The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-19
David Fagin, Who Challenged
Him to Duel, is Dead.
Had Deserted to FiIipinOs on
Account Of Love Affair.
HUNTED MERCILESSLY.
Believed to Be Man Who Killed
Captain Godfrey.
Head of Pagan Brought in by
Natives.

Washington. April 19.-David Fagin
the gigantic negro who deserted from
the Twenty fourth United States in
fantry, Joined the Filipino forces and
fought with desperation, has been
killed. He successfully eluded the reg
ular forces of the United States, and
the honor of his killing rests with the
native troops, who shot him and then
brought in his head as a trophy to sub
stantiate their story
No other man that ever deserted from
the United States has been so relent-
lessly hunted by his comrades as Fa-
gin. Particularly have the men of the
Twenty second United States infantry
been after him. as he is believed by
them to have killed Capt. Godfrey, of
that regiment. near Mount Corona.
Fagin and a band of Filipinos had in
trenched themselves along a road on
which Capt. Godfrey and his company
We're coming.
Capt Godfrey was at the head of his
men and was the first to see the in
surgent trenches. He dismounted and
was standing by his horse when sud
denly his men saw the gigantic figure
of Fagin rise from behind the trenches,
and standing, take deliberate aim at
Capt Godfrey and fire. At the instant
he fired there was vOlley from the
trenches, and While it is not known for
a certainty that Fagin killed Capt.
Godfrey, his men all believe that he
did.
Love for a native Filipino woman
was the cause Of Fagin's desertion and
consequent loss of his head. She held
out promises to him of advancement in
the insurgent forces if he would desert.
and after a protracted vino" debauch
he left his regiment and joined the in
surrectiOnist force under Colonel Pa
dillo, then operating in the northern
section of the island of IuzOn. PadiIo
n n tan M
and gave him a separate command
Fagin soon became a hero in the eyes
of the Eflipin0s, and was eventually the
last to leave the trenches after his men
had taken to flight. Colonel Padillo be-
came discouraged at the progress made
by the revolution and came in and sur
rendered. His wife was being brought
down to Manila on a river gunboat
! when Fagin and his band attacked the
boat. In the melee which ensued
Colonel Paddles wife was shot through
the shoulder by Fagin's band and came
near losing her life.
1t was Fagins band that captured
Lieut.. Alstatter. of the engineer corps,
and kept him prisoner for several
months. Pagan took Lieut.. Alstatter' )
class ring. The men who brought IN
| Fagin's head also brought in Lieut.. AL
statter's ring, which is regarded as con-
/ elusive proof that Fagin was killed as
! the natives reported.
Fagin knew that he would never be
I allowed 10 surrender as We're the Fill
pinos. Even though some officer had
! been present TO protect him. the troops
/ would have killed him without the for
\ mality of a trial. Had he been cap
tured alive he would undoubtedly have
been shot as deserter who had Joined
/ the enemy.
The latter part of Fagin's opera lions
1 were III the district commanded BY
! Brigadier General Funston personally
/ Upon one occasion when Funston was
in the field Fagin sent him a challenge
! The deserter asked that Funston place
/ himself al the head of a given number
1 of men and that he, Fagin, would dc
the same with his men, and they coul1
I fight it out The negro also offered, i
| Gen Funston preferred. to meet be
! tween the two forces and have a per
| sonal encounter.
Gen Funston became greatly angered
at this, and every command in his brig