Evening star., 1901-10-22
INSULAR COURTS MARTIAL
REPORT OF TWENTY MURDER CASES
IN PHILIPPINEs.
Stories of Extreme Barbarity and
CrueIty-Organized Band OF
Murderers.


wherein the charge was murder have been
received at the War Department from the
headquarters of the division of the Philip
pines. In the majority of the cases. SEN
tences of death by hanging were imposed
and approved. All of them were marked ty
unusual barbarity and cruelty, but in seme
these features are thought to warrant
special mention.
In one of the latter cases five natives,
members of an armed band of outlaws,
entered the home of a native named Ra-
guido, seized and bound his son, and hung
him up by rope and tied his father and
mother by their elbows to rafter.
They then demanded money of their cap
tive and the forthcoming amount not being
deemed sufficient, they wrapped rags satu-
rated with oil about his feet and legs and
set them afire. For two hours the torture
was continued. blows from the butts of
rifles, fats of bolos and fists being rained
on the helpless captive, while, to add to
his suffering, his young daughter was
struck down by blow from a bolo on her
head.
1T is difficult to believe" says General
Chaffee in his review of this case, shat
human depravity and degeneracy can sink
to such depths as shown~in this fiendish
deed" Ragudo fingered in agony from the
effects of his torture for five days and then
died. All five of the natives were sentenced
to death.
Strangled to Death With Cords.
Two Filipino tailors who were working
for the soldiers of the Pasay cavalry bar
racks were set upon by band of natives
incensed at the fact that the two natives
were earning their livelihood by taking ser
vice as tai1ors for the American soldiers
One of the taiIors was killed outright and
| the other was kidnapped by the band.
Two American soldierS-Privates Charles
r. White and Thomas H. Mathis, both Of
Company H, 4th Infantry-had been taken
prisoners by the insurgents After being
passed under the charge of Estoban San
Juan, colonel of insurgents and the rank
ing officer in the vicinity of Cavite, who
had them bound to trees and strangled to
death with cords.
From the records In one 1.-the cases it
would appear that depravity in the Phil
ippines is not confined to the Fiipinos.
Harry Cline, employed an teamster by the
United States army while stationed at Pa
ranaque. P. l.. took a bicycle ride out into
the country one day and came upon four
small native boys gathering grass. with
no other apparent motive than natural de-
pravity," says General Cha flee, "he pro-
ceeded to shoot these boys with his re-
volver, wounding three and killing the
fourth He was sentenced to be hanged.
The written confession of native tried
for the murder of another Filipino, acting
under orders from an iasurgent officer IL
lustrates the methods pursued by the Fill
pinos in their endeavorsl to, keep their own
people true to the Filipino cause. The con-
fession stated: Il carried a letter of au-
thoriZation to act as special agent, which
means authority to commit mHrder.
If man did not pay hiskcontribution to the
insurgent collector he was ordered to be
killed"
A Leader of Assassfns.
Perhaps the most interesting case was
that of Francisco Peralta, who was a lead
er of an armed band of men living within
the lines of the United States forces near
the province of Union, who while wearing
| in the daytime the ordinary native dress,
and seemingly following native occupations,
spent the night in numbering those of their
| own race who were thought to be friendly
to the Americans
General Chaffee, in approving the SEN
tence Of death imposed for Peralta, made
| the point that Peralta was going to be
hanged not because he was spy, but be-
cause he had caused wanton murder to be
done. Even though whole people delib-
erately adopts a method of waging war
contrary to the recognized laws of war,
those laws, following enlightened and hui
name sentiments of the most civilized ma
tionS, do not sanction that a sentence of
determination shall issue against a whole
people,
A general order from the Division of the
Philippines directs more careful inquiry to
ascertain the status Of persons applying for
shipment on transports, 1t having been
found that deserters from the naval service
have slipped off on army transports.