The Irish standard., 1903-05-02
SAYS SOLDIERS
WERE CRUEL.
Gen. Miles Accuses Boys in Blue i'm the Philip.
pines with Atrocities Toward
the Natives.

Washington, April 2s.-The war de-
partment Monday made public that
portion of the report of Gen. Miles
which refers to misconduct of officers
end soldiers in the Philippines.
Natives Tortured.
Gen. Miles report on his Philippine
observations is dated February 10,
1908, 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, chat 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 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
600 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.
Shot Down by Scouts.
Gen. Miles then refers to other
cases, saying that on the island of
Cebu it was reported and published in
November, 1902, "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. It is also report
ed that at Lacag, on the island of
Luzon, two natives were whipped to
death. AT Tacloban, Leyte, it 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
arated into two parties, numbering
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 I know no official
report was ever made of the circu1n-
stance. These facts Rave been report
ed by Maj. Watts, who investigated the
case. Besides Lieut.. Caulfield, Civilian
Scouts Ramos, Preston, Corn and Nc
Keen were participants.
Recommendations.
Continuing his report to the secre-
tary, Gen. Miles directs attention to
the acts of Recommendation by Gen.
Bell and claims that they were in di-
rect violation of law. He says that the
law was also violated in handling and
buying large quantities of rice which
was sold ct 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