The times., 1901-05-17
FUNSTON ON THE CAPTURE
The Intrepid Kansan Reports How
He Bagged AguinaldO.
The War Department Also Receives
Captain Hazzard's Description of
the Fight mt the Insurgent Cen
ernps Lair in the Mountains

| the right mt the insurgent Gen
ernPs Lair in the Mountains.
Secretary Root yesterday received the
official reports of Brigadier General Fun
ston and Captain Hazard, describing the
capture of Aguinaldo The reports de-
scribe the exploit in detail and are inter-
/ esting
The report of General Funston follows:
| on January II Il special messenger of
Aguinaldo's headquarters at Palanan,
bearing letters to different generals of his
command and to insurgent chiefs. asking
| for re-enforcements to be sent him, gave
| himself up to Lieutenant Taylor, of the
! Twenty-fOurth Infantry, who Immediately
! sent him to me at San Isidro. He also
| had valuable correspondence, which gave
us information as to the whereabouts and
| the strength of Aguinaldos band at that
time We found among them one in
which Baldomero Aguinaldo was ordered
| to take command of the provinces Of
| central LUzon and requesting him to send
| as soon as possible 400 armed men to Ag
| uinaldos camp
"Then and there I conceived the idea of
! arming and equipping a number of native
! troops to pass off as these expected re-
| endorsements and to make an endeavor to
! trap Aguinaldo in his lair. The expedi-
| tion was made UP of four Tagalos, who
were formerly commissioned officers in
Aguinaldo's army, and we selected seven
| ty-eight men of the Macabebe scouts, all
of whom could talk Tagalo fuently. l OBJ
tanned a number of captured insurgent
| uniforms, and ten Macabebes were equip
| ped with Remington and Mauser rifles.
I'VE embarked on the gunboat Vicks-
burg and landed on March IA at clock
in the morning The expedition was
nominally placed in command of Hilario
Placido, ex-insurgent colonel. After
marching twenty miles we reached the
town of Casiguran We had sent word
to the Presidente of the town through
/ native messengers that re-euforcements
for Agginaldo were on the way through
his town so that when we arrived there
food and quarters had been prepared for
| us. This notification had been signed by
| the supposed commander of the expe-
dition.
The Presidente was completely de-
| ceived. My troops had captured some
months ago some official paper of Gen.
eral Lacuna, bearing his official stamp
and seal. In order to make the deception
all the more complete we succeeded in
forging the signature Of Lacuna to letters
to Aguinaldo. These letters were sent
ahead and we followed
The trip to Aguiualdo's camp was a
most severe one upon the men. Our food
supply was entirely exhausted and my
men were so weak that when we reached
within eight miles of Aguinaldo's camp
we could go no farther We therefore
sent messenger ahead to Aguinaldo's
camp. informing him of our plight and
requesting that he send us food before we
could go farther. This was supplied US
and the disguise and ruse adopted by us
had been complete. AS we had told
Aguinaldo that we had American prison
ers he sent word that they be given their
liberty
"As the Macabebes approached the
town, the troops of Aguinaldos body
guard, consisting of fifty men, were drawn
up in parade to receive the supposed re-
endorsements. The men who posed as Off
GERS of our expedition marched into the
camp, and paid their respects to Agui-
naldO, who received them in a large house
built on the bank of the Palanan River
After the exchange of courtesies. the Off
GERS excused themselves from Aguinaldo
and his stan for moment, stepped out
side and ordered their Macabebe troops
drawn up into line and commanded them
TO commence firing into Aguinaldo's
troops.
The rout of the insurgents was com
plete. The ex-insurgent officers, the five
Americans, and several Macabebe scouts
Immediately made a rush for the house
which was used as Aguinaldo's headquar-
ters and took him prisoner. Aguinaldo
when taken prisoner. at first raved and
swore at the deception practiced upon
him. but later accepted the situation with
dignity"
Captain Hazard describes in detail the
arrival at Aguinaldos camp and the sub
sequent happenings. He says:
The MacabeEes, under Hiario Placido
with the four commanding the sections,
crossed the river in boats, leaving three
for the Americans and their guard be-
hind. The crossing was made east of
Aguiualdos house and the men marched
across the plaza to the quarter where the
Tagalog bodyguard was paraded at the
northeastern corner of the triangle. Here
they broke into sections one stringfng
from the cuartel to the bands and in the
centre or the plaza; another haltin5 on the |
bOdyguard's flank and in front of the Off
GERS quarters N the northwest corner of |
the plaza and the others going over to
Aguinaldo's house. The pretended Off !
GERS then went into ASuinaldO's S house /
and reported. Directly after that Sego- |
via the Spaniard eX-insurgent, excused |
himself to dismiss his men, who, ne said, |
were tagged out. Crossing the plaza he |
stood between Jue Two sections and said: |
" 'Macabebes, your hour has come !
Fire
THE first volley scattered the insur-
gents panic-striclien. They ran up the (
streets to the north; some rallying a short |
distance off and firing some shots which |
passed through Aguinaldos house. Mean
while AguinaldO, who had been gazing
out of the window at his re-enforcemeuts
was covered by the revolver of Placido
Colonel Villa. of Aguinaldo's staff. was
quick To grasp the situation and tried to
escape by rushing into the inner room
but was headed off. Major Alhambra
leaped out of the window into some run
ways which had been built from the house
TO the river for escape in case of sur
prise. SegOVia, however. returning from !
the plaza, made around the house and
shot at him as he ran. The bullet went /
through his hand and he plunged into |
the river and disappeared.
Inst Lecture on the Philippines.
Lieut. Edward OFlaherty, of the Twen-
ty-seventh Uhited States Volunteers,
which regiment served through the /
Filipino war. will deliver his last
lecture in Washington this even
ing at Carroll Institute Hall. Tenth