Woodruff County news., 1901-06-20
|BY TIE PHILIPPINE MAIL.
Records in the Cases of Filipinos Convicted by Military Courts
 of Atrocious Crimes.
DETAILS OF SEVERAL NOTABLE CASES.
The Filipino Bandits Prove Them selves to He Capable of the Most Horrible Crimes, Which Must be Met With Determined Expressive Measures.

Met With Determined Hepress1Ve Measures.
 Washington, June 18.-A Philippine mail brings to the war department the records in Il cases wherein Fili- pinos were tried by military commits sions on charges including murder, criminal assault, Kidnapping, assault | and battery, burglary, and violation | of the rules of war.
 An Especially Notable Case.
 An especially notable case arose out
 of the operations of famous oath
 bound band of Filipinos called the So- ciety of the Sandatahans." The prin- cipal office of this society, next to a
 triumvirate of chiefs, are a chief ex-
 ecutioner and assistants, and requi-
 site number of grave diggers, who
 participate in the self appointed work
 of the band The leaders select their
 victim, capture and carry him away
 in the night to a secret rendezvous,
 on sandy beach covered with very
 tall grass, where the diggers already
 have prepared the grave. Here, in the
 presence of the assembled band, help
 less men and women, from time to | time, have been stabbed to death and | tossed into the graves. The members
 of the band then disperse, and trust
 to the rise and fall of the nearby wa | ters to hide the evidence of their
 ghastly work. Ten members of the | of nl,i inrs-
 were tried before military commits
 sion, and eight of them were sen
 fenced to be hanged.
 In appro' ing the sentence, Gen.
 Macarthur says:
 "To the reviewing authority it is tevident that there can be no hope ot
 peace for the Filipino people, nor se-
 curity for their lives and property,
 until they shall learn to unite against all bands of murderers and assassins,
 under whatever name they shall :. some. and come to the assistance of the officers of the law in their Ge-
 termination to bring them all to jus | tice.'
 Seven Were Massacred. III dHOGHer case an armed DdnQ O1 | about 25 Filipinos carried away nine of the inha habitants of the Barrie of | Casantulairan, and by repeated blows | from the butts of their rifles drove | them to the presidencia of Cabaruan. | Here all hands drank freely of vino, and the prisoners were made drunk | Then, according to the testimony of of Lo l other seven were led off in the direc- tion of grove of trees, where, two | days later, their beheaded bodies were | discovered. The members of the band | who were captured received sentences | of death in some cases, and imprison-
 ment at hard labor for varying terms | in others.
 Tried on Four Charges. A native named Miranda was 1 tried on four charges. A band, under | his leadership, ambushed, robbed and | killed two native brothers. Later the l accused led his band against the coun- | try house of native, set it afire
 footed its contents, and carried of into the field three daughters of the
 owner, robbing them of their jewelry | Three days later his band attacked
 the town residence of the same native
 and thoroughly sacked it. His last | crime was the murder of a native
 named Abelino, who frequented a
 gambling house kept by his inamorata
 for the sole reason that Abelino had
 not paid a gambling debt. Miranda
 was sentenced to be hanged.
 TraitOrOus Official
 Jose Baligod, the president-elect ot
 pueblo of Tuao, up6er the system es.
 tablished by the American govern.
 ment, while exercising the functions
 of his office, became cognizant of the
 organization of band in a neighbor.
 ing barrie for the purpose of attack. ing the small garrison of 19 American
 soldiers stationed at Tuao. He trai. | torously co-operated with the lead
 CT of the band, advised him as to the
 most suspicious time to make ain at. tack, intercepted messenger sent to
 warn the Americans, and otherwise treacherously abused the trust of his | Gf1ice. He was sentenced to be con.
 fined at hard labor for 20 years. Set Upon by Natives. | Severino de Guia, vice-president of
 Bacoor. while returning in carro.
 mata Ga native vehicle) from Sanni-
 colas, Cavite province, was set upon
 by native band. They struck the 1 coachman senseless, and carried oT | the yice-Dresidente and his two young | sons, who were with him at the time. | Some distance off they shot him dead before the eyes of his children, and flung his remains on pile of rocks. A member of the band, who was cap.