Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-02
STOR Y
His Small Force Wore Uniform of
Filipino Insurgents.
THE AMERICANS SHAM PRISONERS
Natives, Who Were Strong sympathiz.
ers With Agunaldo, Mistook Funs-
ton Expedition for lnsurgent Rein
forcements and Furnished Food.

Manila, March 29.-General Fred
Funston, who on March 90, captured
General Emilio Aguinaldo, when inter.
viewed yesterday by the Associated
Press, made the following statement
concerning the capture of the Filipino
leader:
A confidential agent of Aguinaldo
arrived February % at Pantabangan
Province of Nueva Ecija, northern Lu-
zon, with letters dated January II IL
and IA. These letter were from EN-
lilo Aguinaldo, and directed to Balder-
nero Aguinaldo to take command OF
the provinces of Central Luzon, sup
planting General Alejandrino. Emilio
Aguinaldo also ordered that 400 men
be sent to him as soon as possible,
saying the bearer of the letters would
guide these men to where Aguinaldo
was.
Lacuna's Seal Secured.
General Funston secured the CORE.
spondence of Aguinaldo's agent, and
laid his plans accordingly. Some
months previously he captured the
camp of the insurgent General Lacuna
incidentally obtaining Lacuna's seal
official papers and quantity of signed
correspondence From this material
two letters were constructed, ostensi-
bly, from Lacuna to Aguinaldo. One
of these contained information as to
the progress of the war The other
asserted that pursuant to orders re.
ceived from Baldermo Aguinaldo, La.
cuna was sending his best company
to President Emilio Aguinaldo.
His plans were completed and ap
proved, and Funston came to Manila
and organized his expedition, select
ing seventy-eight Maccabebes, all OF
whom spoke Tagalog fiuently. Twen
ty wore insurgent uniforms, and 9th
ers the dress of Filipino laborers.
This Maccabebe company was arm
ed with fifty Mausers, eighteen Rem
ingtons and ten Krag-Jorgensens, and
was commanded by Captain Russell T
Hazard, of the Eleventh United
States volunteer cavalry. With him
was his brother, Lieut.. Oliver P. M
Hazard, of the same regiment. Capt
Harry w. Newton, of the Thirty
fourth infantry, was taken because OF
his familiarity with Casiguan bay, and
Lieut.. Burton ]. Mitchell of the For
tieth infantry, went as General Fun
ston's aide. These were the only
Americans accompanying the leader
of the expedition.
Faithful Natives.
With the Maccabebes were four ex
insurgent officers, one being Spen
/ lord ~ To
General Funston trusted implicitly
Funston and the officers wore plair
blue shirts, and khaki trousers. The,
carried each half blanket, but wore
no insignia of rank. The Maccabebes
| We're carefully instructed to obey the
orders of the four ex-insurgent officers
On the night of the Sth the party EN-
barked in the United States gunboa1
| Vicksburg, 1t was originally intended
to take cascoes from the island of Pc
| lilo and to drift to the mainland but 6
storm arose and three of the cascoes
were lost. The plan was abandoned
At 2 a. m. the 14th, the Vicksburg pu
her lights out and ran in shore twenty
five miles south of Casiguran, province
of Principle. The party landed ant
marched to Casiguran. The Ameri
cans had never garrisoned this place
and the inhabitants were strong insur
gent sympathizers.
Having arrived there the ex-insur
gent officers, ostensibly commanding
the party announced they were or
their way to join Aguinaldo between
Paulobang and Baler, that they hat
surprised an American surveying par
| ty and that they had killed number
and captured five. They exhibited
Funston and the other Americans al
prisoners.
Funston as Prisoner.
The insurgent presidents of Calgurar
believed the story. Two Of the Lucuns
letters, previously concocted, were for
warded to Aguinaldo at Palanan, PROV
ince of Isabella. Funston and other.
were kept imprisoned three days, sur
reptiously giving orders at night. Or
the morning of the 18th, taking small
quantity of cracked corn, the part,
started on ninety mile march tt
Palanan. The country is rough anc
uninhabited, and provisions could no
be secured. The party ate small shell
| fish, but were almost starved. Wad
ing swift rivers, climbing PERCEPTION.
mountains and penetrating dens,
jungle, they marched for seven day,
| and nights, and on the ed had reach
ed point eight miles from Palanan
They were now SO weak that it wa,
necessary to send to Aguinaldo's CAM
for food, Aguinaldo despatched sup
| plies and directed that the American
prisoners be kindly treated but not b,
allowed to enter the town.
Enter Palanan.
On the morning of the twenty-five
| the advance was resumed. The col
umn was met by the staff officers o
| Aguinaldo and detachment of Aguin
| aldo's bodyguard, which was ordered
to take charge of the Americans.
| While one of the ex-insurgent off
GERS conversed with Aguinaldo's aide
another, Spaniard, sent courier t,
warn Funston and the rest who, will
eleven Macabebes, We're about an hou
behind. Having received the warnin,
Funston avoided Aguinaldo's detacb
ment and joined the column, avoidin.
observation. The Tagalos went ahea,
to greet Aguinaldo and the colum,
slowly followed, finally arriving at Pa
/ 1an