The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-09
WATER.CURE TESTIMONY
SOLDIERS TELL SENATOR'S WHAT
THEY saw IN PHILIPPINES.
Report ON the Death of Private Rich
t~er-Gencral Davis on the Situa-
ton in MindanaO.

WASHINGTON. May S-Isadore H.
DUDE, of Watertown. Mass. formerly SER
geant in Company A, ~Twenty-sixth Volun-
teer Infantry. testified before the Philip
pines committee to-day. He saw the water
cure administered to a native in the pres
ence of Lieutenant Conger and Captain
Glenn He also told of the burning Of
houses in the Island of Panay. He cited a
case where a woman was put into a guard
house with fifteen male native prisoners.
He said the Filipino prisoners and the
peaceful natives were treated with great
kindness by the Americans. January Ii.
Manning. of Boston. OF the same regiment,
said the water cure was administered to
natives by order of Captain Gregg to secure
confession as to the death OF Private
O'Herne. who was burned to death. He
said there was no doubt of the guilt of the
parties in the atrocity. He also testified to
the kind treatment accorded to Filipino
prisoners.
Sergeant DUDE said that while doing duty
at Jaro. in the Island of Panay. he con-
veyed a native apparently of wealth and
education to the house OF Lieutenant Con-
ger, Eighteenth Infantry. where the leu
tenant. Major Glenn and three privates of
the Eighteenth Infantry administered the
water cure apparently without any cause.
The witness described the burning of
houses during a march across Panay, and
told of the act Of their native guide in cut
ting off the head OF a Filipino with a bolo
before the troops could get him to sur
render.
Sergeant Manning, in his testimony, said
the first occasion he had seen the water
cure administered at Leon, Island OF Pa
nay. He said some of the F1lipinos were
supposed to have knowledge OF the murder
OF Private OHearn. and Captain Gregg
ordered witness and the men under him
TO apply the water cure to them. Captain
Gregg instructed them to be careful not
Ito abuse the prisoners. The witness
then described the cure and said that some
times IL would take a good deal of water
TO make the victim talk and some times
only a little. Answering Senator Patterson.
he said they had no direct proof that these
Ftipinos were the murderers of O'Hearn.
although the ringleaders had talked enough
about II TO place suspicion upon a number
or others The water cure caused them
not only to confess regarding others i'm
plicated. but TO implicate themselves. Some
cation.
Answering Senator Dietrich. the witness
said there was no doubt Of the guilt of the
parties, and when asked by Senator Gull
bersOn 10 explain why they were not tried
said that before they could be brought to
trial they endeavOred TO escape, with the
result that nine OF them were killed. two
escaped. and the others were released. He
had not. he said, witnessed the water cure
given TO any but these murderers. In the
summer of 1900 he had. he said. witnessed
the burning OF several barrios by United
states soldiers. The houses were supposed
20 be insurgent quarters. He also had seen
instances OF burning on the part of insur-
gents.
He was closely pressed by Senators Gull
berson and Rawlins for information tend
Ing TO show that il was the general under
standing In the army that the water cure
ras TO be applied wherever information
was sought 10 be secured. but the witness
declared that no such rule obtained in his
company.
Senator Patterson requested that the
laughter OF SiNto Lopez be summoned. but
the committee took no action.