Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-08
CAPTURE OF LUKBAN
THE ExPEDITTdN OF LIEUT..
sTREBLER AND IT'S RESULT.
Followed the Insurgent General to the
Mountains Of samar and Sc
cured His Surrender.

The Democracia of Manila Of March I,
l902 publishes extracts from an official
report of the capture of Lukban made to
the headquarters of the division. The arti-
Gle In question is as follows:
I'm the small Island of Laguan. near the
northern coast of Samar there is a military
detachment under the command of Can't
George Bell, LIST Infantry. To this post had
been detailed Lieut.. Alfonso Stroller. with
his company of Philippine scouts Many
weeks pe1ore the capture the troops had
peen continually making "Reminiscences in
the mountains. On the 9th of February
Capt. Bell and Lieut. Alfonso Strebler re-
turned AFTER ,seVenteen-day hike after
Lukban. They had located him at Tami
a small place situated among the MANY
thousands of islets which form the prov
lnce OF Samar. The condition of the SOL
dierS and the lack of provisions prevented
the column continuing after the rebel chief,
ana 1t was obliged to return to Laguan On
February II Lieut.. Strebler started out
again with column composed of seven in
1antrymen, five American scouts thirty
flllplno scouts and seventy-five cargadores
tcarrlers) to pack provisions over the noun
talns, intending to stay out longer than
curing the first expedition. A steam launch
s UGfe mem .n up the Catubig river, which
splits the northern end of the Island of Sa-
mar, past the town of Catubig; they landed
ana proceeded overland to Tami There
was no trail and the march was very diff
GUY. AFTER passing through forest they
captured a native whom they used as a
GUIDE to show them the way to Tamf
Later they captured a runner bearing Off
cal papers containing official returns of
pom ciVli and military authorities and de-
talS OF the Balangiga massacre The pris-
oner SAID that Lukban had left Tami for
another point to the southeast
The morning of the 18th they captured
d man VINO pore a letter written to General
Lukban, dated the 10th, and delivered to
the bearer the 18th by the teniente of the
oarrlo OF Maleju, who, he said, knew where
ms chlef was. Guided by the man, they APP
proacned the barrio, spreading out and sur
rounding 1t. without shot being fired The
teniente came rushing out and was cap
Iured without resistance. He stated that
Lukpah was two hours up the mountain
side. y,
The Final Coup.
Immediately preparations were made for
d maj coup. The cargadores were left in
camp under guard. Lieut.. STROLLER with
hVe Americans and eighteen Filipino scouts
left for the mountains. 1t was raining
heavily and the night was approa ching.
There was no trail or even a water course.
and the march through brush and briars
was hard one. The teniente who was
leading the expedition stated that within
an hour they would be within a hundred
yards of the place. After "a hard march
they finally arrived within sight of three
ola nlpa houses, and were told that the
lnsurgent chief was in one Of them. The
lieutenant divided his command, sending
Sergt. Pedro Loa with half the force
around back of the; shacks, while Lieut..
Strebler, after waiting ten minutes, moved
on the front of the settlement with his
command. So nicely was the movement
timed that the two deftchments came out
together.
The place was a. littls. plateau at the end
OF mountain range, and situated In a
somewhat sheltered position, a little be-
low the crest. On this plateau was a
cleared spot barely one hundred feet across,
and in this We're huddled together three
tumbledown nipa shacks of great antiquity
Here in one of these miserable huts, the
man who styled himself Prince of Samar
by hereditary right had taken his last
refuge, betrayed by his own supporters and
surrounded by Gordon of United States
troops recruited from his own people and
some of them his former soldiers He had
heard the sound Of steps and came out of
Loa. who recognized him at once, called
Lieut.. Stroller. The general recognized
Loa, and stepping up to him he raised his
hands over his head, crying "Paz, paz"
peace, peace)
Lukban Surrenders.
Upon the approach of Lieut.. Stroller to
demand the surrender of the general, the
latter said: Lieutenant, / am Lukban, the
general, and now your prisoner
1t was about o'clock in the afternoon
when this took place, the rain still continu-
Ing. Lukban, noticing that his captors
were wet through and tired, invited them
to enter the huts, and gave them a change
Of clothing. Lieut.. Stroller and others en-
tered the nuts, findng in one of them Lux
bans adjutant, Lieut.. Ortiz. and a boy.
This was the retinue that surrounded their
leader when he made his last stand
The expedition spent the night In the
three huts, with Lukban and his associates
who offered them rice, dried carabao meat,
camotes and coffee
The morning of the 18th the expedition
started back for the coast, one mile south
Of at 11he