Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-29
ARMY HONOR IS IMPUCNED
Senator Rawlins Raises Question Of Alleged
TOrtures in Philippines
PROCTOR VIGOROUSLY DEFENDS SOLDIERS
Says Father Augustin Deserved Death
for Leading Insurrection and
Raising Funds to Help Rebels
Against United states.

was precipitated in the senate today, when
Mr.. Rawlins (Utah) called up q resolu-
ton, directing the secretary Of war to fur
nish the proceedings Of a number Of courts
martial in the Philippines.
In the course Of his remarks Mr.. Raw
Inns referred to the death of Father Au-
g%ustin, and said he was murdered in cold
blood. This reused tie ire OF Mr.. Bever-
idge CInd.), who demanded to know who
had committed the cold blooded murder.
Mr.. Carmack (Tenn.) Joined, and charac-
terized the charge that the democrats we're
assailing the army as the ''meanest and
d%lrtiest'' of any that had been made
against the party.
Mr.. Proctor (Vt.) defended Captain Cor
nelfus NJ. Brownell, who mentioned the
Rawlins resolution as responsible for Fa-
Their Augustin's death.
The statehood bill was then taken up,
Mr.. Lodge speaking in opposition. An at
tempt by Mr.. Aldrich (R. L. to divide the
business OF the senate with the statehood
bill failed.
Priest FOuIIy Murdered.
Mr.. Rawlin in moving his courts
martial restitution urged that 1t be
adopted, because neighbors and relatives of
the persons concerned had demanded the
facts. He referred to the death of Father
Augustin, who had been murdered
in cold blood. w have reason to infer"
said he, that a foul crime has been com
mitted and that the criminal is within our
borders, and Under the present conditions
Of the law cannot be reached
Mr.. Beveridge (Ind) said he had hoped an
end had been reached Of the policy Of in
%sulation and badger about American sol
diers. 5-... .-..-,'
- D.A1,-g.- A. - ~ = II -
specifically charged any person with hav-
ing committed cold blooded murder, but
his statement was based on afidavits on
file in the War department. 1T is the
old charge" said he, that we have
called attention to tortures and thereby
have been arraigning the American army.
1t is a false and infamous charge and I
will cram 1t down the teeth of the men
who have falsely given it utterance. I
brand the statement as Infamous II not
cowardly. 1t is simply an attempt to put
me in a false position, which l will not
occupy" .s 't t'.f .r ''
Beverage Defends Army.
"If that. is~ the best explanation the
senator can give" remarked Mr.. Beveridge,
"for his remarkable language here, l think
the best friend the senator has would have
advised him to accept the alternative Of
silence"
He then entered upon a defense of the
army and said that Mr., Rawlins had given
the best argument why the resolution
should not be adopted, -
Mr.. Hoar CMass.) interrupted and asked
If it was to impute to anybody
a desire to attack the American
army when the government of the United
States itself through its military authority
had made such charges.
Mr.. Beveridge revertedkto the use of the
words cold FLOODED murder" and said that
Mr. ,Rawlins would not undertake the. re-
sponsibility of saying 1t. ga. e. ,.g5,. q,
Mr.. Carmack characterized the charge
that the democrats were assailing the army
as 'the meanest and dirtiest" OF all that
had been made. at has been the very
vermin," he said, "of this. debate and 1
am a little surprised to find it crawling in
the hair of the honorable senator from
Indiana.
cake Smith is no more the American
army than the senator from Indiana is the
American senate and not half as much as
he thinks he is"
Perjurer Goes U~npuniShed.
Whoever made the charge, he said, con-
sciously took a falsehood upon his lips
when he spoke 1t. He declared that the
senate committee on the Philippines had
refused to investigate the murder Of Father
Augustin. There had been a policy of
suppression, he asserted, and in the case
Of one witness, who, he said, had testified
falsely before the committee, he had been
allowed to go unpublished.
He insisted that whatever action had
been taken by the president and War de-
partment had been because they were
dPfvau IN a. nv fha minOritV Of the senate
and that even then no single fact was
brought to light.
Replying, Mr.. Beveridge said Mr.. Car
mack had made his charge because the in
vestigation did not result as he had hoped
It would.
ut did not result in putting on the
American army the ban which the senator
had thought would be put there, but
resulted in a complete and brilliant vindi-
cation"
Mr.. Carmack again reverted to the in
vestigation by the committee on Philip
pines as to the conduct of the army in the
Philippines and said it occupied but four
days of seven hours each, "although the
secretary of war with his usual loose and
/ lavish unveracity had said It occupied FIVE
, months"
Priest Leads Rebels.
Mr.. Proctor said that Captain Cornelius
NJ. Brownell, who was charged by the
Rawlins resolution as being responsible for
the death OF Father ,Augustin, was a Yer
mont man and that there was no better
specimen Of the volunteer soldier In Yer
mont or any other state. He had read a
statement by Captain Brownell detailing
3 the circumstances OF a plot to massacre
5 his company and the methods adopted to
: overcome II.
He declared that Father Augustin was
: the head and front Of the insurrection in
Z his district.
From his standing in the church Father
4 Augustin was able to divert its revenues
Q from their legitimate purposes and use
q them to further the Instruction. He read