The Topeka state journal., 1901-08-27
FUNSTON'S STORY.

The Hartford Courant SUMMARIZES Gen
Funston's own account Of the capture OF
Ag1iinaldo as follows.
General Funston's account Of his cap
tlre of -Aguinaldo shows that Il was as
regular an operation as establishing a
picket or charging a battery 1t was
not the artful plan OF tricky man :
dierIy adaptation of unexpected but
fortunate circumstances TO the accom-
The campaign in hand.
General Funston's account of the
Magazine" for septembeT Only hair Of
the account is given in this number It
What happened. i1 ed Early in February Of
this year the alcalde or mayor OF the llt-
tie village Of Pantabangan came IA the
evening TO Lieutenant James D. Taylor,
who was stationed in that village with a
company of United States infantry, and
announced that a small band OF insur-
gent soldiers had just arrived In the
neighborhood from the northern part OF
the island of Luzon. and, in his Judgment,
could be persuaded to surrender Lieu
tenant TAYLOR acted at once upon this in
formation and by adrOiL questioning and
good treatment finally obtained exact
knowledge Of the situation These insur-
gents were under leadership of one Cecilio
SegisnundO. This SegismundO was a con-
fdentfaI agent of AguinaldO and had been
eer+raI Ti15Sn The little footsore and
HUNGRY band had been rs DAYS ON the way
from Palanan. where AguinaldO had his
quarters-Issianan beins, on the east coast
Of the province of Isabella. in the north
Physical discomfort and need appear TO
have been the reasons for the surrender;
Lieutenant Taylor at once reported all
this to General Funston, the district COM
ms rFer vrffh hea ado1larters at San Isidro
province Of Nueva Ecija. and under or
ders SegismundO and the papers arrived
al San fsidro two daSs later Lieutenant
Tavior's report was he first that General
Funston knew of the opportunity that
General Funston at once set his wits
at work to devise a plan to utilize the
Information that had fallen by mere
suasion SegismundO was induced to assist
in q scheme to capture AguinaldO. Cen
methods-One by landing a force from a
ship and a quick march, another by a
westward Of Palanan. and third the
method adopted Segismundo shook his
PED his hands together jumped from his
chair in great glee." and said that the
the 18th Of February General Funston re-
ported the whole matter to his immediate
lining what he thought could be done and
with the exception Of a few immaterial
q native officsr bv tis name Of Naffvidad
describing what actually was done Cen
Mia. where his plan was instantly ap-
proved by General Wheaton and General
Eary to make the project a success and
for the use of the United States gunboat
Nicksburg.
General F'unston's plan was simple in
conception, but very complex in execu-
ton Segismundo had brought with him
a whole bundle of letters. not only official
letters from Aguinaldo. but also personal
letters from the insurgent officers serving
near Agninaldo The most important let
ter Of al was one from Aguinaldo to his
cousin. Baldomero AguinaldO This let
ter was written in difficult cypher. but
this cypher was finally mastered by a
"quick-witted Spaniard.'' one I.azarO Sc
govia. who later went with the expedition
~ one 81 the OIIlcers- Ihls letter ordered
baIdollero Aguinaldo to make some mill
tary changes and TO send to him emilio
from the commands of the various subor-
dlnates This order suggested the work
ing pan as L was finally successfully
carried out. The basis was a detachment
or United states troops. all natives dress
90 ana armed as lnsurgent soldiers. COM
n1anded hy native and Spanish officers
ali OF whom had been in the insuruent
own agent. Segismundo and also bv five
American onicers who passed as having
Sti. 2gsn sahsl prisoners oy the detachment.
aldo.s quarters. and enter them as mart
OF the 900 men ordered from Baldomero
In carrying out military ruse Of this
elaborate and prolonged kind If xss nee
essary that the men should ,1pJersts5S7
the whole project well as the Off
GERS Accordingly. during the six DAYS
were trained TO act. speak and So FAR as
possible think like insurgent soldiers
Two letters We're also written while On
shlpboard .purporting to be from the in
surgent General Lacuua TO i Aa-,fjna1lo
General Funston before this While i7+sf
failing to capture Lacuna had seized his
clothes. stationery. corresnondence etc
A Filipino had reproduced Isacuna's SIG
nature on i've sheets of this paper already
stamped with Lacuna's official seal The
pretended letters We're filled in on the
NtcksburE by the Spaniard Segovia writ
ing at General Funston's dictafion. After
the expedition had landed a preliminary
report was sent to AguinaldO by the ia
gallo who was in nominal command fI5
lario Placido announcing that he was act
ing under the orders Of Lacuna-I.aclna
being one Of the chiefs to whom Ae71irai
dos order for 400 men would have a1niied
Il the order had reached its intended des
tinatfon-
When the complicated and preca rious
nature Of this military ruse is considered
II Is amazing that il was successful T7he
fate OF it may fairly be said to have rest
ed N the hand-or rather in the speech
and behavior-Of each of the 70 Aaca behes
who finally made the landing These r1en
had been Instructed 10 use the Tagalo
olalecr exclusively. and not their own