The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-04-18
THE TORTURE SAID TO Be USED
ON THE FIIiPlN0S.
TESTIMONY OF SOLDIERS
Who Witnessed this Mode of Tor
ture Applied by Regular Army Of
fcers to Gain Information from
FiIIpinos-The Witnesses also Tes-
tify to the Burning of Filipino
Residences-An Entire Town Burn
Only the Clothes they Wore.

Washington, April 24-The senate
committee on the Philippines began
the week with the intention OF max
ing an investigation of the charges to
the effect that the water cure So
called, is practiced on the insurgents,
and Charles S. Riley, OF North Hamp-
ton. Mass, formerly a sergeant in the
volunteers. was the first witness called.
He said he had witness the water cure
at Igbaras in the province of Iloilo in
1900. 1t was administered to the presi-
dente or chief Filipino Official of the
town.
He said that upon the arrival OF his
command at Igbaras the presidente was
asked whether runners had been sent
out notifying the insurgents of their
presence, and that upon his refusal to
give the information he was taken TO
the " where the witness was
stationed and me water cure was adj
ministered to him. This official was
stripped to the waist and his hands
tied behind him. Captain Glenn nj
Lieutenant Conger, of the regular
army, and DR.. Lyons, q contract sur
geon, were standing near. The mar
he Sdlu, was lHSH IuTOWH uIueT Il wa
ter tank which held about 100 gallons
of water and his mouth placed directly
under the faucet and held open. 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 CON
feSS." When at last the preSidente
agreed to tell what he knew he was
released and allowed to start away.
He was NOT however nQrmittp6 tn pS-
cape and upon refusing to give fur
Their information he was again taken
as he was about to mount his horse,
and the cure administered for the sec
ond 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 a
five gallon can. one end of a syringe
was placed in it and the other in the
mans mouth. AS he still refused a
second syringe was brought and one
end of it placed in the PROSTATE mans
nose. He still efuse and a handful
of salt was thrown into the water.
This had the desired effect and the
p~residente agreed to answer questions.
On cross-examination by republican
senators. Mr.. Riley said the cure"
a been first resorted to to compel
the prcsidente to reveal his own at
titude and that it had been learned
from his confession that. while he pro-
fessed to be friendly to the United
States, he was in reality a 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
private. corroborated Riley's testi-
mony, saying he had also witnessed the
torture of two policemen of h town
of Igbaras. Smith said the details of
the cure were in the hands Of d
SQUAD of the Eighteen regular infantry,
known as the water cure detail" He
also said that he had assisted in the
burning of the town of Igbaras 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 one under the
command of Captain Glenn, who was,
he said. Judge advocate of the depart
ment of the Viscayas. He said the
water was KEPT running for four or
five minutes and that the doctor in
charge frequently placed his hand up
on the mans heart as if to observe the
effect upon h a organ.