The age-herald., 1901-12-20
General Chafea Says History
 Affords No Parallel
PRIEST TRIED FOR MURDER
Native AssassIns Would Confess to Him, But He Held That He Could Not Violate the Con-
 fidence Thus Bestowed.

WdSHiuBlOt' D6CCAiiDSA 4Os-AAiSbOAS lords no parallel of a whole people thus practically war traitors and in the genius of no other people was ever found such masterful powers of secrecy and dis stimulation but 1t Is needless to say that no powerful state was ever erected or can be erected on such immoral and unenlightened foundation"
 This statement was made by General Chaffee, military governor of the Philip pines in a review of a number of court martial cases In the islands; the records of which have been received at the war department.
 The case which brought forth this com ment from General Chaffee was one wherein seven natives were tried jointly on a charge of murder. The accused were soldiers in the insurgent army and after defeat by the American army in the field abandoned even the show of open opposi- tion, such as the half uniformed guer- rila bands make, and took up their residence at Fay Fay, in Luzon, a place protected by an American garrison Then, following the proclaimed policy Of the insurgent chiefs, they proceeded to organize secretly & bolo band. When authorization had been given to establish government the band came forward un- der the leadership of a resident padre and were elected municipal officers of Fay Fay. In all lawful matters they served with the appearance of loyalty to the Am erican government, while at the same time they labored secretly and diligent- ly in the interests of the instruction.
 Treachery Everywhere.
 This dual form of government says General Chaffee, existed everywhere in strongly garrisoned cities like Manila, as well as the smallest barrie. The muni- cipal officers of Fay Fay next entered upon a series of murders and continued their deadly work until the growing num- Der of mysterious disappearances led to the discovery of the perpetrators by the American authorities.
 "One undeniable truth" says General Chaffee, stands out in this case as in hundreds of like cases of murder, that the average native of these islands has not more than. the merest rudimentary conception of his individual rights and duties as a man; and no one knows this go well as the willy chiefs who use him for their nefarious purposes"
 Six of the seven natives were sentenced to be hanged but General Chaffee com- muted the sentence of three of them to Imprisonment at hard labor for life.
 The seventh native, Deposoy, a regu- larly ordained priest, asked for and was granted a separate trial When Fay Fay was given a permanent garrison of Amer ican troops, Deposoy was found there in the regular pursuit of his calling as cur ate of the pueblo. He cultivated the good will of the American officers and prom ised to aid them in keeping peace.
 Elected Bigoted Mon.
 But when the elections to American civil government offices were held he put forward and caused to be elected as pres idente Caledonia Javier, whom General Chaffee describes as an lliterate and bigoted man, whom Deposoy well knew was an officer of insurgents and whom he commended to the people as the best man for the office because he was bold" At his trial Deposoy, who was held to be the chief aggressor in the Fay Fay muss, took advantage of the loophole WnlCn dppedTeQ lO Ue dHOTueu Dy HE pO- sition as a priest, by contending that while the participators in the wholesale murders in Fay Fay would confess the same at confessional, he was compelled by his sacred office to keep silence. Gem eral Chaffee pronounced this defense of no value, saying that "the confessional does not lay upon any man, priest or laymen the obligation of suppressing knowledge of crimes being committed by third parties. the consummation of which could have been prevented without vio- lating the secrecy of the confessional"
 In this particular case 1t is stated the knowledge of the crimes was brought di- rectly to the priests notice. and was not gained through the confessional. Gen. eral Chaffee confirmed the sentence of death imposed by the court-martial which tried Deposoy, but commuted the sem tence to twenty years Imprisonment at hard labor 'out of respect for his call ing and of the great religious organiza- tion of which he is a most unworthy member