Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-05
Former Volunteer Officer Testifes to Prao-
tioe Of the Method on FilipinOs,
INVOLVES MEMBERS OF HIS REGIMENT
Says Dozen Natives Were Captured
and Tortured TO secure InfOr-
nation Of the Murder of
Private O'Herne.

MT EthllOCh IOlo OF the ln1lCttOn oil the
water cure upon a dozen natives at the town
Of Leon, province Of Panay. He said they
we're caDtured and tortured in order to
secure information Of the murder Of Private
o'Herne Of Company l. who had been not
only roasted, but otherwise tortured be-
fore death ensued.
Captain Glenn, in charge Of a scouting
party, had first secured a confession OF
participation in this crime by one native
who had implicated twelve others. These
were, the witness said, taken to Leon,
where his company, under command Of
Captain Gregg. was stationed. sld there
on the 21st and again on the 73d OF August,
1900, the cure was administered
GIve Cure Under Orders.
who administered the cure?"
Members Of Company l."
Were they ordered to do sol"
They we're; by First Sergeant Jalurnus
Manning. who is now In Boston"
Hallock added that he had witnessed the
torture. but had not participated in It, and
that while 1t was in progress Captain Gregg
was at company headquarters, less than
100 yards distant.
did the captain know Of the torture ?"
Senator Rawlins asked.
A the did"
Going back to the capture of the native
who had given the information as to the
identity Of the torturers Of o'Herne, the
witness said the names given were those of
natives living FIVE or six miles from Leon.
The first administration Of the cure on
August 81 had not extended to all the
captives and when all the punishment was
resumed on the second day II was extended
To other members of the party.
Eject of Punishment.
What was the effect Of the punish
ment?"
The stomach would swell I'D and in
some cases l witnessed blood come from
the mouth"
Asked what became of the prisoners 10
whom the cure was administered he re-
piled that they were placed in a guard
mousse twenty by twenty-five feet in size, in
which there was one window and in which
there were at times eighteen men confined.
The twelve prisoners were kept for four
or five months and then they tried TO
ESCAPE. That effort had been successful
on the part Of some Of them, but Eve or
siz fleeing prisoners we're shot and killed.
One OF them had been killed while trying
to get away when the squad was taken to
the river for a bath, and the others while
at work, in a general rush for liberty.
Were all the prisoners who did not es-
cape killed?"
II think SO. With one exceptions; I think
one was given his freedom"
Saw a village Burned.
Mr.. Hallock also stated that he had been
when a village of 1000 had been
burned and that the occupants Of the houses
had not had time to carry out the furniture.
He had known of three or four other cases
OF such destruction of property, but had
not been an eye witness.
In reply to other questions, Mr.. Hallock
said the report was current among the
soldiers that the administration of the
water cure was common when they desired
information from natives. He said during
his service in the Philippines he had known
OF the killing Of probably 200 or 800 natives.
mostly in battle, and Of the killing of
probably twenty Americans.
Senator Lodge brought out the details ~
the murder OF Private O'Herne. The wit
ness said that in June, 1900, O'Herne. with
W other members Of the company, had
been sent to Iloilo for mail and that on
their return on June 80 they were am
pushed by 100 natives and O'Herne's COM
pantons captured. O'Herne had made a
dash to get away and after escaping from
the attacking party had fallen in with
other natives supposed to be friendly. but
that instead OF proving to be so they had
devoted the entire next day to his torture
and death. beginning at daylight by cut
ting him with bolos and then roasting him
all day by a slow fire, not finishing until
night.
Knows of No Fatal Case.
All these details had, the witness said
been gathered from the confessions of the
men to whom they had given the water
cure. Replying to other questions, he said
ne had not known anyone to die under the |
water cure. The prisoners were generally
FED on rice and coffee. with an occasional
meal OF bareback. He said they were all
rat" He also said he understood the !
orders to be to treat the natives we'll.
In reply to a question from Mr.. Burrows,
Mr.. Hallock said he had seen the bodies
Of four Of the native prisoners who had
been shot by the soldiers while trying to
make their escape, but that he had not
seen the actual shooting. He also said
that he had seen the homes of o'Herne
when brought in. and that the only means
OF determining that they we're his, beyond
the confession OF the natives, was a pc
culiar tooth found with the bones which
was recognized as OHerne's. The COM
mittee then went into executive session
and Senator Lodge laid before It the cable
gram from General Chanee eoncernlns
Major Gardener, which was later read IN
the senate.
The committee decided not to request the
appearance Of Major Gardener pending the
Investigation in the Philippines.
CableEram from Chance.
The War department today received a
cablegram from General Chafee dated May
D. which contained the following:
After much effort to talk with Datto
Bayan, Brigadier General George w. Davis
demanded May / that murderers and horses
be given up or datto send peace delegA-
tion TO talk with him by noon Of May 2. |
Message Was delivered at noon May 1. Mes
senger had not returned at IL o'clock May
2. During the night our troops were fred
upon. Did not reply. Moros again fired
on troops the morning OF May 2. Squads
went out and drove on approaching Moros.
At IL o'clock troops attacked and took
fort without less. ThirteeR hundred yards
beyond the troops encountered another fort
and attacked Il. Dispatch from General
Davis says our troops surrounded fort at
= o'clock. About twenty men wounded, also