Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-04-17
GAVE WATER CURE
SENATE COMMITTEE BEGINS IN
VESTIGA1lNG
And Examines Several Witnesses as to Prac.
tees Of American Soldiers in the Phil.
ippines Water Cure So Popular There
Was a Special Squad Of Sixteenth Resu.
lars to Administer Il

Washington, April l5.-The senate
committee on the Philippines began
the week with the intention of con.
Quoting an investigation of the
charges to the effect that the
"water cure" is practiced on the in.
surgents, and Charles S. Riley, OF North
ampton, Mass, formerly sergeant in
Company M, Twenty-sixth Volunteer
infantry, was the first witness called
with that end in view.
Mr.. Riley said that he had been in
the Philippines from October 25, 1899,
to March 1, 1901. In reply to questions
by Senator Rawlins he said he had wit
messed the "water cure at Iebaris, in the
province Of Iloilo, on November 81, 1900.
1t was administered to the presidente or
chief Filipino official of the town. He
said that upon the arrival of his COM
mand at Igbaris the presidente was ask
ed whether runners had been sent out
notifying the insurgents of their pres
ence, and that upon his refusal to give
the information he was taken to the con-
vent, where the witness was stationed,
and the "water cure" was administered
to him. This official, he said, was a
man about 40 years of age. When he
(the witness) first saw him he was
standing in the corridor of the convent,
stripped to the waist, and his hands tied
behind him, with Capt. Glenn and Lieut..
Conger, of the regular army, and DR..
Lyons, a contract surgeon, standing near,
while many soldiers stood about.
The man, he said. was then thrown
under tank which held about 100 gal
Ions of water, and his mouth placed
directly under the faucet and held open
so as to compel him to swallow the water
which was allowed to escape from the
tank. Over him stood an interpreter,
said he did not understand, but which
he believed to be the native equivalent
to Confess" When at last the presi-
dente agreed to tell what he knew, he
was released and allowed to start away.
He was not, however, permitted to es-
cape, and upon refusing to give further
information, he was again taken as he
was about to mount his horse and the
"cure" administered for the second 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 second syringe
was brought and one end of it placed in
the PROSTATE mans nose. He still re-
fused, and handful of salt was thrown
into the water. This had the desired
effect, and the presidente agreed to an
swer all questions.
On cross-examination by Republican
senators, MIR. Riley said the "cure" had
been first resorted to to compel the pres
idente to reveal his own attitude, and it
was learned from his confession that
while he protested to be friendly to the
United States, he was in reality a cap
tain of the insurgent forces and that his
police were all soldiers. AS conse-
quence of this exposure he was arrested
and the town burned. He said the VIC
tim struggled tiercely while the "cure"
was being administered, and that his
eyes were bloodshot, but next day when
he saw the man he suffered no ill effects
of the "cure" he received.
Senator Burrows, referring to the sur
geon in charge, said:
"Did anv one shoot him."
The witness replied in the negative.
The second administration had been
given to compel the information as to
known of many cruelties and indigni-
ties practiced upon American soldiers by
natives.
Another witness, William l.. Smith,
of Athol, Mass, who was a private in
Company NJ, Twentv-sixth volunteer in
fantry, corroborated Riley's testimony,
saying he had also witnessed the torture
of two policemen of the town of Igbaris.
Smith said the details of the ''cure"
were in the hands OF squad of the Six
teenth regular Infantry, known as the
"water cure detail' He also said that
ne had assisted in the burning of the
town OF Igbaris, and that the natives
generally escaped from their houses with
only the clothes they wore. MIR. Smith
expressed the opinion that lgbaris had
a population of 10000. SO far as he
knew, no lives were lost. All these acts
were done under the command of Capt.
Glenn, who was, he said, Judge advocate
of the department of the Visayas.