The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1901-07-19
AGUINALDO'S CAPTURE.
General Funston Tells just How
1t Was Effected

Washington, July 12.-The war de-
partment today made public Brigadier
General FuDstan's report Of the centure
OF Aguinaldo, made on Nav 2. This re-
port presents 10 detail all the facts 70
lating to the capture of Aguinaldo which
was made public at that time. General
Funston shows that his entire plan nj
the expedition was submitted to the
commanding general of the department
of northern LuzOn and then was sent Tn
General Macarthur, by whom it was an.
proved. General Funston goes into de
tails concerning the captured CORE
spondence OF Aguinaldo and the usp no
made of CeciliO Cegismundo. who had
presented himself to Lieutenant ! d
Taylor of the Twenty fourth infantry
with letters OF Aguinaldo he was to de.
liver to various insurgent chiefs. General
Funston gives the following account of
the forged letters which we're used to do
ceive AguinaldO:
"On October "a, while scouting in the
vicinity of Gapan, Neuva, Eciia, | had
surprised the insurgent chief iacuna in
his camp and had captured. among
other things, some writing paper with
his headquarters seal. On this paner
over the carefully forged signature of
Lacuna. one OF these letters WAS dated
February "a, 1901, at Bulac, a place in
the mountains. In it Lacuna acknow-
lodged the receipt OF Aguinaldo'- letters
OF January IL and IA and Thanked him
for the confirmation of his Uacuna's)
appointment as brigadier general. made
some time previously by Alejandrino.
ut Will be remembered that the letters
of Aguinaldo referred to had fallen into
our hands. The writer had received a
letter from Baldermo Aguildo, ordering
him to send one of his best companies,
under reliable chief, to Emilio Aguin'
aldo in isabella. In accordance with
these orders he was sending this force
under Lieutenant Colonel HilariO Pla-
edo. The latter, he stated, had been
captured by the Americans year ago
and after his release he had lived in
Jaen, but recently had taken to the field
again when ordered to do so by Lacuna.
This was included in the letter for fear
that Aguinaldo might have heard that
PIacldo had been captured by the Ameri
cans and had taken the oath of alIegi
ance. The letter also stated that
AgulnaldO's courier. CeciliO Cegismundu.
was with Lacuna and would accompany
the column. These two letters were
dictated by me, but were written by
SegOvia. We were in possession of q
number OF samples of Lacuna's sigma
ture and had previously succeeded in
effecting a neat forgery of his auto
graph at the end OF each of two sheets"
Macabebes Lost Their Nerves.
OF the actual capture General Funs-
ton says: 1.-The Macabebes started up
into the town and we heard a few shots
fired. We crossed the river and running
upon the town, found that the Maca-
bebes were somewhat demoralized and
firing wildly in every direction. They
we're gotten under control with some
difficulty. Aguinaldo's guard of about
so armed and neatly uniformed men
had been drawn up to receive the rein
forcements, and being fired into, broke
and ran, a few of them returning the
fire as they retreated. AguinaldO, with
his officers, had waited in his quarters
PlacidO and SegOvia entered the house
to report their arrival and after a short
conversation SegOvia stepped outside
and ordered the Macabehes who had
just come up to open fire on the insur
gents, who were standing in line at
distance of about so yards. The Maca
bebes were so excited and nervous that
their fire was very ineffective. But two
of the insurgents were killed, the re-
mainder taking to flight, throwing
down Is rifles and q thousand rounds
of ammunition: