The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-04-04
STORY OF THE CAPTURE
Suffering Of Funston and Compan-
ions on the, March.

ions on the March.
Manila, March 29.- -Aguinaldo, who
was captured by General Funston and
States gunboat yicksburg, was
brought ashore at $40 p. m. yester.
day and taken before General Mac
Arthur at the Malacanang palace. He
talked freely, but seemed ignorant
concerning recent events. He APP
peared to be in good health and was
even cheerful lie l,tnched with the
officers of General MacArthur's staff,
and was then escorted to the Anda
street Jail
General Funston gives out the fol-
lowing story of the capture:
"On the night of March the party
who were to go after Aguinaldo em-
parked on the United States gunboat
VicAsburg. 1t was originally intend
ed to take cascoes from the island
of Polillo and to drift to the main
land, but a storm arose and three OF
the cascoes were lost. This plan wasA
abandoned. At 2 a. II. March IA, the
Vicksburg put her lights out and ran
in sore twenty-five miles south Of
Casiguran, province of Principe. The
party landed and marched to Casigu-
ran. The Americans had never gar
risoned this place, and the inhabi-
tants are strong insurgent sympathiz
ers. Having arrived there the ex-
insurgent officers, ostensibly COM.
manding the party, announced that
they were on the way to join Aguin-,
| aldo between Pautobang and BaIer;
that they had surprised an American;
surveying party, and that they had
killed number, capturing five. They
exhibited General Funston and the
other Americans as their prisoners.
The insurgent president of Casigu.
ran believed the story. Two of thu.
Lacuna letters, previously concocte&
were forwarded to Aguinaldo at Pala.
mana, province of Isabella. General
Funston and the others were kept
imprisoned for three days, surrep-
titiously giving orders at night. On .,
small quantity of crackers and corn.
the party started on q ninety mile
rough and uninhabited and provisions
COULD not be secured. The party ate
small she'll fish, but were almost
starved. Wading swift rivers, climb.
ing PERCEPTIONS mountains and pene.
trating dense iungles, they marched
| seven days and nights, and March
% had reached a point eight miles
from Palanan. They were now so
weak that it was necessary to send
| to Aguinaldo's camp for food. Aguin-
aldo dispatched supplies and directed
that the American prisoners be kind
| ly treated, but not be allowed to
enter the town.
On the morning of March % the adj
vance was resumed. The column was
met by the staff officers of Aguinaldo's
body guard, which was ordered to
take charge of the Americans.
While one of the ex-insurgent off
| GERS conversed with Aguinaldo's aide,
| to warn General Funston the rest
who, with eleven Macabebes, We're
about an hour behind. Having re-
ceived this warning General Funston
avoided Aguinaldo's detachment and
joined column, avoiding observation.
The Tagalos' Went ahead to greet
Aguinaldo and the column slowly fol-
| lowed, finally arriving at Palanan.
| Aguinaldo's household troops, fifty
men in neat uniforms of blue and
white and wearing straw hats, lined
up to receive the newcomers. Gem
eral Funston's men crossed the river
in small boats, formed on the banks,
and marched to the right and then
in front of the insurgent grenadiers.
r Ehe eEagalos tered the house where
Aguinaldo was.
Suddenly the Spanish officer, notic-.
ing that Aguinaldo's aide was watch
ing the Americans suspiciousIy, ex-
claimed:
Now, AIacabebes, go for them"
The Macabebes opened fire, but.
their aim was rather ineffective, and
only three insurgents were killed.
The rebels returned the fire. On
hearing the firing, Aguinaldo, who
evidently thought his men were mere-
ty celebrating the arrival of reinforce
ments, ran to the window and shout
ed, stop that foolishness; quit vast
ing ammunition
Hilario Placido, one of the Tagalo
officers and a former insurgent ma
jor, who was wounded in the lung by
the fire of the Kansas regiment at
the battle of Caloocan, threw his
arms around Aguinaldo, exclaiming:
You are prisoner of the Ameri-
cans"
Colonel Simeon Villa, Aguinaldo's
chief of staff; Major Alambra\ and
others attacked the men who were
holding Aguinaldo. Placido shot Vii
liza in the shoulder. Alambra jumped
out of the window and attempted to
| - 0'o WY 1i'Si. IL 10 SuPPOStu UuaC
he was drowned. Five other insur-
gent officers fought for a few min
utes and then fed, making their es-
cape.
When the firing began, General
Funston assumed command, and Nj
rected the attack on the house, perss
sonally assisting in the capture Of
Aguinaldo. The insurgent BODY
guard fled, leaving twenty rifles. San
tiago Barcelona, the insurgent treas
urer, surrendered without resistance,
When captured, Aguinaldo was ire
mendously excited, but he Gained
down under General Funston's assur-
ance that he would be well treated.
General Funston secured all of Agllin-
aldo's correspondence, showing that
he had kept in close touch with the
sub-chieis of the instruction in all
parts of the archipelago. It was also
discovered that Aguinaldo, January
| %, had proclaimed himself dictator.
He had been living at Palanan for
seven months. undisturbed except
when detachment of the Sixteenth
infantry visited the town. On that
occasion the entire population took
to the, mountains and remained1there
until the troops retired.
The scarcity of elephants in India
may be inferred from the fact that in.
1885 an elephant could be bought
there for 1928; now the price has ad.
vanced to $4,000.