Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1901-11-08
THE REMARKABLE RULER
OF THE SAMAR ISLAND INSURGENTS

Mason and a Priest Halter.
Gen Vincent Luct an, insurRent ruler
of the island of Samar, aud to whose
credit s placed the recent bloody or,
slaught upon Company G of the Ninth
Infantry, is a more remarkable man
even than aguinaldo as leader Of
tnatursl enemy he is.
| He is short, heavily built man,
about AS years of age, and wears long
thick mustsche, which is quite an i'm
possibility with most of his country
men. 1t is CONNOLLY reported that he
was clerk in Manila at the time OF
the breaking out If the last inSurrec-
tion against the Spaniards. Whatever
may have been his occupation, he is a
member of family of wealth and con-
siderable prominence in southern Lu-
ION.
1t is stated that both his father and
mother vera half Filipino and half
Chinese.
Up to ths time of the withdra val of
the Spaniards from the Philippines
there had been no rsurrection in Ss-
mar. When the Spaniards left and
the Americans failed to put in an ap-
pearance the leading men of the is
land consulted among themselves as to
what they we're to do for a government
ana who should be the guardians of
law and order. The question was not
lorg undecided, for soon Lucbsn, bear
iug a commission as Brgadier-Gener4l
from Aguinsldo, app' AIRED at Cathalo-
gan with force of about 100 riffmen
and announced that he, as a represen
tative of the Filipino Republic, was
Governor of the island and General-in
Chief.
lie had been there in command but
year when the American took pos.
session, but the hold that he had
gained upon the people was remark
able. His intiueuce is especially a
matter of wonder when the fact that he
is a Mason ana the strongest kind of
an ant-Romau Catholic is considere
He robbed churches If their & Id and
silver ornaments and sacred vessels, and
drove the priests out of the island.
He even took possession OF the bells
of the ch urches, which are among the
dearest of the POSSESSIONS of the towns
of the Philippines and melted them to
be used in the manufacture of shells
for cartridges. The Chimes bio d that
flows in his veins vas shown IN the
Craftiuess with which he destroyed tn g
power of the Church and established
his own and looted the church build
ings without causing open revolt
the Visayans, who are a most
devout people.
INN diately upon landing at Catha.
logan Lucban began the Organization
of military force. Local dignitaries
were appointed as officers and dressed
up in gaudy uniforms, which appealed !
to their pride tremendously, Consid- |
cradle forces If infantry and artillery |
we're rmed, but they were, as a m t. |
ter of fact. of no Importance ahatever
except for uss iu hoo linking the peo- !
pie. The subterfuge was, however, |
we'll carried out, for Lucban contin-
ually preached var to the people, and |
had I'll the women 10 town making |
cartridges and every household was re-
luirsd to display Filipino fl e
Four III lies outside of Cathalogan, in
the mounts irs, 40 arsenal was built. |
This arsenal was really very we'll |
quippe for the msuufacture of RrIs
md ammunition, and was strongly for
;itied. When the coming of the Amer
pdES WIS DtTdlutU lLutbdH hUUbNu Ctu
% the people that they must flee to
he moun tains, as the Americans were
,esSts with fercs courtenances, who
would despoil their women ana ron
heir bo Sss. tie himself retired to
lis arsenal after giving orders that t. e
own of Cstbalogan should he burned
ather than he allowed to fall into the
lacdS of the Americans. His troops,
lnder the co umsnd of junior officers,
lie left to oppose the United Sites
roops. The results of that opposition
we're IT complimentary to the orRa7
cation of which Lucban was General
n-Chief.
Forced icto hiding 10 the noun tains,
1ucban was quiet for some time, and
t WAS rumored that he sished TO sur {
eDder if he could do so without be
oming liable tt trial by the United
itateS authorities.
Soon, however, Lucbsn's linguistic
hilities tegsu to show themselves in
roclamstions that he issued to his
oppressed people" and which were :
apture1 by the Amer leans. The scope !
I his conde mnstions and Critics Us of
he nited States would have done JUS '
ice to an Auarchist. Everything in- $
ammatory that hs could couc i've of
o published At regular int rvals {
ulletirs we're issued from his had i
uarters in the mountains containing 7
nch Information as the alleged abuse 5
f agei women and yourg girls 10y 5
mericsn sol iers and grossly exagge |
ited reports of the results of fights be- A
ween Americans and Filipiuos. He b
'fn at one time decl4red that TIE
merirsns we're ins lting the Fill e
mos by issuing orders printed in the :
alive tongue il stead of Spani h, which
q stated aas the official language of :
he FiIipinos. :
One If Luchan's clever moves tn i'm /
ress the Filipinos, who, while far u
ON gull less, are far from cr-dulous, u
as as follows: Two of his principal u
Ulcers and he himself removed all OF
leir clothing except their under "
otheS -nd chained themSelv to the Il
on, wall of a jail just under two II
cavity barred Windows. Tn the d
round, just out of their reach, we're Of
ced plates laden with food OF this Il
tiful scene, which was alleged 20 d.
present Lucban and his foil wers AS te
'isnners in Manila during the rule of Sc
e Spa isrds, photographs we're taken.
bese photographs were scattered AZ
osdcast over the island to chow to m
g people the oppression and hard be
lip that the pstriotic and disinter. be
ted leaders of the FilipInos we're UNI W
rgoirg in the cause of lib rty. hf
One of the Filipino leaders accom- is