The Washington times., 1902-05-10
Survivor Tells of Cause and
Circumstances of MasSa-
: Gre at Balangiga.
DEAD OFFICERS MUTIlATED
Eyes Gouged Out and Toy Flags Insert
ed in Hoies-Cheeks Cut Open and
Filled With Jam-Natives Subjected
to Indignities.

William J. Gibbs. of Springfield. Mass,
formerly corporal OF Company Of the
Ninth Infantry, a survivor of the massacre
of members of that regiment at Baian-
giga, Samar. was on the stand in the
Senate District Committee yesterday. and
gave a description of that affair.
The witness told how the seventy-two
men belonging to Captain Connells COM
pany were set upon by force OF natives
armed with bolos while they were at
breakfast. The only signal he heard was
n yell from the native chief OF police. at
which the Filipinos rushed on the men at
table and killed most of them by cutting
off their heads.
Killed Trying to Escape.
Seven started for the boats and were
killed on the way. \ number of others
were killed while trying to get to their
barracks, where their guns were. Gibbs
said that he was. standing near the bar
racks at the time, but he was set upon
and cut twice in the check and twice on
the ankle before he could reach his gun.
Then he. Corporal yurke and Private
Clarke made a stand and shot down
number of the natives. Altogether there
were about tifty-fouT Americans killed in
the massacre.
The reason for the outbreak was, wit
ness thought. anger against Captain Con-
nell's order compelling the natives to
clean up their town. All able-bodied
men of the village were ordered TO assist
:n the work.
At night these natives were confined in
two Sibley tents. forty-ive men to the
tent They were so crowded that they
could not lie down fat. but passed the
night on their launches II was the
rainy season, and the ground was wet,
but they were not allowed to have mat
ting.
Afraid to Complain to Officers.
The natives complained OF this to the
soldiers, but were afraid to make COM
plants to the officers. In the morning
they were given bolos and set to cutting
down underbrush and clearing up rub
bish. The work was designated for san
ftary rcasods, md also to avoid the pos
sibilities of enemies hiding in the under
brush.
The natives were kept at work from Z
in the morning until al night. Their
women brought them three meals day.
They were kept in the tents four nights.
After that they were allowed to go to
their homes. Later, about a week before
the massacre, a party of natives were
brought in from the mountains and treat
cd in the same way.
When Captain Connell first went to Ba-
langfnga he told the people that his pur-
pose was peaceful, but If they were not
peaceful he and his men would fight The
a \
seem TO be friendly from the first day of
their arrival.
The Soldier Missing.
About five days before the massacre an
old native woman came in and made a
complaint that one of the soldiers had
attacked her An immediate search was
made for the man. but he could not be
found, and he has never been seen since.
The next morning his choes we're found.
The woman showed no external evidence
Of having been attacked, and the COM
plant was not believed to be true. bu
merely a ruse to cover The disappearance
of the soldier. Gibbs stated that he knew
the man well and did not believe that he
would do such a thing.
AFTER tne HssSdcIe ne nau talked with
members of the party that had buried
the Americans, and they said the bodies
we're nearly all OF them mutlated They
had dug out Lieutenant Bumpus eyes
and stuck toy flags in t1le sockets. They
had cut open his cheek and stuffed the
hole SO made with jam found in the com
missary stores. They had also cut off the
fingers and different parts of the bodies
of the other soldiers killed.