The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-05-10
THE
WATER
CURE
Atrocities SIPracticed on Help
less FilipinOS
Description of the Way il is
Done.

|
Monahan, now a news agent on the
Southern Pacific between Osden and
San Francisco, but formerly a mem
Der of the Thirty-fifth Infantry, has
been talking for publication on mill
tar'y matters in the Philippines. In re
gard to the water cure he said to a re
porter of the Standard:
1--WE never got any direct orders to
aqua any Of the natives. When we
were sent out on a scouting detail we
were instructed to get the information
And aguaing' the Filipinos was the
only way we could get It. This is
about the way it would happen:
wed catch a Filipino out in the
mountains somewhere. Then we'd say
to him 'Habla, habla' (talk, TALK. AL.
most always he would say, No habla,,
or shake his head. Then some one
would say: Well, we'd better give this
fellow some lemonade-as we got to
calling it afterwards. Then we'd
aqua him.
Ordinarily. we'd take four men-one
for each arm and one for each leg.
Then we'd throw the insurrecto fiat on
his back and put the gam barrel cross
wise in his mouth. After that one of
the men would pour water from one
of their big earthen jugs into the fel-
lows mouth. When he'd begin to roll
his eyes and look wild, we'd stand him
up and tell him to 'habla. Sometimes
one jug was enough, and he'd tell
where rifles and ammunition were hid.
den. But most of the times It would
take three jugsfulls, and | have seen
as many as FIVE used. Then when we'd
stand him up and they wouldn't talk
one of the fellows would punch him
in the jaw or the stomach. have seen
Filipinos so full of water that it would
run out of their mouths
During my service in the Philip.
pines assisted in administering the
water cure to ~ or 10 natives. the
purpose of the torture being to extort
confessions as to where arms were
concealed by the insurgents. While
stationed at San lldefonso, in the pro
vince of Bulcan, Lieutenant Chappeller
detailed the detachment was con
nected with to give the natives the
cure. It was our duty to capture a
natice non-combattant and throw him
upon his back Placing a short BAN
boo stick in his mouth, we would pin
him down so that IL was impossible for
him TO move. This stick kept his
mouth wide open. and then water could
be poured on him, striking him on the
nose and trickling into his mouth. Ev.
erytime he breathed ne would swal-
low and inhale the water thus filling
his lungs and stomach.
AT a pre-arranged signal from the
lieutenant the pouring would cease
and the native would be asked about
the rifles. II he proved obstinate the
performance would be repeated again
and again until the captive would be
on the verge of total collapse BY this
means we were enabled TO secure val
liable information. leading TO the cap
ture Of many rifles. ana prisoners as
well, for which the lieutenant received
great credit from General Macarthur,
who. however, was unaware OF the
methods resorted 10 In securing the
information. On the contrary, an or
der was issued from headquarters de-
preciating the reported cruelty infict-
ed upon the natives"
From Another Source.
Recently the Spokane Spokesman
Review contained the following
There are two soldiers now at Fort
Wright who were with Bolton on his
scouting trips. One Of them is Pri.
vate Hines, OF Company X. The 9TH
er is Rufus Wilson OF Company NJ.
They were detached from regular ser
vice in the Philippines, and were
placed in the squad with which Bolton
roamed over the islands in quest OF
AZ lhn anu AhlhA AhoAibiA
Lieutenant Bolton certainly treat
ed those natives most cruelty" said
Private Hines yesterday Il was with
him on a scouting trip ~ days In the
northern part OF Luzon. We would
ransack the native towns In search OF
arms and information about the insur
rectOs. When Lieutenant Bolton got
hold OF a Filipino, from whom he
wanted 10 get information. he showed
him no mercy l. myself, saw the
water cure given three times on that
trip. One time Bolton was not salts. !
fed with giving the fellow ordinary
water He forced shasta water down
his throat / wouldn't stand for such
cruelty as that and ] walked away
That Shasta water is vile stun ItI
has a terrible taste, and II sickens a
man dreadfully.
Before / joined Lieutenant Bottoms
scouting party he got information
from natives by hanging them toI
trees. / did not see that myself. how
ever"
Private Rufus Wilson. uf Company
M who was also with Bolton. refused
10 talk about the matter. 4 don't
know anything about the water cure.
l. - a. al