West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-05-20
Corporal O'Brien Says This
Was Unwritten Command to
Soldiers In Philippines.
OFFICERS GOT INTOXICATED
Insulted Women-Dum-Dum Bullets
Were Used, He Alleges, and Old
Men Murdered-TWo Shot Down
Under Flag of Truce.

Washington, May 90. Former
Corporal Richard O'Brien, Of North
Adams, Mass, Of Company M,
Twenty-sixth volunteers, who served
in the Philippines for Is months, was
before the senate committee on the
Philippines yesterday. His testimony
was in part:
He said he had been present at
Igbaras when the water cure was adj
ministered to the presidente OF that
town. There was" ne said, "a
Spanish woman in the town. WON
an Of education-who was violated by
the American officers" Senator
Lodge asked for the names Of the Of
ficers. These, the witness said, he
could not give, adding that he had not
witnessed the incident, but that the
woman's husband was his authority
for the statement
Democrats Objected to Hearsay.
Senator Rawiins and Senator Pat
terson objected to the testimony as
| mere hearsay, ard urged that it
should not go into the record. The
witness then was asked If he could
| not give further proof Of the correct
| ness Of his charge. In response he
said that at San Joaquin the presi
dente Of that place gave reception
| to which 2 number Of native women
were invited from Iloilo. "They
were," he said, above the average
not peasant women"
Among those present were Captain
Mcdonald, Lieutenant Plummer, OF
Company M, and Major Cook. The
witness said these officers became in
| toxicated 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 DISCUS. of the
women. This he saw.
Further questioning brought out
the fact that O'Brien had not been or
good terms with Captain Mcdonald
This was due, he said, to the fact
that Mcdonald had failed to issue tn;
rations due to his men. He believed
though he had no proof, that the of
icer had sold the Eations which
should have been issued to the men
He went on to say that there wa:
a price on the captains head, offered
by the insurgents, because Of the of
ficer's cruelties. Witness had seer
him strike Filipino prisoner ovel
the head with revolver and sale
that the water cure was administered
to the same prisoner after he haC
taken the oath of allegiance.
O'Brien related the particulars o.
the capture of the town of Lo Nag, il
the province Of Panay. AS tn,
troops approached the town they saw
at a distance native boy on a cara
boo and one Of the men fired a sho
at him, but as his bullet failed to hi
its object others also fired, himsel
included. At first the witness sal.
he had fired in obedience to order.
and then said that there had been M
orders to fire.
Natives Shot Down Under Truce.
This shooting" he proceeded
brought the people to their doors
and among those who came out wa.
an old man who was shot in the alb
domen AMI afterwards died. Later
while the firing was in progress, TIVE
other old men, between the ages o
90 and 40, | should say, came out to
ward US, hand in hand, bearing /;
white flag. Both We're shot down
and the sergeant reported TO Captain
Mcdonald that he had killed TIVE
more .niggers. Another case wa.