The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-24
GIRL APPEALS
TO ROOSEVELT
Miss CIemencia Lopez Makes
Plea for Brothers Freedom.
PRISONERS IN BATANGAS
She Alleges They Have Been
Treated Cruelty.

Washington, May 2s-The senate COM
mittee on the Philippines today made
public a petition presented by Miss
Clemencia Lopez. a sister Of sixto Lo-
peg. TO the president for the release OF
three Of her brothers of the province OF
Batangas, who have been taken into
custody by General Bell and sent to the
Island Of Talim, where she says they
are undergoing great hardships. Miss
Lopez is in Boston and her petition is
dated there. March Is last. The text Of
the petition covers several printed pages
but the facts and also the plea by Miss
Lopez are summarized in the following:
Three Of my brothers, Lorenzo. Cipi-
rano and Manuel Lopez are prisoners in
the Island of Talma. All the property of
my family has been seized and we are
almost destitute. Against two of my
brothers there is no definite charge
nor have any OF them even been allowed
a courtmartial. Ny brother Cipriano is
accused, without evidence. OF having con-
cealed fifty guns. when he surrendered
with his troops in March, 1901 More
over. four of the superintendent Of our
estates have been arrested and have
been inhumanly punished 10 make them
give up those supposed guns. Ny family
has always been friendly with the Amer
lean officials; my Oldest brother. Mar
iano having rendered them valuable ser
vice in pacifying several provinces. and
our town OF Balayan is the only perma-
nent pacined town in the province of
Batangas. The authorities of the Phil
ippincs have refused TO hear Us and
therefore because Of such great injustice
have come directly to you. Mr.. Presi-
dent, 10 beg of you to give Us Justice
She says that when the superintendent
Of the estates were arrested they were
cruelty beaten. one of them dying as a
result of the blows inflicted by the sold
iers.
Among the papers is a report on the
case by Charles z. Magoon. law officers
of the division of insular affairs q the
Philippines islands, war department,
who recommended that the petition be
not granted for the following reasons:
I. That under the conditions existing in
Batangas province in December. 1901,
Brigadier General Bell. in the instance
under consideration. exercises a lawful
in a lawful manner.
-. That the showing made by the pa
pers filed herein is not sufficient to over
throw the presumption that the action
taken by the authorities in Batangas was
warranted by the facts and the necessi-
ties of the military situation"
The presidents position in the matter
is made known through the following
note from Secretary Cortelyou to Mrs.
Mabel Bayard Warren of Boston. under
date of April %:
The president has received your note
of the 22nd inst. and requests me TO say
in reply that he has gone carefully over
with the war departments the matter
Of which you write. having been in cor
respondence with the authorities at
Manila and in consultation with Cover |
nor Taft and that he does not think /
anything can properly be done He viii /
see Secretary Root on his return from /
Cuba, but there appears 10 be con- /
census of opinion that no injustice was /
done"