Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-05-22
ALLEGED ATROCITIES
Former Corporal 0'Brien Testides
Before Philippine Committee.
CHARGE AGAINST AMERICAN OFFICERS
An Order Sent Along Line to Take No
dun" Bullets Used
The Burning Of Woman and Two
Children In Shack.

Washington, May 20.-Former Cor
poral Richard O'Brien, Of North Adj
ans, Mass, of company NJ, Twenty
sixth volunteers, who served in the
Philippines for IS months, was before
the senate committee on the Philip
pines yesterday. Before Mr.. O'Brien
took the witness stand Chairman
Lodge laid before the committee a
letter from Gen. R. p. Hughes, en-
closing a letter from Senator Culber-
son, of the committee, to Capt. v.
H. Bridgman, of Baltimore, and a re-
ply to that letter. In his letter Sen
ator Culberson said he had been in
formed that Capt. Bridgman could
give testimony Of having heard Gen.
Hughes and other officers give or
ders for the administration Of the
water cure. Capt. Bridgman's reply
contained a denial of this report.
Gen. Hughes in his letter said that
II there was to be an investigation
1t should be thorough and he en-
closed a roster Of officers in his COM
mand whom he said he would like to
have summoned II his conduct was
to be inquired into.
Witness O'Brien said that he had
been present at 1gbaras when the
water cure was administered to the
presidente Of that town and then
made a charge Of . serious nature
against the American officers there.
"There was" he said. q Spanish
woman in the town. woman Of edu-
cation-who was violated by the
American officers"
This statement was made without
any questioning and as sson a. the
witness had made II Senator Lodge
asked for the names Of the officers.
These the witness said he could not
give, adding that he had not wit
messed the incident, but that the
woman's husband was his authority
for the statement.
Senators Rawlins and Patterson
objected to the testimony as mere
hearsay and urged that it should not
90 into the record. The witness
then was asked II no could not give
further proof Of the correctness Of
his charge. In response he related
another instance Of disorderly con-
duct which, he said, had come under
his own observation. This occurred
at San Joaquin, the presidente OF
which place gave reception, to
which q number Of native women
were invited from Iloilo. "They
were," he said. "above the average
not peasant women" Among those
present were Capt. Mcdonald, Lieut..
Plumer, of company NJ, and Maj.
Cook. The witness said these officers
became intoxicated and, while in that
condition, threw off all their clothes
except their undershirts and their
trousers and, catching the women
about the waists, insisted on their
Waiting with them, much to the dis
gust of the women.
Further questioning brought out
the fact that O'Brien had not been
on good terms with his captain. This
was que, ne said. to the fact that he
had failed to issue the rations due his
men. He believed, though he had no
proof, that the officer had sold the
rations which should have been is
sued to the men. He said that they
had meat only twice a week and
bread only twice during the entire
IS months Of his stay in the Philip
pines.
O'Brien said that when the COM
pany was out marching single file
at night in the mountains the order
came back along the line to take no
prisoners, but he did not know who
issued the order. In case there was
fighting the natives either fed or
were killed.
The witness said II was "unwrit-
ten law out there to take no prison
ers."
He said "dum-dum" bullets were
issued in the regular way with other
ammunition. He had seen them
strike a man and take the top Of his
head of. He was questioned closely
by Senator Beveridge and described
them as explosive bullets. He had
not written home about these bull
let's, although he considered the use
of them revolving.
Answering questions as to the
burning Of woman and two chill
dren, he said the woman was in a
bamboo shack and appeared at the
door or the window. No effort was
made to rescue her, but 1t would have
been impossible. although she came
TO the door while the shack was
burning, He spoke of some articles
that he had written for the papers,
but said he wanted it understood that
he was not under oath when he wrote
than II oucxyar 10 Caua@or A.