Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-01
SYSTEM
David g. Elliott Talks About
"Water Cure"
WAS CORPORAL I'M TWENTY-FIFTH
ottumwa Boy Says American Soldiers
Used Discretion in Administering
the Cure-Benefit of American
Schools-Conditions in Manila.
[From Saturdays Daily.I

[From Saturdays Daily.l
That the much discussed. water
cure" administered by American SOL
diers to Filipinos is not barbarous is
the opinion of David c. Elliott, the son
of H. T. Elliott, who lives in Fairview,
and who last evening returned home
from the PHILIPPINES after serving three
years as a soldier in the Twenty fifth
United States infantry, being corpo.
raj in Company l. Corporal Elliott
has seen the water cure given to ma
tives in the islands and describes it as
rather rough but not barbarous, and
his opinion seems to be that it is
splendid scheme for bringing the othe
erwise incorrigible Filipinos to time.
Mr.. Elliott, who is now at the home Of
his parents in Fairview, supports the
officers who have been censured for
administering the water cure to their
captives and says that he has never
known any lasting injury to result
from its use.
Not Used to Excess.
Corporal Elliott says that the watei
cure is not used to excess and that the
treatment is stopped when the "pa
tient" surrenders. How long it last
depends altogether upon the patient
and several of them demonstrate thai
it is not inhuman by submitting to thu
punishment until their stomachs arr
completely filled with water. Wheti
finally they give in they are releasetI
by their torrentors who go no farthej
with the punishment.
Corporal Elliott has good record all
a soldier. He served six months Id
Company l. Twenty-fifth Infantry il
1898 and 1893, being discharged Feb
ruary q of the latter year. On March
"a, he enlisted at st. Louis against
and was assigned to his old company,
This time his enlistment was fof
three years and he spent the greater
part of that time in the Philippines
reaching the islands in the summer Of
1899 and leaving Manila for homt
March Is of the present year. His
discharge states that his conduct III
warfare was excellent and presents no
reason why he sh, ID not be accepted
should he desire to re-enlist in tho
army.
Was in Action
The Ottumwa boy was in action III
the islands, although he arrived Lit
tie too late for the big event. How
ever he participated in a skirrish a
Caloocan October s, 1899, an engage
ment at Patoolonet just two month";
after that date, and two actions at Ibal
the first December 8, 1899, and thd
second December 6, 1900 OF recent
| days there has been little excitement
in the part of the country in which!
Corporal Elliott was located.
Dirty Manila.
The returned soldier calls ManilG
dirty. Although, as he says, the sanis
tary conditions in the city proper are
good, the foreign quarters and espe
cially those occupied by the Chinese
are very unhealthy. The people arr
crowded together in small rooms an.
expresses much wonder because. fever
or some other form of disease does not
become prevalent among them.
Benefit of American Schools.
Corporal Elliott has nothing but good
words for the educational system in
the PHILIPPINES. He says that old and
young alike are being taught by the
teachers from this country and that
the work being done is wonderful and
that its benefit will be far-reachins
within few years. This is the moro
plausible because the older natives are
learning with the young ones and the
advancement of the country on ac-
count of education will not be delayed
until the youngsters grow to be men
and women but can begin at once be.
cause the men and women of today are
becoming educated, The advancement
already made by the students is SO
great that those who are unacquainted
with the facts would be surprised to
see how generally beneficial the re.
suits of the school system are.