular infantry, and the big fellows in
blue shirts and SLOUGH hats are quartered
IN buildings or sheds at the rear of the
convent. No hostile band is knOwn TO be
In the neighborhOod. The sun has risen.
ana the mess call has sounded on the
bugles. All the village knows that the SOL
qlers ana officers are at their somewhat
boiSterous breakfast. The soldiers arms
are stacked within the inclOSure made by
the quarters. The whole town wears an
aspect or perfect peace. The presidents. or
mayor, has been a very friendly visitor OF
the American captain, young Connell, and
MS people have been proIuse IN their eN-
preSslOnS OF loyalty.
AS the officers and men begin to break
fast, the people, dressed in their white,
loose tunics and trousers, begin TO arrive
for morning service in the church. Evil
IDENTIFY some special service is taking place.
Religious feast days are rather more COM
mon than work days in the Philippines.
The bells of the convent begin TO ring clam
orously and the peOple-not a man of them
apparently armed-hock into the church IN
large numbers. The smiling preSldente, the
good friend OF the Americans, is prominent
among them. They advance with ~genuheN-
lOuS along the open floor, for there are no
such things as seats in Philippine churcheS.
Doors give from the back OF the church
and convent to the space occupied by the
troops. All at once, TO the surprise OF the
unSuspecting officers and men, the bland
Wo%rshipers begin sWarming out of the
church and convent into this space. Out
from under their tunics they whip their
b~OlOS-fierce SWOrd-kniVeS which they know
very well how to handle. Before a COM
mand can be uttered a hundred of these
natives rush in between the breakfastng
soldiers and their guns. a hundred others
swarm out of the convent: At the same
time a smaller body has fallen upon the
three o-fficers-captain and lis two lieuten-
- they cut down instantly. The
soldiers. dropping their cups and mess Kits,
are rushing for their guns and hghtlng
madly with their hands and with such re-
vOlyers and knives as they have to regain
the rifles. Meantime another force OF ma
tives, armed also with boloS, has poured IN
upon them from the rear. The bells have
been a signal for a general attack from all
directions.
BcIIEOl, TIE OlQ SGISGdIls q dSo0AAlC0
command. The onslaught has been so sud-
den and so fierce that the majority of the
soldiers have been already cut down. Bet
tron and twenty-five of his men regain as
many rifles, n for a time they beat back
both bodies of the assailants. But ii is a
losing fight. The surviving Americans are
assailed by a mass Of savages climbing
over the bodies of their comrades. In the
little interval in which they are with the
guns the soldiers devote themselves, In ad-
dition TO their desperate fighting, TO draw
ing out the bolts of the Krag-Jorgensens.
thus rendering them useless. By and by,
dragging with them such wounded men as
they can move, they make their way, still
fighting, to the shore, whence only thirteen
sound men, having with them thirteen
wounded, escaped.
This is. in broad lines, the picture. 1t is
a picture of Oriental savagery, of a bland
and smiling murderOus assault coming un-
der the guise of solemn religious worship,
in the genuinenesS of which under any cir
cumstances it is the instinct of an Amer
lean to believe. It's central incident strong
~ suggests that OF one of De Quincey's
romances of the thirty years war, in which
soldiers, with concealed arms, were masked
under the guise of worshipers and sprang
up at a signal. The fight at Balangiga was
a deed of savag treaChery easily without
a parallel in modern times.