Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-09-30
CUR SOLDIERS o WEN MAD.
Philippine Climate and Isolation Re
sponsibie for Suicidal Mania.


Philippine Climate and Isolation Re-
sponsibie for Suicidal Mania.
In an interesting article In the New
York Herald Stephen Bonsal. the ia
NOUS war correspondent, discusses at
length the remarkable prevalence OF
suicidal mania among our soldiers in
the Philippines. While admitting that
whisky and native poisonous drinks
of which our soldiers have become
enamored are responsible for part
of the many cases of sudden madness,
which are so often attended with muir
der and suicide, he maintains that
fully twice as many are due to the
climate, to the terrible isolation which
the men sometimes undergo, and to
the awful strain to which they are
sometimes subjected in battling with
a WHY and hidden foe. TO the depress-
ing isolation he attributes most of the
cases of suicidal and murderous mania
which results in officers and men alike
running amuck. We quote from the
article one incident from which Mr..
Bonsal stands sponsor:
1.-THE officer who lost his life in this
instance was one of the most prom
Using of men. knew him well in the
trenches before Santiago and in the
lonely station in the Philippines to
which he was afterward assigned. He
stood six feet two inches in his stock
ings, was magnificently proportioned,
and was known throughout the ser
vice as the hondsomeSt man of his
rank, and there was certainly no one
who gave more certain promise of an
honorable career.
He was a student. and ii seemed
to me when l left him in one of the
lon Hest provinces of Luzen that here
was man upon whose hands the
time would not hang heavy as long
as he had his district to police his
men to take care of and his military
books to study.
"a few weeks after left him. how
ever. he ran amuck in his own gar
rison and wounded six men. two Of
whom afterward died. The night he
fore the frenzy manifested itself he
had shown himself kinder to and more
appreciative of his men than ever be
fore. He visited the hospital, and with
his own hands changed a bandage
which he thought the hospital stew
ard had arranged somewhat awkward
ly.
HE went to the guard house and
liberated a ran who had been detain-
ed for som. minor offense. Then he
went to bed. and the next that was
seen of him, and the last, was the fol-
lowing picture: At reveille liz the
morning, as the men FASTENED to the
parade ground. rifle balls came zip
ping in their midst
For a moment-but only for a mo-
ment-there was confusion; then tho
hostile fire, which had already brought
down two men, was traced 10 the cap
tain's quarters. The first sergeant took
command of the company and acted
promptly. 1t was evident to him and
the men that the insurgents had
sneaked into the town during the night.
murdered the captain and intrenched
themselves in his quarters, because
that was the most commanding position
in the town.
Rallying round the sergeant. the men
Of the company in small skirmishing
squads charged the quarters. What
was their dismay as they drew near
to see the captain intrenched behind
mattresses and furniture, firing upon
them with his rifle as fast as the mag
azine could be loaded. The sergeant,
in imminent danger OF his life, par
leyed with him, but to no avail. The
men withdrew. and telegram was
sent to the district commander inform
ing him of the strange situation and
asking for instructions.
Before these came. however, the
captain left his quarters and charged
down through the barrack yard with
pistol in one hand and knife in
the other Six men of his company
had been seriously wounded and sew
eral natives. when at last one of the
soldiers who was lying on the ground.
almost helpless from the wound he
had received. shot the captain rs he
was approaching with the evident pur-
pose of finishing his victim