Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-04-27
Those Contained in Gen.
Miles Report of Fill
pino Abuses.
ROOT GIVES 1T OUT
Forced at Last to Yield
to Popular Demand
for the Facts.

Washington, April 27.-The war de-
partment today made public that por-
ton of the report of Gen. Miles which
refers to misconduct of officers and
soldiers in the Philippines. Secretary
Root has received several requests for
this report, some being from persons
in Boston who stated that they un-
derStCod that it contained much mat
ter that has never been brought out
in the Investigations. The secretary
has held that such reports are conf
Dental in order that the officer max
ing them might be free to make such
comments as he desired. but as it was
learned that Gen. Miles had no objec-
tion to the publication of the report
it has been made public with brief
comment by Gen. Davis, judge advo-
cate general. who has charge of all
matters pertaining to the subjects re-
ferred to in this portion of the re
port. The statements made by Gen.
Miles are the result of his tour of in
spection in the Philippines last au-
tumn and winter.
Water Cure Torture
Gen. Miles report on his Philippine
and is addressed to the secretary of
war. lie says that in going from Ca
lamba to Batangas in November last
he noticed that the country appeared
devastated and that the people were
very much depressed. Stopping at
Lipa, he says, party of citizens head
ed by the acting presidente met him
and stated that they desired to make
complaint of harsh treatment of the
people of that community, saying
they had been concentrated in towns
and had suffered great indignities;
that 15 of their people had been tor
tured by what is known as the water
torture. and that one man. highly re-
spocted citizen, aged 65 years, named
Nincente Luna, while suffering from
the effects of the torture and uncon-
scious, was dragged from his house,
which had been set on fire, and was
burned to death. They stated that
these atrocities were committed by Il
company of scouts under command
of Lieut.. Hennessey. and that their
people had been crowded into towns,
600 being confined in one building. 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 90 or 20 feet long. He asked
for written statement to be for
warded him at Manila, but says he
never received it, and adds: Il have
no reason to disbelieve their state
ments, in fact the instances of tor
ture in the case of the man Luna hav-
ing been tortured and burned to death
are confirmed by other reports Con-
corning the failure to receive the
statement Gen. Miles says: whether
any influence was brought to bear to
prevent their statement, either by
persuasion or coercion, L am not pre-
pared to say at the present time
Similar Atrocities Practiced
Gen. Miles then refers to other cases,
saying that on the island of Cebu it
was reported and published in Novem-
ber, 1902, that two officers, Capt.
Samuels, 44th infantry, United States
volunteers, and Lieut.. Feeter, 10Th in
fantry, had committed similar atroci-
ties against the people of that island.
1t is also reported that at Lacag, on
the island of Luzon. two natives were
whipped to death. At TacIoban,
LeYte, it was reported that Maj. Glenn
ordered Lieut.. Caulfeld, Philippine
sconts, to take eight prisoners out in
to the country and that if they did
not guide him to the camp of the in
surgent 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 di-
rected. One of the men who had a
son among the scouts was spared, but
the others were separated into two
parties, numbering three or four. re-
spectiveIy, and while tied together
were all murdered by being shot or
bayoneted to death, some being in
kneeIing 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 circumstances
These facts have been reported by
Maj Watts, who investigated the case.
Besides Lieut.. Caulfield, Civilian
Scouts Ramos, Preston, Corn and Nc
Keen were participants.
Deep Cuts From Cords.
''At CaIbayog, Samar, it was report
ed that several men in that district