Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-04-10
TRYING SERVICE.
Troops in Philippines Have
Hard Row to Hoe.

Natives are GnifermaIy Treacherous-
Harsh Treatment Being Dealt out to
them-Aguinaldo's Capture will Prob
ably Hasten the end of armed Rests.
tance-An Interesting Interview with
Captain Casteel.
Captain Casteel has been busy
greeting his friends and acquaintance
since he returned from the Philip
pines. He is very glad to get back
home after his trying experience Oh
the other side of the world. He left
here two years ago this summer and
has taken part In some of the hardest
campaigning that has been done by
any of the newer regiments sent TO
the seat of war.
lie Was seen by a representative Of
this paper and talked very entertain
ingly OF his experiences while away.
The Captain was very modest in his
narrative but enough has been learn
ed from the official reports sent in
about the regiment to show that he
has made one of the best records of
any officer who has been in the SER
vice during the past two years.
The hardest battle since the tirst
fighting at Manila was participated
in by the men under his command
and he was greatly praised by his
superiors for his conduct on that oc-
casion. Full particulars of the fight
were given by this paper at the time
that it occurred.
That the revolution is at an end
is believed by the Captain and he
says that had the policy of dealing
vigorously with the insurgents been
adopted in the first place that it
would not have lasted as long as it
did. The capture of Aguinaldo will
undoubtedly have great deal of eff
feet on the remaining hostiles.
He has been the backbone Of the
fighters and with him out of the way
there is chance to quell the rest.
The treachery of the natives is mark
ed and universal. Many of the men
killed under Geronimo wore hats is
sued TO them by the government.
They had been employed III the sani-
tary department at Manila.
butchered by unknown foes. Later
on letters fell into the hands of the
Americans which showed that the
men who had committed the crime
had been in daily contact with their
victims and that they had returned
to work among the Americans after
the commission of the crime. They
were tried by military court and SEN
fenced to be hanged. These sentences
were afterward committed to long
terms of Imprisonment
There are no civil courts in the
Philippines and all cases are tried
before military courts. The practice
now is to use great severity in all
cases in the hopes of crushing the in
surgents and their apparently friend
ly allies.
Captain Casteel was one of the ten
officers in the 9th regiment who
were recommended for examination
for appointment in the regular army
He had made his arrangements to
come home before the orders were re-
ceived and he did not take the exam
nations. A second opportunity may
be given him to take the test.
Very few relics were brought back
by him as the country had been swept
clean by the first volunteers to reach
the islands. However he has gun
and sword captured in the big scrap
mentioned above. A curious discov
cry made by officers may explain the
small number OF casualties experienced
in the fighting against the insurgents.
Many of the rifles captured showed that
the rear sights had been taken off and
only the forward sights retained. The
rebels in firing hold their arms at the
hip and of course they generally fail
to hit what they are supposed to be
shooting at.
Some OF the guns still had the
sights off them and the men armed
with them of course made better
staggers at the execution of their op-
ponents.
One OF the officers of the regiment
disappeared misteriously one day while
on his way TO Manila and was never
heard of afterward He was travel
ing a road which was in constant use
by the troops and no hostiles were
known to be in miles OF the place.
No trace Of the officer or of his grave
If he had been killed was ever found
The natives carry their bolos under
the shirts and as they wear these gar
ments outside of their trousers the
weapons are out of sight. Whenever
fayorite opportunity occurs out
comes the knife and the unlucky chap
who is alone or in in small party
gets generously sliced by the dusky
sneak.
A prominent Characteristic OF the
natives is never to fight single handed
with each other. The only fight that
the captain saw was between several
men on one side who jumped on to
another one along snd carved him in
to shoe strings.
To take away the boo robs them of
hni re