The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-05-07
CRUELTY IN PHILLlPINRS
War Department Makes Public Re
port of General Miles.
MANY CASES OF CRUELTY CITED
During Visit to Islands He Heard
Many Complaints Against Soldiers,
Who, II 10 Said. Burned. Shot and
Whipped Natives to Death.

Whipped Natives to Death.
Washington, April 27.-The War de
partment made public the portion OF
the report of General Miles which re-
fers to misconduct OF officers and SOL
diers in the Philippines. The state
ments made by General Miles are the
result of his tour of inspection in
the Philippines last autumn and win
ter
General Miles says that in going
from Calamba to Batangas In Novem-
ber last he noticed that the country
appeared devastated and that the peo-
pie were very much depressed. Stop
ping at Lipa, he says, party OF citi-
zens, headed by the acting presldente,
met him and stated that they desired
to make complaint of harsh treatment
Of the people of that community, say
ing they had been concentrated in
towns and had suffered great indig-
mites; that Is of their people had
been tortured by what is known as
the water torture, and that one man,
a highly respected citizen. aged So
years, named Vincente Luna, while
suffering from the effects of the tor
ture and unconscious, was dragged
into his house, which had been set
on fire, and was burned to death.
They stated that these atrocities were
committed by company of scouts
under command of Lieutenant Hen
messy, and that their people had been
crowded into towns, 600 being con-
fined in one building"
A doctor of the party said he was
ready to testify that some of the 600
died from suffocation. General Miles
says he looked at the building, which
was one story in height, IS or 20 feet
wide and possibly 60 or 10 feet long.
He asked for written statement to
be forwarded him at Manila, but says
he never received 1t, and adds 81
have no reason to disbelieve their
statements; In fact. the instances OF
torture in the case of the man Luna
having been tortured and burned to
death are confirmed by other reports"
General Miles then refers to other
cases, saying that on the Island OF
Cebu 1t was reported and published
in November, 1902, that two officers,
Captain Samuels, 44th Infantry, United
States Volunteers, and Lieutenant
Feeter, 10th Infantry, had committed
similar atrocities against the people
Of that island. 1t is also reported
that at Laoag, on the Island Of Luzon,
two natives were whipped to death.
AZ Taclohau. Levte ~ Mos Exported
that autenant
Caulfield, Pine. 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 we're taken out
and that they either did not or could
not do as directed, and were put to
death.
"At Calbayog, Samar, 1t was report
ed that several men in that district
had been subjected to water torture.
I saw three men who had been sub
jected to this treatment. Two Of the
men, named Jose Borja and Padre
Jose Diaznes, the latter said he was one
Of three priests who had been sub
jected to torture by the troops under
command of Lieutenant Gaujot, 10th
Cavalry; that his front teeth had been
knocked out, which was apparent;
that he was otherwise maltreated and
robbed of $500. II 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 Caujot was tried, found
guilty and was given the trivial sen.
tence Of three months suspension
from command, forfeiting $50 per
month for the same period. His plead.
ing guilty prevented all the facts and
circumstances being developed.
ut appears that Major Glenn, Lieu
tenant Conger and party Of assist
ants and native scouts were moved
from place to place for the purpose
Of extorting statements by means of
torture, and 1t became so notorious
that this party was called 'Genn's
brigade Whether it was possible for
officers to be engaged in such acts
without the personal knowledge of
the general upon whose staff they
were serving at the time, namely,
Brigadier General Hughes, leave for
others to conjecture.
"These facts came to my notice in
a casual way, and many others of
similar character have been reported
in different parts of the archipelago.
In fact. was informed that It was
common talk at the places where Off.
GERS congregated that such transac.
tions had been carried on either with
the connivance or approval Of Ger.
tain commanding officers"
General Miles says the law was also
violated in handling and buying large
quantities of rice which was sold at
a proht. The people who were in the
RECOMMENDATION camps were consider.
ed prisoners of war, but were COM
PEELED to buy food from those who