The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-04-15
THE WATER TORTURE
Witnesses Tell of Its Inflic-
ton on Fi|ipinos by Of
fcer's Command.
(By the Associated Press. J

washington, d. c., April 14.-The Son
ate Committee on the Philippines began
the week with the intention of making
an investigation of the charges to the
erect that the water cure" so-calIed
Is practiced on the insurgents and Charles
5. Riley. of Northampton, Mass. former
iy sergeant in the volunteers. was the
nrst witness called. He said he had
witnessed the water r-cure at Igboras in
the Province of Iloilo in 1900. It was
administered to the presidente or chief
Filipino official of the town
He said that upon the arrival of his
command at Igboras the presidente was
asked whether runners had been sent ont
notifying the insurgents of their pres
ence and that upon his refusal to give
the information he was taken to the con-
vent where the witness was stationed
and the water-cure was administered To
MIN. This official was stripped to the
waist and his hands tied behind him.
captain Glenn and Lieutenant Conger
OF the regular army, and DR. Lyons,
contract surgeon, were standing near Tho
man, he said, was then thrown under
water tank which held about 100 gal
ions OF water and his mouth placed di-
Over him stood an interpreter repeating
one word which the witness said he did
not understand, but which he believed
to be the native equivalent of CONFESS"
when at last the presidente agreed to tel,
what he knew he was released and al
lowd to start away. He was not, how
ever, permitted to escape and upon re-
fusing to give further information he
a On in 01- h.
mount his horse and the cure admins
tered for the second time. This time
the man was not stripped nor was he
taken into the building. DR.. Lyons said
the water could be brought to the SPOT
and given there and when it was brought
in five gallon can one end of a syringe
was placed in it and the other in the
mans mouth. AS the still refused a sec
ond syringe was brought and one end of
1t placed in the PROSTATE mans nose.
He still refused and handful of salt
was thrown into the water. This had the
desired effect and the presidente agreed
TO answer questions.
On cross examination by Republican
Senators, Mr.. Riley said the cure had
been first resorted to to compel the
presidente to reveal his own attitude and
that it had been learned from his con-
1esslon that while he professed to be
friendly to the United States he was in
feallty captain of the insurgent forces
and that his police were all soldiers. AS
a consequence Of this exposure he was
arrested and the town burned
Another witness, William L. Smith, of
Athol, Mass, who was a volunteer pri-
vate, corroborated Riley's testimony,
saying he bad also witnessed the torture
of two policemen Of the town of Igboras.
Smith said the details of the "cure"
were in the hands of squad of the
Eighteenth regular infantry. known as the
water cure detail" He also said that
he had assisted in the burning of the
town of Igboras and that the natives
generally escaped from their houses only
with the clothes they wore
The witness said that the country
places in the vicinity were also burned.
All these acts were done under the COM
niand of Captain Glenn, who was, he
said Judge advocate of the Department
CT the Niscayas. He said the water was
lept running for four or fee minutes and
that the doctor in charge frequently
placed his hand Upon the mans heart as
il TO observe its effect upon that organ.