Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-11-30

Washington. Nov. ga strong pic
ture 0f the conditions in the JOlo
group Of the Philippines is contained
I'm 2 letter from Col. II. L. Scott. gov
ernor Of that group. TO Col. c. Ed
wards. chief Of the insuiar bureau o.
the war department. The letter.
which Is dated september %, is made
public as an explanation OF the cam
paign now wagiug In the JOlO group.
I'm b the writer says:
Il find the condition is one OF
peace so long as the big Moro chiefs
are allowed 20 have their own way.
The sultan is a man OF NO power o.
his own and must depend on the
chiefs who may on may not do what
he wishes. They are all surrounded
by gangs OF rufians who do no use
fuI work but live through robbery
and by dning both sides in case, ir-
respective Of who may be guilty. the
fun amount q the ability TO pay II
the victim refuses TO pay he is en-
shaved.
No one Is allowed TO go beyond
abe Outp0sts here without an armed
guard and il is even advisable TO go
about the streets here armed. on &C
count of the iuramentadOs, one Of
whom got through the gate past
sentinel. with his arms. ran through
the barrack yard. slashed a soldier
across the hack and fell dead on the
main plaza and in front OF the com
missary Office. shot FIVE times by a
.fusilade from our soldiers. which
killed also 2 trumpeter who was get
ting ready for guard. This makes
the sixth or seventh iuramentadO who
has appeared since last spring-One
engineer soldier was chopped mp last
spring by one of them. After he had
seven volts IS balls in him. he chop
ped of a leg and an arm each at one
stroke OF his barungpall. During the
spring the garrison has practically
been I'm a state OF siege. When Cap
tain Eltinges' troops went out they
were surrounded by the dangerous
natives. brandishing their barirons
and spears and they had TO come
back because the orders were by no
means TO have a conflict
General Davis. commanding the d.
vision OF the Philippines. referring to
the iuramentado I'm his annual report
says.
The NOrr0s are accustomed to suf-
fer all Of the caprices o. their despOt-
he authority. The laws OF centuries
permit men TO be recruited for any
purpose whatever. The debtor loses
all rights and his children can be
sold throughout the archipelago. He
can. however. buy the liberty Of his
family az the risk OF his own life;
that IS. for the largest number of
christians whom he can slay. II the
debtor accepts the proposition the
debtor becomes that moment a jura-
mentado. knowing perfectly well that
III he manages TO get I'm tie midst OF
q Spanish settlement all hope Tor es-
cape is gCue. Ieath is therefore Ger
tain for all juramens@1Os. When they
arrive at a sufficient state Of exalta-
ton. but never before. they are sent
AAAO 3 CIR HAAaA A1AAAAAAWAAAA&s
General Wood Active.
Washington. Nov. 26.-Cablegrams
from Governor Taft contain a few
further details of General Woods bat
fses with the MOros. Under date al
November Il General Wood reported
10 Governor Taft regarding the fight
After describing the battle at Taglibi
he said there were no further indi-
cations OF hOstilities; that the sui
tau's men had been at the head and
front OF the fighting and that he un-
derstcod this action on the part of
the Moros abrogated the sO-called
Bales treaty and that there was evil
dcuce TO fmplIcate the sultan.
Three days previously General
wood had reported TO Governor Taft
that there were about 1000 MOrOs
under PangIima Hazzen in the noun
a.. n H.