Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-04-04
CAUGHT AT LAST.
Aguinaldo Is Captured by Gen.
Frederick Funston.
The Filipino Chief Is Brought TO
Manila On Board "a United States
Gunboat Plan Followed by
Funston I'm Making the Cap-
ture Showed Much Cunning.

Manila, March 2s.-Gen. Frederick
Funston's daring project for the cap
ture of Aguinaldo in his hiding place
in the province of Isabella, island of
Luzon, has proved completely sue
cessful. Aguinaldo was captured
there March %.
The United States gunboat Vicks-
burg, with Gen. Funston and Agui-
naldo on board, arrived here this
morning.
The province of Isabella, where the
capture of Aguinaldo occurred, is on
the island of Luzon about 200 miles
northeast of Manila, and about IS
miles north of Baler, on the eastern
coast, which place was made memoir
able by the capture of Lieut.. Gill
more and his party from the gunboat
Yorktown in April. 1899. Isabella
province is wild and mountainous,
especially along the coast where the
high range extends for 100 miles or
more, the highest point of the range
being but few miles from the
shore. Rugged trails in some places
but a foot or two in width lead
across the mountains, frequently
crossed by rushing streams. and
where these overflow their banks the
trails are waist deep in mud. 1t was
to this uninviting district that Gen.
Funston and his small band went a
short time ago. 1t was part of the
island that had never before been Wis
tied by American troops.
Gen. Funston's plans as outlined in
dispatch from Manila a few days
ago were to make the trip over the
mountains to Aguinaldo's hiding
place accompanied only by Surgeon
Major Harris. Capt. Newton, of the
Thirty-fourth infantry; Lieut.. Ad-
mire, of the Twenty-second infantry;
Lieut.. Mitchell, of the Fortieth infan-
try; six veteran scouts and a com
pany of native scouts. all picked men
They were TO he landed by the gun
boat Nicksburg on a remote beach
north of Baler and were to proceed
overland guided by a former officer
of Aguinaldo, who had betrayed to
Funston the Filipino leaders abode.
To deceive the enemy it was ar
ranged that Aguinaldo's representa-
tive, who had given the information
to the Americans, should lead the ma
tive scouts and assume the character
of insurgents still loyal to the rebel
cause.
They were to make it appear that
they had captured Gen. Funston and
other American officers of high rank
and were taking them into the camp
of the insurgent chief to be delivered
as prisoners of war.
Then was to come the daring part
of the plan. The pretended prison
ers were to throw aside their as
sumed characters and seize Aguinal-
do, beat down any opposition that
might show itself, and hold their
prisoner, no matter how great the
peril or how great the forces of the
enemy.
To carry out the programme re-
quired long march into the interior,
and never-ceasing caution to guard
against treachery.
Washington, March 2s.-The cap
ture of Aguinaldo will be a source of
great satisfaction to the president
and his advisers. Coming so soon
after the surrenders reported by Gen.
Macarthur of prominent Filipino otli-
GERS and the successful establishment
of civil local government by the Taft
commission, they feel that the end of
the rebellious warfare in the islands
is near at hand.
The disposition of Aguinaldo now
that he has been apprehended will be
an interesting subject for the admin
istration to determine. The posi-
bility of his capture at any time al
ways has been kept in view and that
of his future has been a matter of
informal discussion by the officials
here. 1t is not believed, however
that any definite line of action was
ever determined upon in regard to
the matter. The attitude of the gov
ernment for long time past has
been one of comparative indifference
to Aguinaldo's capture, it having
been determined to crush the rebel
lion without regard to his where
abouts. His recent activity in di-
recting the operations against the
American forces probably brought
about the recent change in this atti-
tude.