Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-15
is GIVEN THE WATER CURE
Filipino Presidente Held Under Tank While
Water D1ips Into His Mouth.
PURPOSE IS TO FORCE A CONFESSION
witness BEFORE senate Committee De-
scribes Method Of Torture Al
legged TO Be Employed by
Soldiers In philippines.

WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE senate
committee on the Philippines began the
week with the intention Of making an in
vestigation Of the charges to the effect that
the water cure" so-called, Is practiced
on the insurgents. and Charles s. Riley OF
Northampton, Mass, formerly a sergeant In
Conpany NJ. Fifty-sixth volunteer infantrv.
was the first witness called.
Mr.. Riley said that he had been in the
Philippines from October %. 1899. to March
4, 1901. In reply to questions by Senator
Rawlins he said he had witnessed the
water cure" at Igbaras, in the province OF
1loilo, on November %. 1900. It was sd-
ministered to the presidente, or chief Fill
pino Official Of the town. He said that
upon the arrival Of his command at 1R-
baras the presidente was asked whether
runners had been sent out notifying the
insurgents Of their presence. and that upon
his refusal to give the information he was
taken to the convent. where the witness
was stationed and where the water cure
was administered to him.
This official was, he said, a man about
40 years of age. When he (the witness)
first saw him he was standing In the COR
ridor Of the convent, stripped to the waist
and his hands tied behind him with Cap
tain Glenn and Lieutenant Conger OF the
regular army and DR.. Lyons, a contract
surgeon, standing near, while many SOL
diers stood about. The man, he said, was
then thrown under a water tank, which
held about 100 gallons of water, and his
mouth placed directly under the faucet
and held open so as to compel him to swal-
low the water which was allowed to escape
from the tank. over him stood an inter-
prefer repeating one word, which the wit
49, aatA ~ IA 80 L,.A .-A4.E,
he believed to be the native equivalent Of
Confess"
Dose is Repeated.
When at last the presidente agreed to
tell what he knew he was released and
allowed to start way. He was not, how
ever. permitted to escape and upon refus-
ing 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 build
ing. DIR. Lyons said the water could be
brought to the spot and given there and
when II WAS brought in a hve-gallon can
one end of a syringe was placed in It and
the other in the mans mouth. As he still
refused, a second syringe was brought and
one end OF 1t placed in the PROSTATE mans
nose. He still refused and a handful OF
salt was thrown into the water. This had
the desired effect and the presidente agreed
to answer all questions.
On cross examination by republican SEN
ators, Mr.. Riley said the "cure'' had been
first resorted TO to compel the presidente TO
reveal his own attitude, and that it had
been learned from his confesslon; that
while he professed to be friendly to the
United States, he WIS in reality a captain
OF the insurgent forces. and that his police
were all soldiers. ~,
Victim Struggles FierceIy.
As a Consequence Of this exposure, he
was arrested and the ..town burned. He
said that the victim struggled ~tiercely, while
the cure was being administered and that
his eyes were ~bloodshot, but that the next
day when he raw the man he observed no
Ill effects Of the dose" he had received.
Senator Burrows, referring to the surgeon
in charge. asked: Did anyone shoot him %
The witness replied In the negative.
The second administration had been given
to compel the information as to runners.
Mr.. Riley also said he had known of many
cruelties and !ndignities practiced upon
American soldiers by natives.
Another witness, William L. Smith of
Athol, Mass, who was a private in Com
pany NJ, Twenty-sixth Volunteer infantry,
corroborated Riley's testimony. saying that
he had also witnessed the torture of two
policemen.
water Cure Detail.
Smith said the details Of the cure were
In the hands Of a squad of the Eighteenth
regular infantry, known as the water cure
detail" He also said that he had assisted
in the burning of the town of Igbaras, and
that the natives generally escaped from
their houses only with the clothes they
wore.
Mr.. Smith expressed the opinion that
Igbaras had a population Of 10000. So far
as he knew no lives were lost. The witness
said that the country places In the vicinity
also were burned. All these acts were
done under the command of Captain Glenn,
who was, he said, Judge advocate of the
department Of the Viscayas. He said the
water was kept running for four or Ave
minutes and that the doctor in charge
frequently placed his hand upon the mans
heart as II to observe its effect upon that