Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-17
Record Of Cases Tried by Military
Commissions.
OPERATIONS OF THE SANDATAHANS
Furnishing Members Of the Famous
Oathbound Band.
DETAILS OF THEIR CRIMES

Philippine mail brings to the War De-
partment the records in eleven cases
wherein Filipinos were tried by military
commissions a variety of charges which
practically cover the field of crime, and in
clude murder, rape kidnapping, assault and
battery, burglary and violation of the :ules
of war.
An especially notable case was that hav-
ing to do with the operations of a famous
oath bound band of Filipinos called the
Society of the "Sandatahans." The princi-
pal officers of that society, next to a tri-
umvirate of Chiefs are a chief executioner
and his assistants, and requisite number
of grave diggers, who participate in the
self-apponted work of the band The lead
select their victim, capture and carry
him away in the night to secret rendez
vous, usually on sandy beach covered
with very tall grass, where the diggers
have already prepared the grave. Here, in
the presence of the assembled band, help
less men and women have from time to
time been stabbed to death and tossed into
the graves. The members of the band then
dispense, and trust to the rise and fall Of
the nearby waters to hide the evidences Of
their CHASTITY work. Ten members of the
band, including two of the chiefs, were
tried before a military commission, and
eight of them were sentenced to be hanged.
In approving the sentences in these cases.
General Macarthur says: ITO the review
ing authority it is evident that there can be
no hope of peace for the Filipino people,
nor security for their lives and property
until they shall learn to unite together
against all bands of murderers and assas-
SINS under whatever name they shall as
sumo, and come to the assistance of the
officers of the law in their determination to
bring them all to justice"
Kidnapping and Murder.
In another case an armed band Of about
twenty-five Filipinos carried away nine Of
the Inhabitants of the barrio of Casantu-
lacian, and by repeated blows from the
butts of their rifles drove them to the
presidential of Cabaruan. Here all hands
drank freely of vino, and the prisoners
were made drunk. Then, according to the
testimony of two Of the prisoners who es-
capped the other seven were led off in the
direction of grove of trees, where, two
days later, their bcheaded bodies were dis
covered The members Of the band who
were captured received sentence of death in
some cases and Imprisonment at hard labor
for varying terms in others.
Four native policemen, who had been
sent out to gather wood for detachment
or American troops We're set upon. One
OF their number was killed and another
lost his arm. member of the band which
attacked them was sentenced to twenty
years Imprisonment.
Tried on Four Charges.
A native named Miranda was tried on
four charges. A band under his leadership
ambushed, robbed and killed two native
brothers. Later the accused led his band
against the country house of a native, set
it afire, looted it's contents and carried off
into the fields three daughters of the own
er, robbing them of their iewelry Three
days later his band attacked the town res
1dence of the same native and thoroughly
sacked it. His last crime was the murder
Of a native named AbelinO who frequent ed
a gambling house kept by his inamorita for
the sole reason that Abelino had not paid
gambling debt. Miranda was sentenced
to be hung
Three natives We're tried charged with
the murder of Private Henry F. Schafer
Company l., 18th Infantry. They were
sentenced to be hanged by military COM
mission, but this was committed by Gen.
Macarthur, in the case Of two of them, to
imprisonment for life, and in the case Of
the other one, to Imprisonment for twenty
years.
A TraitOrOus Omcfa1.
Jose Baligod the presidente-elect of the
pueblo Of Tuao under the system establish
ed by the American government, while ex-
ercising the functions of his office became
cognizant of the organization of band in
neighboring barro for the purpose of at
lacking the small garrison of nineteen
American soldiers stationed at Tuao He
traltorously co-operated with the leader OF
the band, advised him as to the most au-
spicious time to make an attack, intercept
ed a messenger sent to warn the Americans
and otherwise treacherously abused the
trust of his office. He was sentenced to be
confined at hard labor for twenty years.
Severino de GIia, vice president of Ba-
coor, while returning In carbonate "a
native vehicle) from San Nicolas, Cavite
province, was set upon by native band.
They struck the coachman senseless and
vice tpyo
young sons, who were with him at the time
Some distance off they shot him dead be-
fore the eyes Of his children and hung his
body on pile of rocks. A member of the
band who was captured was sentenced to
be hanged.
Three natives were Jointly tried on a
charge of being part Of an armed band of
robbers which forced an entrance into the
home of a native, robbed it of money, jew
elry and other valuables, forced the inmates
to come out of the house. bound and NAL
treated the men and brutally assaulted the
women. Two of them were sentenced to
Imprisonment at hard labor for twenty