Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-02-12
A PHILIPPINE BUTCHER.

A PHILIPPINE BUTCHER.
Francisco Brnganza, and One of the
Deeds That Make Him Infamous.
Francisco Braganza was the bloodi-
est butcher that the Filipino insurrec-
ton produced. That is a strong state
ment, but read his exploits. This mes
tizo, who developed into such a mon
strous fiend, was formerly rural
schoolmaster, maestro Of San Fernan-
do, Camarines. Upon the revolt Of
the Guardia Civil, at Nueva Caceres,
in September, 1898, Brazanza became
an officer in the insurgent army, and
by the next February had been promo
ted to be omandante-major. His su-
periors were Of his own stripe-Ange-
les, Guevarra, the now notorious Lux
ban, and Pena. Under their fanatical
teaching Braganza became the worst
Of all in hatred for every man who had
a white face.
During 1899 the Camarines began to
be filled with Spanish prisoners Of war,
who were kept in captivity because
America was continuing Spain's war
with the Filipinos." Seven columns Of
these captives, mostly beardless con-
scripts, were sent over the wilds Of
eastern Tabayas and through the tan
gled wilderness between Lopez and
Ragay, in the southern Camarfnes, and
altogether some 900 prisoners were in
the provinces Of Albay and Ambos,
Camarines. when General J. M. Bells
expedition appeared in San Miguel Bay,
in February, 1900.
There was large number Of prison.
ers in Libmanan, five miles from the
bay, and several hundred in and around
Nueva Caceres. The insurgents were
panic-stricken at the appearance Of the
the huge transports, and hastily pre-
pared for flight to the interior towns
around Mount Iriga. The Libmanan
captives were hurried over to Pam
plona and thence to San Fernando.
From the latter Pueblo they were sent
to Minalabag, a town on the Bicol riv-
er, some three miles from Nueva Ca
ceres.
General Bell, in the meantime, was
not idle. Two battalions Of the Fortieth
infantry were thrown ashore, north of
the mouth of the Bicol, and one Of the
Forty-flfth to the south Of it, near the
town Calabanga. The Fortietn defeat
ed the enemy at Libmanan on the 21sr,
and the same day the Forty-f1fth rout-
ed another force at Calabanga. The
following day, Washington's birthday,
two more battalions Of the Forty-f1fth
and the remainder Of the Fortieth
steamed up the deep Bicol, in launches
and boats and took Nueva Caceres.
There halt was made by the column;
but at 9 o'clock the Forty-flfth stole
out on the Iriga road to rescue large
number of Spanish prisoners who had
been taken from Nueva Caceres by Pc
ma. The next day they were nearly all
rescued near Baao by Colonel Dorst.
The colonel did not pause In his pur-
suit of the demoralized enemy until he
had passed through Iriga, Palangui and
Guinobotan, even to the outposts Of the
Forty-seventh at Daraga, near the city
of Legaspi, in Albay province.
Meantime the Libmanan prisoners
were hurried from pillar to post. At
Minalabag they had been placed under
charge Of Braganza, who took them up
the river past Bula, to barrio known
as Baliuag. Well Is that sinister name
now known in Spain. Here the poor,
tired, helpless prisoners, bound, with
their arms behind them, were to finish
their earthly marches, and the shots OF
the American Krags, in the distance
marked the end of their young lives.
Into the mind Of the savage Brazan-
"a but one thought could enter-the
Americans were coming to rescue the
Spanish and the only way to defeat
their plans was to kill the prisoners.
There was a cocoanut palm grove near
by, and here the captives were driven
and bound. Then, led on by this fiend,
whose deeds would make an Apache
envious, the horrible orgy Of murder
commenced, and with spear, knife, bolo
and club the sickening scene went on
until 1O3 young soldiers lay dead in the
cocales Of Baliaug. Then after rifiing
the pockets of the dead, Braganza and
the other assassins fled to join their
fugitive comrades in the wild hills to
the west of the Bicol, above Mintlabag.
However, all things have an end, and
in April, 1901, Braganza presented him
ise:f as an insurgent officer and took
the oath-but he was deceived as to the
ignorance of the Americans. Different
officers had heard the tale and already
enough evidence was in hand to convict
him a dozen times over. He was ar
rested in a few days by Captain ]. A.
Ryan, then provost marshal Of Neuva
Caceres, and tried before a military
commission of which Lieutenant
Lynch, Fifteenth infantry, was judge
advocate. He was convicted and sem
fenced to be hanged on November Is,
but on a long petition was reprieved
until yesterday, December 13.-Manila
Critic.
| - The president has approved, with
one notable exception, all the recon-
| rnando tinns made nv the army breyet