The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-05-09
SAYS SOLDIERS WERE CRUEL.
sscretary Root Makes Public 0s..
NILES Report-Charges AtrocI-
ties In Philippines.

Washington, April 2s.-The war de-
partment Monday made public that
portion of the report Of Gen. Miles
which refers to misconduct of officers
md soldiers in the Philippines.
Gen. Miles report on his Philippine
observations is dated February 10.
1903, and Is addressed to the secretary
Of war. He says that in going from
Calamba to Batangas in November
last he noticed that the country ap-
peared devastated and that the people
were very much depressed. Stopping
At the Lipa he says party Of citizens
headed by the acting president met
him and stated that they desired to
make complaint of harsh treatment of
the people of that community, saying
that they had been concentrated in
towns and had suffered great indigni-
ties, "that Is of their people had been
tortured by what is known as the wa
ter torture, and that one man, a highly
respected citizen, aged 65 years,
named Vincente Luna, while suffering
from the effects of the torture and
unconscious, was dragged from his
home, which had been set on fire, and
was burned to death. They stated
that these atrocities were committed
by a company of scouts under COM
mand of Lieut.. Hennessey, and that
their people had been crowded into
towns, 600 being confined in one build
ing. A doctor of the party said he
was ready to testify that some Of the
900 died from suffocation. Gen. Miles
says he looked at the building, which
was one story in height, IS or 20 feet
wide and possibly 60 or 70 feet long.
Gen. Miles then refers to other
cases, saying that on the island Of
Cebu il was reported and published in
November, 1909, "that two officers,
Capt. Samuels, Forty-fourth infantry.
United States volunteers, and Lieut..
Feeter, Nineteenth infantry, had COM
mitted similar atrocities against the
people Of that island. 1t Is also report
ed that at Lacag. on the island OF
Luzqn, two natives were whipped to
death. At Tacloban, Leyte, 1t was re-
ported that Maj. Glenn ordered Lieut..
Caulfield, Philippine scouts, to take
eight prisoners out into the country
and that if they did not guide him
to the camp Of the insurgent, Quison,
he was not to bring them back. 1t
was stated that the men were taken
out and that they either did not or
could not do as directed. One Of the
men, who had son among the scouts,
was spared, but the others were sep
n rafod into two part;ac p,,,, ha ri,c
three or four respectively, and while
tied together were all murdered by be-
ing shot or bayoneted to death, some
being in kneeling position at that
time. The pretense was made that
they were killed while attempting to
escape, but so far as know no official
report was ever made of the circum-
stance. These facts have been report
ed by Maj. Watts, who investigated the
ease. Besides Lieut.. Caulfield, Civilian
Scouts Ramos, Preston, Corn and Nc
Keen were participants.
Continuing his report to the secre-
tary, Gen. Miles directs attention to
the acts Of reconcentra ton by Gen.
Bell and claims that they were in d.
rect violation of law. He says that tho
law was also violated in handling and
buying large quantities of rice which
was sold at profit. The people who
were in the RECOMMENDATION camps
were, says Gen. Miles, considered
prisoners of war. but were compelled
to buy food from those who held them
at a large profit" Gen. Miles charac-
terizes this as unprecedented. He
speaks of the magnitude of the trans
action, which involved 100000
pounds Of rice and other supplies at
cost of $306,32O. He says that IAN ex-
traordinary feature OF this transac-
ton is the action which was disap-
proved by division commander who
assumed command and who turned the
matter over to the civil authorities and
that II has been carried on under an