The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1903-04-28
OFFICERS
ATROCITIES
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Observations By General Miles
Not Favorable to the Am
erican Arms.
REPORT OF his RECENT TOUR
Conditions In the Philippines
Would Disgrace a Crowd
Of Savases.

Washington. April n. War depart
ment hasmade public that portion Of
the report of General Miles which re-
fers TO misconduct Of officers and sol
diers In the Philippines. Secretary
RoUi has received several requests for
this report particularly with reference
TO the recent accusations against Gen
erai Funston.
General Miles report on his Philip
pine observations II dated February
ia.iaN3. and " addressed 10 the secre-
,ary OF war. He says that In going
from calamba 10 Batansas In Novem-
bsr last be noticed that the country ap.
peared devastated and that the people
were very much depressed. stopping
AZ LIf,a. he says q party OF citizens
headed by the acting president met him
and stated that they desired TO make
complaint Of the harsh treatment OF
the people Of that community, saying
that they had been concentrated In
towns and suffered great indignities,
that Is of their people had been tor
,nred hy what is known as the water
cure. and that one man. highly re-
spected, aged ,65 years, named Vincent
Luna. while suffering from the effects
OF the torture and unconscious, was
dragged from his house. which had
been set on FIRE. and was burned to
death, They stated that these afro
cities were committed by company
~ scouts under ommand OF Lieutenant
fIennessy and that their people hal
heen crowded into towns hundreds be-
ing confined In one building"
\ doctor Of the party said he was
ready 10 testify that some of the 600
died from snffocation.
General Miles refers TO other cases.
saying that on the Island OF Cebu, II
was reported and published In Novem-
her, 1909. that two officers, Captain
samucis. Forty-fourth Infantry United
States volunteers. and Lieutenant Feet
er. Eighteenth infantry, had commit
ted similar atrocities against the people
Of that island II IL also reported that
az Laoag on the Island OF Luzon, two
natives were whipped TO death. AT
Taclohan, Leyte, is was reported that
Major Glenn ordered Lieutenant caut-
field. Philippine scouts. TO take eight
prisoners out Into the country. and
that II they did not guide him TO the
camp OF the lnsurgent Quizen, he was
not TO bring them back. II was stated
that the men We're taken out and that
they either did not or could not do as
directed. One OF the men who had u
son among the scouts was spared, but
the others were separated into two par
ties, numbering three or four respect
lively, and while tied together were all
murdered by being shot or bayonetted
TO death, some being In kneeling po-
sition at that time. The pretense was
made that they were killed while at
tempting to escape, bu, so far as |
know, no official report was made of
the circumstances. These facts have
been reported by Major Watts, who In
vestigated the case. Besides Lleuten-
ant cautaeld, Civilian Scouts Ramos,
Preston, Corn ana Mcean We're par
tlcipants,
AT Calbayog, Samar II was report
ed that several men In that district
had been subjected to the water tor
ture. I saw three men who had been
subjected to this treatment. One was
the president Of the town, Mr.. Rosales,
who showed me long, deep scars on
his arms which. he said were caused
Ivy the cords with which he was bound
cutting into his flesh. The second man
was named Jose Berja, and the third
was Padre Jose DiaSnes, who stated
that he was one Of the three priests
who had been subjected to torture by
the troops under command OF Lleuten-
ant Gaujot, Tenth cavalry; that his
front teeth hod been knocked out
which was apparent; that he was 9TH
crwise maltreated and robbed of $500
1t was stated that these priests had
been taken out to be killed and were
only saved by the prompt action Of
Major Darlington, First infantry, who
sent for them. Lieutenant Gaujot was
tried, pleaded guilty and was given
the trivial sentence Of three months
suspension from command, forfeiting
$50 per month for the same period,
His pleading guilty prevented all the
facts and circumstances being de-
yeloped.
1T appears that Major Glenn, Lieu
Tenant conger and party of assist
ants and native scouts were moved