The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-04-18
HARD HIKE
IN [SAMAR
Lieut.. LyIes Was
Seven Days
Hungry.
CUTTING ROADS
WITH THE BOLOS
Msi. Walters Summary Ending oil
Mutinous Packers Leads TO
Ills Court Martial.
LIEUTENANT DEWITT C. LYLEs


OF the welfth u. S. Infantry. who
IL is now aboard the transport
Grant. en- route from Manila to Sna
Francisco with his regiment, Is one OF
the survivors OF the disastrous march
undertaken across the Island OF Samar
by Major Waller. OF the Marines, with
60 shicers ami men. Major Waller.
who IL now being courtmartiaIed for
executing eleven mutinous natives who
accompanied the Inflated expedition.
VAS advised against undertaking his
periious hike" by the officers OF the
First Infantry stationed at La-nang.
That Is. ''as strongly as a-tunior officer
could advise a senior TO use the words
OF Lieutenant Lyles. The latter was a
witness In the case against Major Wal
lee. and this bit Of testimony was then
brought out
lieutenant LyIes was the only infan-
try officer who accompanied Major
waller For seven days Lieutenant
L11es and fifteen chosen men. who went
bsad of the main detachment for re-
Def. went without other food than ber-
risA
lieutenant LyIes had originally ad-
visel the taking OF more than four ]
savS rations when the detachment be-
gan its journey. but the major did not
aRsA When four days had passed
the rations had given out and the com
asl had not covered half the dis
taase OF It's proposed march Lyle ac-
csnpanied the expedition in the double
capacity OF an aide OF General Smith
ssA aide TO Major Waller. His special
suU was TO issue. In the name OF the
general. to army officers In the sub
district. such orders as Major Waller
might deem necessary to secure perfect
cooperation between the army. and
marine corps.
The courtmartial was appointed to
try Major Waller and Lieutenant
Day OF the Marine Corps on the charge
OF executing natives without trial
Majsr Waller pleaded mot guilty" to
the charge OF murder but admitted that
eleven men had been killed. Captain
Robert II. Dunlap testified on the first
day OF the trial that he had received ,
from Lieut. Grldley and ,
Sergeant Quick. members OF the expe- {
dition. regarding the arrival at Carga- I
dores OF prisoners who. while on the
march across the island. ate roots and :
1arts OF plants and refused to assist the {
suffering marines by giving them sim
Tar food He reported the facts to
aajor Waller. VINO was lying on a cot. ,
and who ordered Lieut.. Day to take the ,
prisoners and have them shot. The Of ,
scss said that Major Waller was not G
.xsited and had personally ordered {
bat the men should be shot. Lieut.
Day carried out the order OF his super T
o.
Lieutenant Lyles said yesterday that c
hs detachment was composed of sixty
nsa and several officers. After they
laA proceeded some distance some of :,
he men began TO give out A council =,
ras held at the end of which Lieut. n
syiss offered to take n detachment OF @,
'fteen men ahead. cutting their way p
hsough the underground and upon A.
-ashIng n place where assistance could u
. sbtained. promised to return for the oi
sain party.
1T was cut. cut. cut. with our bolos.
Aid Lieut.. Lyles. We were seven days
voting through II and without food We :,
A nothing TO eat but red berries. n
'h,sh were quite bitter. When the re- a,
sf turned back they did not find the pl
aaia detachment That In the mean II
Inc had decided not to follow US but d'
. 20 back 10 the starting point. 1t il
= terrible march for those men, -
'en OF them were left on the march and @
'srs never heard of. and two or three
ssrs died afterwards.