The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-05-09

Adventure, the Major In Command
Killed Two Natives.
Major Littleton w. T. Waller and
Lieutenant John H. A. Day were court
martialed at Manila on charge OF
killing two natives without trial on
the Island of Samar.
1t has been urged in exculpation that
the horrors Of trip across Samar
drove Major Waller mad, and below is
given the first official report of that
disastrous expedition.
The Eastern mail has brought the
report of Major Waller on the famous |
expedition conducted by him across
the Island of Samar. Major Walters |
reports are formal and do not go into
details, but the news of the affair is
contained in report from Lieutenant
w. r. Shoemaker, U. S. NJ. who con-
Quoted the relief expedition that sue
cored the marines.
After detailing the arrival in tho
American lines of Captain Porter and
Lieutenant Williams, with a portion
of the men, the report says:
| Captain Porter and Lieutenant A. S.
! Williams, in conversation, gave me
substantially the following account of
| their wanderingS:
| ION January l, being then on half
| ratiOns, with very little food lett
| Major Waller decided to split the par
ty-he taking fifteen of the strongest
men and pushing on for Basey. and
Captain Porter following his trail as
rapidly as possible with the main
body.
| ION the second @ native came back
from Waller with note stating that
he, Waller had given up the idea OF
| getting through and would return,
| and directing Porter to make directly
for the river and build RATS for the
| entire party. This Porter tried to do.
but failed to find wood that would
| float.
ut was raining hard ct this time
and the river was about ten feet above
its normal level and running with vio-
lence AS Major Waller did not APP
pear. Porter sent Captain Bearss to
ascertain his plans. then return and re-
port. Bearss failed to return, but he
eached Waller and went on with him.
"On the third. ! think, Porter pushed
ahead to get assistance with eight OF
the strongest men. leaving Williams to
follow with the crippled and lame as
, far as the boat. secreted on the way up
to be used in an emergency like the
present.
Porter rca ched the boat. but found
! she had been damaged and was unit
D for use. SO he started on twenty five
a mile hike for Lanang, reaching there
with three men on the afternoon OF
| the eleventh. Five men had given out
1 but, living on two dogs that strayet
+ | their way they finally reached The
II post.
# 1.-The relief expedition. under Lieu
tenant Williams, First Infantry, on &c
o count of the height Of the river. wa
d unable to get away until the morning
d of the fourteenth. Williams deserve
It the highest praise for his twenty tiv
q miles fight against the current and u
< the rapids. hauling his boats along b.
t. hand a good part of the way.
II 1T was not until the morning OF tn
II seventeenth that he reached the starS
" ing marines in their last stopping plac
N near the river. Their condition at tn
w time was terrible. For days no ma
among them had strength to carry
- rifierifie. Nine of them had either gOn
I'd crazy or had fallen by the trail. ha
ty dead from starvation and eXposur
o. 1T had rained steadily for eightee
- days Lieutenant a. s. Williams Ia
to made every effort to get them alon
no but had to abandon them. He cou
i'll only save the men who We're able
lis reach the boat by the river, the pro
able point of arrival of the relief exp
so dition.
TO He got there on the night of t!
sixteenth inst. his party having be,
he without food, except roots, the pulp
st plants, ana a very re" sweet potatos
wv for fifteen days.
zee ITO further complicate matters t
ed native bearers, about thirty in numb'
he became sulky, practically refusing ;
ere siStance to the white men. They wou
led build shacks as Il protection from t
he continual downpour for themseiN
he only, and knowing the edible roc
to and plants We're more skllful III
tanning food.
,ut "A time came when nc white m
50" could carry a rifle. ard those not IL
We're in the hands of the natives.
ter der the altered condition it requiI
not considerable diplomacy Oh the part
nat Lieutenant Williams to handle tn
the at all.
i" just before reaching the river t
S. bearers trie l to kill Williams, stabb
and him about the chest with Il bolo.
tried to snoot. but had not suttici
strength to pull the trigger.
"Then they tried TO kill hi'1 w