New-York tribune., 1902-05-10
THE BALANGIGA MASSACRE
A WITNESS DESCRIBES THE MUTII.A-
TION OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS.
PRISONERS WERE SLAIN REPUDIATED
BY ITS ALLEGED AUTHOR.

Washington. May 9-senator Lodge read a
communication to the Senate Committee on the
Philippines to-day from the Rev. William II.
Walker, denying the truth of the recent dis
patch crediting him with saying that a thousand
Filipino prisoners had been shot after being
compelled to dig their graves. Senator
Culberson remarked that Jail was too good for
any newspaper man who would circulate such
story.
a letter read from Sergeant John Nichol-
son, of Norfolk Va who had been reported
charging General Funston with being the Origi-
nator of the water cure" and who was sum-
moned TO appear, stating that he would come.
but could not testify against anybody. The
committee decided to insist on his appearance
William ]. Gibbs of Springfield. Mass, testi-
fled that he had served in Samar and was pres
ent at the massacre of Balangiga He had not
the water cure" administered, but had
witnessed preparations for giving II. Captain
Connell. of his company had given orders TO
the natives to clean up the town They were
reluctant to DO It. The natives were forced TO
do the work under a soldier guard The witness
said he escaped with his life at Baangiga be-
cause he and a few others seized guns and
stood their ground. He said that the heads of
his comrades were almost severed from their
bodies and hung the table The ma
jority of the men were killed while eating. The
attacking party ranged in age from thirteen
to forty-f1ve wears.
The witness said that at night the natives
were put in Sibley tents, forty-five in each.
There was much complaint. They were unable
to lie down. and mats to protect them from the
dampness had been refused These complaints,
he said. were made to the prvates. because the
natives afraid of the officers. Some OF the
men sympathized with them. while others did
not. The idea in requiring the cleaning up of
the underbrush for sanitary purposes and
for the safety of the United States troops No
American troops had occupied the town before,
but when Captain ConneH got there. seeing that
the natives did not appear 70 be friendly. he
told them they were peaceful mission, but
prepared to fight II necessary. Soon after
their arrival one of the soldiers disappeared.
having been charged with assault by woman
sixty-hve years old. The soldier never was
found. but the witness said he believed the
charge was trumped up, and so did Captain
Conne and that the man was made away with.
The soldier a OF good repute but was
disliked by the natives because of his strict per-
formance of duty.
Describing the mutilation of the bodies by Fill
pinos after the attack, he said that the eyes
Of Lieutenant Bumpus were dug out. his face
hacked and smeared with jam, and toy
flags were stuck into his eyesockets. Others of
the dead had their fingers and different parts OF
their bodies chopped off.
Questioning by Senator Beveridge ELECTED the
fact that FilipinOs squat for hours in converse
tion and frequently sleep in that position. and
that the complaint about being unable TO lie
down in the Sibley tents was not JUSTIFIED.
Answering Senator Allison. the witness said
the only york the F'lipinOs performed in Balm
giga was in fishing and raising rice for their own
sustenance. When asked by Senator Allison
what sort Of a man Captain Connell was. wit
ness said that he did not treat the natives right
in every respect because while they were clean
ing up ne directed the destruction OF their sup
ply of rice and fish and everything In the way
of food. in the supposition that II was intended
for the insurrectos in the mountains
He reiterated his previous statement on close
questioning that the massacre was deliberately
planned. He could not say that boys actually
took part in the massacre. but from the fact
that a number were lying around dead he as
sumed they did.