The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-20
SORTING FILIPINO RECORDS,
AN ARMY OFFICER AT WORK on
THREE TONS OF THEN.
Ninety Thousand Captured Documents Of
Aguinaldo's Government Being Tx.
amineti-LOve Story OF the Commander
OF His Rear Guard AmOng Them,

amined-LOve Story OF the Commander
OF His Rear Guard Among Them.
WASHINGTON Sept. l9.-Capt. j. r. NJ
Taylor is engaged in the task of examine
ing and getting into shape the 10000 docu-
ments captured by the army in the Philip
pines during Gen. Otiss administration.
There are about three tons OF them.
He is assisted by two clerks and stenoo.
raphers. The documents include parch-
ment sheets, long tabular statements.
closely written diaries, and piles OF letters.
besides Aguinaldo's official documents For
three years the Captain has been digging
into them. So far about 5000 Of the docu-
ments have been properly classified, so
that the task has but fairly begun.
But even now Capt. Taylor has separated
from the mass many an interesting tale.
Following the custom in the East, the Of
fcals of the Aguinaldo government pre-
| served with official papers their own pr-
vate correspondence, and from this some
curious light is thrown upon the insur-
rection in the Philippines.
There is the complete history OF tho
attempt to assassinate Gen. Otis. 1t II
told as clearly In succession Of docu-
ments as though an officer of Aguinaldo
had written it out in narrative form. There
is the petition presented to Aguinaldo by
natives OF Manila. On its back is the il
dorsement in Spanish, in Aguinaldo's hars'.
writing, ordering three men who Gveh
in the vicinity Of Otis's house to 'summarIy
remove the hated leader Of the Americana
The handwriting OF Aguinaldo Is identified
beyond question.
Capt. Taylor also furnished ammunition
for Republican Senators in the heated
debates Of the last session Of the Congress-
when attacks were made ON the Administra-
ton for It's management Of Philippine
affairs. As the discussion developed each
day, Secretary Root was called upon for
facts to refute the stand taken by the at
lacking Senator'S He turned to Capt.
TAYLOR, and from the thousands Of docu-
ments the desired proof came II b was
there.
| Where did all these documents como
| from? From the captured camps Of the
insurgents from the churches and parish
, buildings and houses Of Filipinos. Some
of them were picked up quite by accident.
There was the day when. after long.
hard hike, Col Kennon ordered his regi-
ment to camp near one Of the picturesque
churches in the Island Of Luzon. The
troops laid out their camp and the Colonel
entered the church to look about. He
found that it had been occupied as quarters
by a body OF men.
Just in front Of the chanoel there was
a mass Of crumpled papers, old envelopes
and letters. In spite OF the scene Of war
and the use to which the edition had been
put, a candle still burned before the cruel.
fix. The soldier bent to the pile Of SCAT
tered papers and, picking up one, started
10 light his pipe. As he rolled It between
his fingers he caught several Spanish words,
and, being Spanish scholar, was curious
to learn its import.
As he read he grew interested. Amoment
later he had given several sharp orders
and q detail Of men was engaged In coll
lecting carefully every scrap OF paper In
the church. Tho paper with which Col.
Kennon started to light his pipe was the
order from the Hong Kong Junta to Aguin-
aldo for him to 60 to Hong Kong and con-
fer with Admiral George Dewey. The
collection turned into headquarters from
that church is ono Of the most important
among the captured documents.
To the military men the greatest interest
attaches to the discoveries which Capt.
TAYLOR is making daily Of the military
operations OF Aguinaldo. The record will
never be complete It will, however,
Indicate that tho losses inflicted by our
troops upon the Fiipinos were much
smaller than most reports have given.
Il will show the system Of impress
ment exercised by the insurgent leaders.
It will show that while fighting the Ameri-
cans in their front the insurgent leaders
fought contentious and discussions in their
own camp and fought In the open field
the opposition of mountain tribes and OF
whole bodies of natives in the interior who
were bitterly opposed to the dictatorship
of Aguinaldo.
There are personal papers Of Aguinaldo
which were captured with the trunks OF
the Royal Family as the Filipino liked
tives who travelled with him until the
American troops pressed them too hard.
When Aguinaldo himself was taken only
small bundle of papers tied with tape re-
NAMED In his possession. Pathetic was
the fact that he had left but two sheets
of his official government paper.
There are the love letters Of young Gre
gorio del Pillar, who fell fighting in northern
Luzon. He had way Of drafting his
letters and then before sending them to
his lady love he reWrOte tnem WIN cure
and kept the original. The originals were
carefully placed in alternating layers be
tween the replies which the young Spanish
girl sent to him.
They form almost poetic series Gre
gorio was handsome fellow OF 80 or less:
He followed Aguinaldo with fanatical
zeal
During the two years when Aguinaldo
was so hard pressed by the American
troops and while they were daily hiking
, through the mountains, it was Gregorio
who commanded the rear guard and COW
cred the retreat of the insurgent chief.
At night after the long day of hard marches.
fording streams. climbing PERCEPTIONS
heights fighting with small bands Of Ameri-
, can troops, Gregorio took out his camp
desk and by the Pickering camp fire wrote
of mis- love for the dark-eyed girl back in
Manila, where he had been educated
He told of his hopes and how Aguinaldo
would reward him when the American!
We're driven from the island. He told
of his trials in as light vein as he could.
The girl would plead with Gregorio to
desert the insurgent leader and come to
her. She would try to tell him that the
! end could not long be delayed and that
the Americans were civilized and peace
loving and upright people and that their
power was greater than he could know
Gregorio would chide her for her attempt
to lead him from his duty to his chief