New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-28
THE CASE OF FATHER AUGUSTINE.
PUNISH CAPTAIN BRowNELL,
Law OR NO Law.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

| To the Editor of The Tribune
SIT; In December 1900. Father Augustine,
catholic priest in the Philippines. a sympathizer
with the party fighting for independence. was
| seized in his home by a body of soldiers belong
I Ing to Company D of the 26th Regiment, United
! States Volunteers, acting by the authority OF
! orncers OF the company, and brought prisoner
| TO Banate a port Ioilo The soldiers
/ dressed him in a uniform of the United States
! artillery and he was kept in well at Banate
! pending his torture to compel him to confess
/ where certain guns-or, some of the witnesses
I say, god-were concealed. Three times in two
/ days he subjected TO terrible torture by
! Captain Brownell of the company and a squad
/ or his men, but he endured the torture in stead
/ fast faithfulness to his people. giving no word
/ OF information and after the third torture ne
/ died. 1T was common talk all day, says Ser
! geant James Prendergast. Of the company who
was sergeant of the guard the night OF the
/ murder and who this summer, and / THINK
is still in garrison in Boston Harbor. that they
were trying to kill him with the water but he
wouldn't die. But it known to those VINO
saw the killed that the water didn't put
him out They he could stand that all right.
/ and threw a powder down his throat which pol
soned him. The officers in this There was
something in private between the priest ana tlle
! officers. for which they wanted him out OF the
way" Some of the men" says Albert W. Der
! trand. of Lynn, Mass. who was clerk OF the COM
! pany-and his testimony to the murder Is con-
! hrmed by William La Belle, of Lynn. announcer
/ private in the company-"were sworn to secrecy
and the body buried in a plot of land USED
/ by the troops a baseball ground. non-coIn-
missioned officer was seen with the priests watch
/ and chain, and when commissioned ottcer leAlheu
! this they were turned to him"
! Captain Browneu concealed he circumstances
from the higher officers OF the department BY ana
! by the regiment came home; the murderers came
with the rest, and dropped back into regular New
England life assuming the looKs aMG waS 81 tba7r
crime was buried With the pitiful victim there in
! the grave in the BanatG baseball ground, "a,
coos earth Woud shrye if it continued carry
murder as that by OF own soldiers of this faithful
ard heroic patriot priest His blood cried from
company who had witnessed the torture and knew
OF the priests death began 70 fK aPUG ~ beng s.
Complete evidence of the facts. with the 2fdavits
Of the Senate Philippine Commission at Washing
ton but ut with nsr no e result Rem ~" signed BY
Charles Francis adams Carl Sen 1a me hood
boil of every man in the country who had any
blood in his veins The &c of a t99
/ disparagement; but charge so eNphc!t from men
s sS has at last been made With the result
6ePortea "a IN sSn 2nT into to examine me
| witnesses and the facts alleged were absolutely
HeF Brdwne he now living in BGriihst6n Vt has
! acknowledged his own authorization ana super
his senior officer and the department There was,
record Of Il and the War Department consequently
knew nothing OF the matter until publ" attention
Hiso snd 0ther~ THIS iSr NAV be Technically
true al1hoHgh the 6qct5 were all II The hand d at at
any rate. the Tribune claims that the results "ex-
The exonerarc@ Fl Nfr Root, howsvsr Is not the
Imperative upon them Is the ylndieati2n OF their
o%n honor Inc ITi9Gae; wMg5s M Tar ,s ION
Others says
captain nTawns ALLEGES tary 9see ss., as b. Tsa
S S9P s9T s5mg Ro y @ hat s q, his
& not 9sFa 70 qae ne o ns' bav ,e29 sS is
S55i: Court martial at once Therefor no report was
APSS comes The most a% 5s g.. s s5nt IN
the Washington dispatches is;
interesting :ss! brought out in the case Sc, is s l9a
der military rule that time. and Captain BrowneI Is
law which he be taken to the phiPDnss and
which was not at that time defined ana over wh s s
Authorities here 10 have been Violation o. spanish
be tried in this country.
The War Department therefore evidently as
sumes that It's own duty IN the matter Is discharged
when the following simple statement is added;
In view Of the fact that further proceedings cannot
taken sssnst the 9Snsr n MS ease 9f's 6 m BGt
session amendmen! Of the phpPin law permitting
the United States the Philippine Islands.
But is the duty Of the people Of the United States
done In this matter II is not done DO we o not
and of virtue there is always law enough 10 deal
t6e pu5iic mind and c6nscIence are properly
aroused to insight and 10 resolution? We know
startling revelation of it il the arbitration OF the
/ coal strike had been refused fortnight longer.
There is just question for the American people
/ trayed into the condoning OF 50 many foul out
RACES in the Phiiippne Islands; do they care or
In their name of one OF The 6lackest murders IN
done; if they do not care it viii not be done
There is a story which has come 10 US from the
would all do well 10 repeat to each other
week for the next six months, In 1871 Henry c.
Wright wrote to Edmund Quincy;
I once the president of Brown University IN the
Of siaaery The conversation turned On the question;
& saSes0IaeT 1e Tnri h TO pFnE II S 10
can man be Christian and claim right to sunder
men 10 work without wages forbid them the
Bs 5n buy Y a sell 5m and md wh9 s9 ad d 6n5
president provided he has the spirit OF Christ rs
ana claim right to commit these aToco9s deeds and
beieya he can SI bH+n tber e one
crime in all the cataloGue Of crimes which Of itself
OF Christi asked Yes thousands said the doctor
/ what asked; "a sheep a man.
Do we not know well that il Captain Brovreu
and his fellow criminals had in the Philippine Isl
ands stolen from the government hundred sheep,
plenty of law to bring them to book here in Amer
lea in this year of grace? or course We know it.
| question. What will do with the confessed
steaIers of human life and OF the good of the
ing then until and will let haul down
the flag" not in the Philippine Islands only but on
Boston Nov. q, 1902.
NOBODY apologies for the killing OF the Philip
pine priest. 1t was a crime deserving of severe
! Dunisbment Whether or not punishment can be