Evening star., 1902-05-09
TOLD OF MASSACRE
STORY OF CORPORAL GIBBS. 9TH
INFANTRY.
How His Comrades Were Killed at
Balangiga Mutilation of
Soldiers Bodies.

William j. Gibbs Of Springfield, Mass.
formerly corporal in Company c. 9th In
fantry, testified before the Senate commit
tee on the Philippines today.
before putting him on the stand Senator
Lodge read communication from Rev
william II. Walker denying the truth of
the recently published dispatch in which
ne mad been credited with making certain
statements regarding the treat tment of Fill
pinos, which caused Senator Patterson to
remark that Jail was too good for any
newspaper man who would circulate a
story OF that kind. A letter was read from
Sergeant John Nicholson of Norfolk. Va.
Who had been reported as charging Gem
erai Funston as being the originator of the
water cure and who was summoned to an
pc s.atlils that ne would come, but that
ne could not testify against anybody. The
committee concluded to insist on his an
pearance. H
The Balangiga Massacre.
Gibbs then was questioned by Senator
Lodge and stated that he served in the
fnllippines, in the Island of Samar. and
was present at the massacre of Balaneiga
he had not seen the water cure admins
tered, put had witnessed preparations for
giving 1t. Captain Connell of his cor,,napv
hao given orders to the natives to clean nm
the town. They were reluctant to do n
ine natives were forced to do the work un-
der soldier guard
Inc witness described the attack and
massacre at Balangiga- He said he es-
capped with his life because he and a fe.v
others grabbed guns and CIV o ~"
ground 'ei
In response to a question by Senator Rur
rows he said that the heads of his com
RACES We're almost completely severed from
lhe pouy ana hung over on the table The
hn
ing. The attacking party ranged in ayes
from thirteen to forty-five years
opon lurther questioning the witness said
.nat at night the nativesAwere put in Sibley
much complaint because they were ,,nabIa
TO lie down and had been refused MATS
TO protect them from the dampness.
Ihese complaints, he said, were made 70
lne prlVateS because the natives were
afraid of the officers. some Of tho 80,
sympathized with them while Others did
not "iu
The idea, he said, in requiring the clean
ing up ol the underbrush was for sanitary
purposes and for the safety of the United
states troops. No American troops he said
mad occupied the town before. but when
captain Connell got there, seeing that the
natI'es i did not appear to be friendly he
told Them they were on a peaceful mis-
siohr put that they We're prepared to fight
If necessary. Soon after their arrival. he
SAID, one of the soldiers disappeared. hay
ing rn oeen charged with assault by an old
dler never was found, but the, witness said
he believed the charge was trumped up.
and SO did Captain Connell, and that the
was man Of good repute, but was dis
liked by the natives because of his stric1
performance of duty.
Mutilation of Bodies.
Describing the mutilation of the bodies
by Filipinos after the attack, he said. that
the eyes Of Lieutenant Bumpus were dug
out; his face was hacked and smeared with
jam and toy flags We're stuck into his eye
sockets. Others of the dead had their
fingers and different parts of their bodies
chopped off.
Questioning by Senator Beveridge elected
the fact that Fflipinos squat for hours in
conversation and frequently sleep in that
position and that the complaint about be-
ing unable to lie down in the Sibley tents
was not justified.
In Balangiga, the witness said. answering
Senator Allison the only work they per-
formed was in fishing and raising rice fer
their own sustenance.
Capt. Connell's Course.
When asked by Senator Allison what sort
Of man Captain Connell was, witness
said that he did not treat the natives right
in every respect, because while they we're
cleaning up he directed the destruction of
their supply of rice and fish and every
thing in the way of food, in the supposi-
tion that it was intended for the insur-
rectos in the mountains. He reiterated his
previous statement upon close luestio1ing
that the massacre was deliberately planned
He could not say that the young boys ac-
tually participated in the massacre, but
from the fact that a number were lying
around dead he assumed they did.
The witness was excused until tomorrow
when he will give further testimony.