New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-05-04
TNnf IIIIIHIIIT INIlIIIII m TTIiTI.
TORTURED BY FILIPINOS.
AN AMERICAN SOLDIER ROASTED OVER
SLOW FIRE.
THE WATER CURE ADMINISTERED TO
SECURE INFORMATION FROM
HIS MURDERFRS.


Washington. May 81. +. HaIlock. of Boston,
formerly a sergeant and then private in Com
pany l. 2Gth Volunteer Infantry testified to-
day before the Senate committee on the Philip
pines concerning the practice of the water
cure" in the Philippines. Mr. Hallock told of
the inf1iction of the cure on dozen natives
the town of Leon. Province of Panay. He said
they captured and tortured in order to
cure information Of the murder Of Private
OHerne. Of Company !. who had not only been
killed, but roasted and otherwise tortured be-
fore death ensued. Captain Glenn. in charge of
a scouting party. had first secured a confession
Of participation in this crime by one native, who
had implicated twelve others. These We're. the
witness said, taken to Leon, where his company,
under command of Captain Gregg was sta
toned, and there, on August n. and again on
August 23 1900. the cure" was administered.
Who inflicted the 'cure'?" Mr. Hallock was
asked.
Members of company L" he replied.
Were they ordered TO do sO?"
They were-by First Sergeant Januarius
Manning. who is in Boston"
Mr. Hallock added that he had witnessed the
cure" but had not taken part in It, and said
that while it WAS IN progress Captain Gregg
was at company headquarters less than
hundred yards away.
Did Captain Gregg know of the eo'
senator RaWlins asked.
"Al the command knew it, and I don't see
how he could have helped knowing IT"
Going back TO the capture of the native who
had given the informa tion to the identity of
the torturers of OHerne, the witness said the
names given were those of natives living five or
six miles from Leon. The first administration
of the cure" on August y, had not extended to
all the captives, and when the punishment
resumed the second day it was extended 10
on the Dist.
What was the effect of the punishment"
The stomach would swell up, and in some
cases l witnessed blood came from the mouth"
PRISONERS SHOT WHILE ESCAPING.
Asked what became Of the Philippine prisoners
to whom the cure" was administered he re-
piled that they were placed in guardhouse
90 by - feet in size. in which there one
window, and at times eighteen men were cor
fined The twelve prisoners were kept four or
five months, and then they tried to escape. That
effort had been successful on the part Of some Of
them. but five or six fleeing prisoners were shot
and killed. one of them had been killed while
trying to get away when the prisoners We're
taken to the river for bath. AMI the others
when out at work, in d general rush for liberty.
Were all the prisoners who did not escape
killed."
u think so. with one exception; think one
was given his freedom"
ent when a village Of three thousand four
thousand people had been burned, and that
the occupants OF the houses had not had time 10
carry out their furniture He had known or
three or four other cases of such destruction of
property but had not been IN eye witness.
In reply to othe~ questions, Mr.. HallOck said
the report current among the soldiers that
the administration Of the water cure" was com
mon when they desired to secure information
from natives. He also said that in his entire
service in the Philippines he had known of the
killing Of probably two hundred or three hun
dred natives mostly in battle. and Of the killing
Of probably twenty Americans
HOW O'HERNE WAS TORTURED.
Senator Lodge brought out the details Of the
murder of Private OHerne. The witness said
that in June 1900, O'Herne. with two other
members of the company. had been sent to
Iloo for mail, and that. their return
June 30, they were ambuShed by one hundred
natives, and OHerne's companions capt
ured. O'Herne made a dash to get away, and
after escaping from the attacking party fell in
with other natives supposed to be friendly, but
instead of proving to be so they devoted the
entire next day to his torture and death, begin
ming at daylight by cutting him with bolos
and then roasting him all day by a slow fire. not
finishing until night. All these details, the wit
ness said, were gathered from the confessions Of
the men to whom they had given the cure
Replying to other questions, he said he had
not known any die under the water
cure" The prisoners were generally fed on rice
and coffee. with occasional meal of hard
tack. He said they were all fat. He also said
he understood the orders to be TO treat the
tves well.
SENATOR PATTERSON'S METHODS.
Senator Patterson asked a number of ques-
tions intended to ascertain whether not the
native prisoners had been told Of the character
Of the information sought. but did not elicit any
thing important from the witness. He did. how
ever, succeed in causing Senator Beveridge to
protest against his method of inquiry, which
brought a colloquy between the two Sena-
tors Mr. Beveridge declared that in a trial
court persistence in such questions Mr.. Pat
terson was putting would render an attorney
liza bic to a fine for contempt of court" to which
Mr Patterson replied that such Interruptions
as those Of the Senator from Indiana would not
only render him liable to a fine for contempt,
but also he the cause Of sending him to jail
To this Mr.. Burrows added jocularly, Sent to
iail or subjected To the water cure"
In reply to question from Senator Burrows,
Mr. Hallock said he had seen the bodies Of four
OF the native prisoners who had been shot by
the soldiers while trying TO escape but he had
not seen the actual shooting He also said that
he had seen the bones Of O'Herne when brought
in and that the only means Of determining that
nc we're his. beyond the confession Of the
tiyes was a peculiar tooth found with the bones,
y,bich was recognized as O'Herne's.
Tho committee then went into executive ses-
sion and Senator Lodge laid before il the cable
dispatch from General Chaffee concerning Ma
jor Gardener which was read In the Senate
:atar The committee decided not to request
tho appearance Of Major Gardener pending the
Investigation in the Philippines.
TakeU,ood's spring season on until June !. Polo.
golf boating. etc Laurel House and Laurel In the