The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-05-01
AMERICAN OFFICERS
BAD As WEYLER
Sensational Report Of General
Miles Given Out by War
Department.
~BUTCHERED SEVEN MEN
Prisoners Shot and ~Bayoneted Because
Unable to Locate lnsurssnt Chief
NO Excuse for Such
Atrocities.

and soldiers in the Philippines. Score.
tary Root has received several requests
for this report, but held that such re-
ports were confidential. However, as il
was learned hat General Miles had nc
objection to publication, it has beer
made public with a brief comment by
General Davis, judge advocate general
The statements made by General Miles
are the result Of his tour of inspection
in the Philippines last autumn and win
ter.
General Miles report Of his Philip
pine observations is dated February 10,
1903, and is addressed to the secretary
of a re says that in going from
Calamba to Batangas, in November
last, he noticed the country appeared
devastated and the people much de-
pressed. At Lipa a party OF citizens
met him and stated that they desired to
make complaint of harsh treatment,
saying they had been concentrated i'll
towns and had suffered great indigni-
ties; that 10 OF their people had been
tortured 5y what is known as the water
torture and that one man, q highly re-
spected citizen, aged Go years, named
Vincenta Luna, while suffering from
lie cIlcClS y J. lIlt lOIluIS dllO lColl-
5cious, was dragged from his house,
which had been set on fire, n was
burned to death. They stated that these
atrocities were committed by a COM
pany of scouts under command Of Lieu
tenant Hennessy. He asked for a writ
ten statement to be forwarded him at
Manila, but says he never received it,
and adds: Il have no reason to dis
believe their Statements; in fact. the
case of the man Luna having been tor
tured and burne to death is confirmed
by other reports"
Concerning the failure to receive the
statement. General Miles says:
whether any influence was brought
to bear to prevent their statement,
either by persuasion or coercion, I am
not prepared to say at the present
time
Deliberately Butchered Seven.
General Miles then refers to other
causes saying that on the island Of
Cebu it was reported and published in
November, 1902, that two officers, Cap
tain Samuels. Forty-fourth infantry,
United States volunteers, and Lieuten-
ant Feeter, Nineteenth infantry, had
committed similar atrocities against the
people Of that island. 1t is reported
that at Laoag, On the island of Luzon,
two natives were whipped to death.
At Tacloban, Leyte, it was reported
that Major Glenn ordered Lieutenant
Caulfield. Philippine scout, to take eight
prisoners out into the country and that
if they did not guide him to the camp
of the i~nsurgent Quizon he was not to
bring them back. 1t was stated that
the men were taken out ald that they
either did not or could no, do as direct
ed. II of the men viii had a son
ameng the scouts was sp&red, but the
others were separated into two parties.
numbering three or four respectively,
and while tied together were all muir
dered by being shot or bayoneted to
death, some being in a kneeling posi-
ton at that time. The p~-etense was
made that they were killed while at
tempting to escape, but SO far as I
know no official report was ever made
Of the circumstances. These facts have
been reported by Major Watts, who in
vestigated he case. Besides Lieuten-
ant Caulfeld. Corn and McKeen were
participants.
Water Cure Frequent.
A Calbaog, Samar, it was reported
that several men in that district had
been subjected to the water torture. I
saw three men who had been subjected
to this treatment. One was the presi-
dent OF the town, Mr.. Rosaales, who
showed me long, deep scars on his
arm, which he said were caused by the
SoAoe "ASA AAASAA 2C q boullO, Cutting
into his flesh. The second man was
named Jose Borja and the third was
Padre Jose D1aznes, who stated he was
one of three priests who had been sub
jected to torture by troops under COM
E,and Of Lieutenant Gaujot, Tenth cav
airy; that his front teeth had been
knocked out, which was apparent; that
he was otherwise maltreated and
robbed Of $500. 1t was stated that these
priests were taken out to be killed and
were only saved by the prompt action
Of Major Darlington, First infantry,
who sent out for them. Lieutenant
Gaujot was tried, pleaded guilty and
was given the trivial sentence of three
months suspension from command, for
feiting $50 per month for the same Pc
ROD. His pleading guilty prevented all
the facts and circumstances being de-
veloped.
az Glenn's Brigade Notorious.
1T appears that Major Glenn. Lieuten-
ant Conger and a party of assistants and
native scouts were moved from place to
means Of torture and it became SO no
.9F1ona tf briga edese R Wheeber were IS S,s called nhsl
sible for oficers to be engaged in such
acts without the personal knowledge Of
the general upon whose STAFF they were
General Hughes, 1 leave for Others 10
conjecture.
'lneSe LaClS c2me TO my notice in a
casual way. I was informed that it was
common talk that such transactions ha-d
been carried on either with the co%nnivance
or approval of certain commanding Off
GERS. 1t is. however. most gratifying TO
state that such atrocities have been con-
denlned by such commanders as Generals
Lawton. Wade, Sumner, Lee, Baldwin and
others.
Il found that with certain officers the
Impression prevails that such acts were
justifiable and I felt it my duty to adj
dress IN the division comm n p1or fhn tr,l
lowing letter of Instructions"
Then follows an order under late of
February Is, 1903, in which General Miles
calls attention to the reports of atrocities
and directs that any orders or circulars
of personal instruction which would in
spire or encourage any act of cruelty be
annulled. The order says that 'tthe ex-
cuse that the unusual conditions justify
the measures herein condemned are with
out foundation
Rice Deal Unparalleled.
Continuing his report to the secretary,
General Miles directs attention to the acts
Of concentration by General Bell and