The Irish standard., 1902-05-03

4 Clair, is accused of torturing him to
death by the "water cure" The war
department has issued this bulletin
touching the case:
Is Gagged by st. Clair; died soon
J afterward."
Corporal Richard O'Bren, Company
NJ, Twenty y-sixth Volunteers. says:
''It was on the 9th of December.
the anniversary of my birth, and I
shall never forget the scenes l wit
messed on that day. AS we approached
the town the word passed along the
line that there would be no prisoners
taken. 1t meant that we were to shoot
every living thing in sight, man, wom-
an or child.
"The first shot was fired by the then
first sergeant of our company. His
target was mere boy. who was COM
ing down the mountain path into the
town astride of carabao. The boy
was not struck by the bullet. but that
was not the sergeant's fault The lit
4 tie Filipino boy slid from the back of
4 his carabao and fed in terror up the
!. mountain side. Half dozen shots
were fired after him.
'"Tle shooting now had attracted the
villagers. who came out of their homes
in alarm. wondering what it all meant.
They offered no Offense. did not dis
play a weapon. made no hostile move
ment whatsoever, but they We're ruth
4 lessly shot down in cold blood men,
women and children. The poor natives
huddled together or fled in terror.
!. Many were pursued and killed on the
spot.
'"Two old men, bearing between
them white flag and clasping hands,
like two brothers. approached the lines.
Their hair was white. They fairly tot
tered, they We're so feeble under the
) weight of years. To my horror and
that of the other men in the command.
the order was given to fire, and the
two old men We're shot down in their
tracks. We entered the village. A
man who had been on n sick bed an
peared ut the doorway of his home.
Z. He received a bullet in the abdomen
and fell dead in the doorway. Dum-
dun bullets We're used in that massacre,
but we were not told the name of the
/ bullets We didn't have to he told.
We knew what they were.
"In another part of the village n
mother with a babe at her breast and
two young children at her side pleaded
for mercy. She feared to leave her
home, which had just been fircd-ac-
cidentally, I believe She faced the
flames with her children, and not a
hand was raised to save her or the lit
tie ones. They perished miscrably. 1t
was sure death if she left tho house
1t was sure death if she remained. She
feared the American soldiers, however,
worse than the devourinS flames"
The following is the first American
soldiers description Of the water
cure" by Charles S. Riley. in letter
to his mother, in March. 1901:
At Guimbal we were Joined by Cor
don's scouts. forty i'm number. all
mounted on big American horses. ana
we began to s,lrmisc that trouble was
ahead. Arriving at Tgharas at day
light, we found everything peaceful,
but it shortly developed that we were
really "trcading on volcano" The
Presidente, the priest and another lead
ing man We're assembled and put on
the rack of inquiry.
The Presidente cvadcd some uucs-
hons and was soon bound and given
the "watcr cure" This was done by
throwing him on his back beneath Il
tank Of water, and running a stream
into his mouth. q man kneading his
stomach meanwhile to prevent his
drowning.
This ordeal proved tongue looscner.
and the crafty old fellow soon begged
for mercy and made a full confession.
! The Fresdente was asked for more in
formation, and had to take a second
dose of the "water cure" before he
8 would divulgc. Salt was thrown in the
water to make it more effective.