The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-07
Charging American Soldiers with
About Many Acts Of Kindness.
WARM DEBATE IN THE SENATE
GENERAL SMITH DENOUNCED BY MIR.
TURNER, OF WASHINGTON.
Called a Monster I'm Human Form for
Issuing the "KiIl and Burn" Order
to Major Waller.
eciaI to the Indianapolis journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON May 6-When the de-
bate on the Philippine bill was opened in
the Senate this afternoon Senator Bever-
idge arose 10 read from the Record some
of the statements that have been made by
the Democratic senators on this subject
and compared them with the testimony of
witnesses who have been heard in refer
ence to the alleged torture and cruelty of
the American officers and soldiers towards
the Filipinos He had stated that he would
not make speech upon this bill, and did
not intend to- but he had heard so many
statements which he considered incorrect
that he thought the people should know
the statements of the Democratic senators
are not in conformity with the testimony
of numerous reliable witnesses who have
appeared and given testimony. He has
been a very attentive listener TO the de-
bate that has been in progress for three
weeks and with his knowledge by observa-
ton of the condition of affairs in the Phil
ippines and what has been stated by wit
nesses here he could not refrain from con-
fronting the Democratic leaders with a few
bits of truth. Senators Patterson, Rawlins,
Carmack and Teller, all of whom are good
debaters took their turns questioning and
cross-questioning Senator Beveridge, but
he had a ready answer for each OF them.
Briefly stated. Mr.. Beveridge criticised
the members of the opposition. because, as
he said. they persisted in telling in their
speeches only one side OF the story. While
he admitted that some outrages had been
committed by American soldiers in the
Philippines, it was true too, that unparal-
leled kindness had been shown by the
American troops TO Filipino prisoners and
Filipino wounded. Food and medicine, he
said, had been shared with them. and they
had been succOred on the battlefield and
cared for tenderly in the hospital While
saying that the omission to tell this side of
the story by the Democrats was uninten-
tional. he suggested that it was unfair to
make an arraignment of the American SOL
dier ard not tell both sides.
CASE OF O'HERNE.
After going over the remarks of the
Democratic senators as they have appeared
in the Record. Senator Beveridge took up
the case of O'Herne. on whose account it
has been charged that dozen Fnipinos
had been horribly tortured. 1T has been
proved he said, Ito my satisfaction (ev-
erN senator must SPEAK lOI HlfuStlIJ ludl
what is known as the water cure was ad-
ministered in this dreadful case TO ascer-
tain what had become of O'Herne. That IT
was thereby ascertained that OHerne had
been ambushed. had been tied TO a tree and
had been hacked with bolos, burned with a
slow fire and, after being burned and
charred, had been buried, and that our SOL
diers went TO the spot after they had been
told of it, dug up those bones, identified
them by the loss OF a missing tooth and
from the fact that IL was an American
skeleton. That much, 1 think. is true, to
my satisfaction at least. There is no cyl
dence TO the contrary"
Senator Patterson took exceptions TO the
manner of identification of the body, but
upon this argument the Indiana senator
convinced the Senate that there was no
doubt the skeleton that OF OHerne
and that he had been tortured by the Fill
pinos In the manner stated. Senator Pat
terson was determined 10 blame the Amer
lean soldier for many tortures.
Senator Beveridge then continued: The
incident OF the Identification OF OHerne.
while do not think IL is at all flluminative
OF this question or that any OF these things
are illuminative OF this great question, or
OF the policy which Is involved In II. IL is
nluminative OK the fact that, no matter how