The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1901-04-05
HOW AGU|NALDO WAS Caught
FINE PIECE OF STRATEGY.
General Funston Tells the story of
the Expedition-Many Hardships
Recommendation Says 1t
Mus "a smooth Trick.

Oeu6Idl GIeQtTlCh uuoCOus WIN Oll
March % captured General Emilio
Aguinaldo, when interviewed by the
representative of the Associated Press,
made the following statement concern
ing the capture of the Filipino leader;
1.-The confidential agent of Aguinaldo
arrived February % at Pantabangan,
in the province of Nueva Bella, north
ern Luzon, with letters dated January
IL, II and IA. These letters were from
Emilio Aguinaldo, and directed Baldo-
nero Aguinaldo to take command of
the provinces of central Luzon, supple
menting General Alejandrino. Emilio
Aguinaldo also ordered that 400 men
be sent him at once, saying that the
bearer of the letters would guide these
men to where Aguinaldo was"
General Funston secured the CORE
spondence of Aguinaldo's agent and
laid his plans accordingly. Some
months previously he had captured
the camp of the insurgent general, La
cuna, Incidentally obtaining Lacuna's
seal, his papers and quantity of sign
ed correspondence. From this material
two letters were constructed, ostensibly
from Lacuna to Aguinaldo. One or
these contained information as to the
progress of Lne war. The other assert
ed that pursuant to orders received
from Baldomero Aguinaldo, Lacuna
was sending his best company to Presi-
dente Emilio Aguinaldo.
His plans completed and approved,
General Funston came to Manila and
organized his expedition, selecting 70
Maccabebes, all Of whom spoke Taga-
log fiuently. Twenty wore insurgent
uniforms and the others the dress of
Filipino laborers. This Maccabebe
( company armed with so Mausers, eight
Remingtons and 10 Krag-Jorgensons,
was commanded by Captain Russell T..
Hazard of the Eleventh United States
volunteer cavalary. With him was his
brother, both boys from Tacoma, Wash
ington, of the same regiment. Captain
Harry w. Newton, Thirty-fourth in
fantry. because of his familiarity with
I Sasiguan bay, and Lieutenant Burton
]. Mitchell, Fortieth infantry, went as
General Funston's aides. These were
the only Americans accompanying the
leader of the expedition. With the
Maccabebes were four ex-insurgent of
ficers, one being a Spaniard and the
other three Tagalos, whom General
Funston trusted implicitly.
General Funston and the officers
wore plain blue shirts and khawi trous
ers. Each carried half blanket, but
wore no insignia of rank. The Macca
bebes were carefully instructed to obey
the orders of the four insurgent officers
On the night of March the party
embarked on the United States gun
boat Vicksburg. 1t was originally in
tended to take cascoes from the islan(
, of Polillo and drift to the mainland
! but a storm arose and three of the cas-
Goes were lost This plan was aban
> doned. At a. m. March IA. the Vicks
burg put her lights out and ran il
shore % miles south of Casiguran
province of Principle. The party land
ed and marched to Casiguran. TIL
Americans had never garrisoned thi
> place, and the inhabitants are stroni
; insurgent sympathizers. Having al
rived there, the ex-insurgent officers
5 ostensibly commanding the party, an
q nounced that they were on the way t.
join Aguinaldo; that they had SUI
e prised an American surveying part
d and that they had killed a number, car
turing five. They exhibited Genera
n Funston and the other Americans a
II their prisoners.
n The insurgent presidente of Casigr
a ran believed the story. Two Of the L;
q cuna letters, previously concocted, wer
% forwarded to Aguinaldo at PalanaI
n province of Isabella. General Funsto
II and the others were kept imprisone
III for three days, surreptitiously givin
Is orders at night.
lie On the morning of March II, takin
Of a small quantity of cracked corn, tn
t party started on a 90-mile march
to Palanan. The country is rough an
IN uninhabited and provisions could NJ
ne be secured. The party ate small shell
IN fish, but were almost starved. Wadin
swift rivers, climbing PERCEPTION
mountains and dense jungles, the
marched seven days and nights, an
rs on March % had reached point eigl
err miles from Palanan. They were no
re so weak that it was necessary to sen
at to Aguinaldo's camp for food. Agui
or aldo dispatched supplies and directe
n that the American prisoners be kind
he treated but not allowed to enter Il
* town. On the morning of March % Il
al advance was resumed. The column WI
~ met by the staff officers of Aguinalt
as and detachment of Aguinaldos bod
guard, which was expected to tai