The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-05-15

time he was stationed in Fort San Felipe,
and his men were guarding the gate and
incidentally the Spanish prisoners within
| it. Woe to the sentry who failed to see
him approach and did not salute, and woe
to the member of the guard detail who
did not stand at attention when he passed
through the gate. The story goes that
one of the Spanish prisoners died during
the night and was taken down to the gate
and laid out on cot, covered with q
blanket, to remain until he could be re-
moved and buried in the morning. A few
minutes after reveille the officer passed
through, the sentry presented arms with
due solemnity and the members of the
guard off duty stood at attention as stiff
as ramrods. The vigilant eye of the Off
Ger could detect nothing out of the way
until it fell on the apparently slumbering
form ON the cot just outside the gate. He
stopped, stiffened up and shouted:
Sergeant, what is thot mon doin' slap
in there? It's afther reveille. Wake him
up and make him stand at attintion."
The Sergeant advanced, grayely saluted,
and said:
Hes dead. sir"
"Oh, is he; is he?" sputtered the officer.
"Well, well. Tell him to never mind,
| thin
This setback so impressed him that it is
bdlu ludI lOI the HtAI Two weeks he WAS
guilty of the hitherto unheard-of act on
his part of saying, Never mind the
guard" when it was turned out to salute
him as officer OF the day.
FILIPINO BRUTALITY.
There was one incident in connection
with Spanish prisoners that aroused our
indignation. One morning just after rev
ellie there marched into town a small
squad of dirty, barefooted natives.
having as prisoners an old man
and his wife and two pretty daughters.
These prisoners were Spanish civilians,
whose hacienda had been attacked few
nights before. The husband of one of the
girls was Teniente in the army, and was
at home when the attack was made. He
was ruthlessly bolOed, and the rest of the
family were marched 10 Cavite. This kind
of business called for deep mutterings on
the part Of the soldiers. The family was
invited into breakfast at the COlOnel's
mess, while the dirty guards remained out
side on watch, and after the meal was
over the guards resumed possession of
them and marched them down TO the town
to deliver them to Aguinaldo. The officers
present came near displaying the lack of
discipline they were often accused of by
protesting to Gen. Anderson, but before
they actually did it the necessity for do
ing so was removed through the interven-
ton OF Pierre BOcringer, a newspaper ar
fist and correspondent, who had gone over
Oh the transport with our regiment. He
went direct TO Aguinaldo, and made pro-
test in the name of an American citizen.
he told the dictator that making war
upon women and old men was not the Gus
tom of civilized countries, and that if he
desired TO earn or retain the good opinion
of the Americans he must not only re-
lease these civilian prisoners, but he must
stop making war upon noncOmbatants. The
result was the release Of the family and
the acceptance Of Boeringer into the fam
lily circle as fast friend ON a basis that
at one time looked as though il might be
serious for any sweetheart he may have
left behind him in the United States.
NATIVE LACK OF ARMS.
| Aguinaldo's army was poorly supplied
with guns. Dewey had given him about
| 5000 Remingtons he had captured at Ca
vite, with lot of shells with brass-cov-
cred bullets. In addition TO these he had
the Mausers the E'ilipinos had captured
from the Spanish garrisOns, or which had
been turned over to them by native troops
of the Spanish army who had deserted,
amounting possibly to 5000 or 1000 more
For the latter he had the ammunition
captured with the guns, amounting to COM
parauyely little, as well as quite supply
OF Mauser cartridges that had been dump
| ed into the water by the Spaniards and
tished out again by the natives. This am
munltion was very rusty and much Of the
powder spoiled. In building next to our
barracks the insurgents maintained a fac
tory where girls and boys, men and women
TO the number of two score were busy for
several weeks in furnishing up this am
munition, filling clips, restoring spoiled
powder and otherwise making it service
able. This was volunteer force, working
without pay, and was changed very often
in its personnel.
great deal Of ingenuity was displayed
in remaking ammunition, not only at this
time but later, when they began to run
out Of cartridges for their Remingtons