The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-05-16
ROOT MAY RETIRE
KILL AND BURN ORDER is NOT
APPROVED.
General Smiths Acquittal Certain Be
cause the Secretary Of War Was Re-
sponsble For the Order

WASHINGTON, May S.-secretary
Roots justification of the methods pur-
sued by General Smith in Samar and
General Bell in Batangas is rather sur
prlsing to many of the republican mem
bers of Congress. The question has nat
urally arisen why an order by cable for
the COurt-martial of Smith should have
been sent by the Secretary of War if he
approved the retaliation methods en-
plOyed. 1t is well understood that the
order for the cOurt-martial was pre-
pared at the White House, but it bore
the signature of the Secretary of War
In some quarters the disposition is to
believe that the Secretary of War is so
dissatisfied with the course of events
that he may resign. 1t is pointed out
that he would hardly care to remain at
the head of the department if Congress
should refuse to indorse his approval
of the Bell-Smith orders.
In the Senate there has been no dis
position so far to justify the kill and
burn order of General Smith. On the
contrary, Republican members of that
body have severely criticized it and
have stated that the abuses were not
approved by the administration.
The verdict Of the Smith cOurt-mar-
tial has not yet been received. No one
doubts but it will be acquittal. 1t is
~ convict General Smith for conducting
campaign that mad received the ap-
prevail of the Secretary of War.
LYNN, Mass, May 5.-One thousand
Filipino prisoners shot in platoons over
the graves they themselves had been
forced to dig. A priest who acted in
the dual capacity of father confessor
and general, hanged by the neck until
dead, the hanging taking place before
the slaughter of the prisoners and
within their sight.
Such are some of the charges made
by J. Pennett Walker, a private in
Company l, Sixteenth Infantry, now at
SorsOgon, in the Philippines, in letters
to his father the Rev. w. II. Walker
DID, of this city.
Dr. Walker has more than dozen of
these letters. He refused to make them
public, however as he says: The story
is too fearful My boy has written to
me as a son to his father, and in the
face of the inquiry now going on | fear
ii might bring him into trouble with
his superors He writes of a hike Is
went on with men under Lieutenant
Burr. A hike is an expedition in search
| of rebels. He writes that the detach-
ment went to Vrosin, eighteen miles
from SOrsogon, and took possession of
a bamboo church there. The insur-
gents were routed twelve were killed
and two captured. The two prisoners
told of the location of the insurgent
army and agreed to act as guides. The
entire command was ordered out the
| insurgents were taken by surprise, 800
OF them killed and 1000 taken prisoners,
| including a priest who was their gem
| eral and father cOnfeSSOr.
This band proved to be a secret or
| ganzation known as the Katipunan.
| The priest assured them that if by any
| chance a Yankee bullet did hit and kill
| them they would come to life again in
three days. The priest was called out
! to tell the insurgents that they mad
| been duped. He refused to do so, al
| though he was logged, and as an eX-
ample was strung up to a tree and al
| lowed to remain there a week that all
could see he did not come to life.
The Katysuman were so supersti-
| tiOuS and such fanatics that the
| thought of liberating them could not
| be entertained. To keep them prison
ers would necessitate the placing of
! the soldiers on short ratiOns, if not
starving them. There was nothing to
do but to kill them. This was done by
squads. Every morning three squads
of twenty men each were sent out I'M
der guard. They We're taken mile or
so inland and then furnished picks and
shovels and started to work
when they had dug a trench five
| feet deep they were told to stand up in
it. The picks and shovels We're taken
away. In this fashion the entire
thousand were put out of the way of
| harm"