Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-24
WAS NOT GENERAL
Major l.. w. T. Waller Not Like
Other Officers in Islands.
MARCH PROBABLY MADE HIM INSANE
Effects of Hard Lanane-Basey Expe-
dtion May Have Been Too Much for
Constitution to Withstand and His
Mind Failed.


The so-called water cure, which it
is claimed has been used by the Amer
lean soldiers in the Philippines to ex-
tort confessions from the insurgents,
must be something of comparatively
recent origin" said an Ottumwan to-
day, who had spent year as soldier
In the Islands during the first months
OF the instruction. During that
time" said he, there was not a sim
gle instance of torture or cruelty to
the Filipinos which came under my
notice. The native, whether insur-
gent or amigo was always treated
with kindness and justice, the wound
ed insurgents wherever found We're
always given the best medical care
and attention that it was possible to
provide under the conditions. On the
whole the native Filipino has been
treated with the most leniency and
greatest consideration that has ever
been shown by hostile people to it's
opponents"
The Waller Incident.
There are but few people who read
OF the charges brought against Major
l.. w. I. Waller of the Marine corps
for torturing and numbering Filipino
prisoners, who stopped to consider
the trying hardships through which
he and the men in his command had
passed. In commenting upon this case
previous to the trial the Manila Free
dom had the following to say:
MA iOr Wallpr hos rop5aro5 oyoor
tionally good service. He has a repu.
tation of being daring and fearless,
but man of varying moods There
have been times when his subordi.
mates feared to approach him.
1t has been rumored at various times
previous to the Lanang-Basey expedi-
ton that he was not exactly sane, and
from the experience of the writer who
interviewed him at Tacloban immedi
ately after that fateful expedition
there was but little doubt but that he
was demented at the time. He was
unable to remember the names of the
officers who accompanied him, and
clearly showed that his reason was un.
balanced. This was also the opinion
of officers who knew him. In all prob
abilities the atrocities alleged to have
been instigated by Major Waller, il
reports are true, were committed un
der the direction of man who was
morally irresponsible and who SHOULD
have been in hospital or sanitariun
instead of in control of men and Will
4 the lives of human beings in hi
hands. The terrible sufferings of thu
Lanang-Basey expedition have affect
ed every man who took part and arr
in all probabilities responsible for thu
murders laid at Major Walters door
The Exceptional Case.
This case is the exceptional one
said the informant of the Courier
Perhaps, under the severe and tryint
! circumstances of the campaign an(
the hardships which were endured
wading through swamps or jungles
having to keep an incessant vigil I'D
/ on the people surrounding, worn b,
the long and weary marches, weak ant
I sick from the exposures in the fielt
I and camp, this man may have beer
4 driven almost to desperation by thu
j perplexities with which he was sur
i rounded, and in moment of tn
Il greatest veXation may have resortec
to somewhat harsh treatment of pris
oners"
Treatment of Prisoners.
/ During the first year of the insured
ton, the period in which the info,
J mant of the Courier was in the is
lands, he states that the prisoners re
ceived the very best of treatment
During the campaigns which immedi
ately followed the beginning of the il
surrection, there were hundreds o
prisoners taken by the United State
troops. These We're taken to the cit
of Manila or Cavite where the prison
We're maintained. Though they wer
kept under careful guard they wer
allowed all the freedom that it wa
possible to give. Their rations wer
ample and the quarters in which the
We're lodged We're kept in good order
Every morning details were take
from the prisons under guard to Dc
lice the quarters of the soldiers whic
merely served as exercise for them
While confined in the prison limit
they were allowed the greatest poss
bic freedom and were permitted to Sc
and visit with any friends or relative
who came to see them.
: In the Field.
The treatment of the insurgents i
: the field during the early days of tn
; insurrection could not have been an
: better than it was. Whenever takel
prisoners We're sent Immediately I
the rear and as quickly as possible tai
! en- to Manila. The insurgents woul
make use of all sorts of schemes |
. keep from being taken prisoners. On
: of the most universal customs whic
$ was employed whenever the Unite
States army came too close for con
: fort, was to cast aside their rebel un