Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-18
LADRoNEs TAKE SOLDIERS.
Filipino Bandits Surprise Americans
While Decking Comrades Graves

From the Manila Times, June l.
Two bands of ladrones operating in con-
junction played a daredevil trick on the
soldiers who were decorating comrades
graves at Binangonan, Morong, May %.
BY virtue of a surprise attack they gath
cred in the whole detachment, and also
what Friendly Filininos We're assisting in
the ceremony, and hiked them off to the
mountains.
Seven men from NJ Troop, 9th Cavalry,
numbering first sergeant, two corporals
and four privates, went from their post at
Tanay Friday to decorate the graves of
their comrades who are buried at Bnan-
CONAN. This is not the Binangonan that
figured earlier in the week as being the
place where a constabulary outfit was sur
rounded. That was in Infanta. This BIZ
nansonan is on the lake, and is where the
quarries are. 1t was relfhqushed by the
army as military post May 10. 1t had not
been reoccupied by the constabulary as
post The bodies of the dead soldiers, how
ever, had been suffered to remain in the lit
tie village cemetery, and is was to honor the
memory of these men that their comrades
took the expedition that has resulted in
five of them being the hostages of the la
drones in the rock-ribbed hills of Morong,
If, indeed, they have not already been
slaughtered
1t was early in the forenoon. while the
decoration ceremony was in progress, that
the ladrones slipped into town, unobserved,
as most of the inhabitants were at the
ceremony watching the soldiers. They fell
upon the troopers unaware, and the latter,
beng armed only with revolvers, were I'M
able to make any effective resistance. 1t
is not reported that any of the ladrones
were killed. The seven soldiers were made
prisoners, as were also the presidente of
Blnangonan, the secretary, the local
medtco and another Filipino. Then the
bandits struck northward into the hills.
La tuyn of he 0n1I
and the four Filipinos managed to escape
from their captors, 1t is presumed adopt
Ing struggling tactics, and make their
way down to the shore of Laguna de Bay,
where they struck Morong and reported to
inspector Nolan of the conStabulary. He
reported 1t at once to Pasig and it was
ported by wire from there to Manila.
Lieutenant Gardiner is post commander
at Panay. Twenty-Five troopers of his
command started Immediately to scour the
country, and twenty-five more were sent
out from Pasig. Simultaneously Senior In
spector Ira Keithly, with twenty-five men
OF the constabulary, started from Pasig.
Inspector Bates, with twenty-five more, left
San Mateo, and Inspector Nolan, with fiji
teen men, went out from Morong. This
morning hfteen more left San Mateo, and
inspector Nolan, with fifteen men, went out
from Morong. This morning fifteen more
men We're sent out from Pasig, making 121
men IN all who are camping on the trail of
the marauders.
The leaders in this audacious exploit are
supposed to be Timoteo Pasay and Pedro
Felix, two free captains who range
ABOUT the Morong hills levying blackmail
on the inhabitants of the lower towns and
eatlng the rice that other people raise. The
NILS In, this part of the lake country are
particularly rocky and precipitous and af-
1ord Ideal retreats for robber bands to
quarter themselves. This wild region has
long been the theater of operations for the
Morong gang" to which the assassins of
Pandia Ralli and the murderers Of Foreman
Ihomas Baggs of the Binangonan quarries
are supposed to belong. Various small
bands have extended depredations into the
outskirts of Manila The notorious Dill
man gang and the slayers of little Anas-
tacla Tomas on the LEO road are possibly
allied with this organization, although they
are Identified with a different region.