The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-04-30
REPORT OF MILES
,.Nv ATROCITIES INFLICTED ON
FILIPlNOS.
coun,aint Made of Concentration
Camps, the Water Cure, and in
One Case of the Burning to
Meath of An Old Man.--SOme of
the Instances.

Washington, April 1.-The war de-
,ortment has made public that portion
Fl the report of General Miles which
rofers to misconduct of officers and SOL
diers in the PHILIPPINES.
secretary Root has received several
roouests for this report, some of them
from persons in Boston, who stated
.bat II contains much matter that had
naver been brought out in the investi-
cations. The secretary has held that
srcb reports were confidential in order
that the officer making them might be
free to make such comments as he de-
sired. but as it was learned that Gen
oral Miles had no objection to the pub
Iication of the report it has been made
nublic with brief comment by Gen.
eral Davis, Judge advocate general, who
has charge of all the matters pertain
ING to the subjects referred to in this
norton of the report. The statements
made in the report are the result of
General Miles tour of inspection in the
Philippines last autumn and winter.
The report 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 no.
ticed that the country appeared devas-
lated and that the people were very
much depressed.
Atrocities Alleged.
Stopping at Lipa he says that par
ty of citizens, beaded by the acting
presiderte, met him and stated that
they desired to make complaint If
harsh treatment of the people of that
community, saying that they had been
concentrated in towns and had suffered
great indignities, "that fifteen of their
people had been tortured by what is
known as the water cure, and that one
man, highly respected, aged IS years,
named Vincente Luna, while suffering
from the effects of the torture and
while unconscious, was dragged from
his house, which had been burned, and
was burned to DEATH" They stated
that some of these atrocities were COM
mitted by company of scouts under
the command of Lieutenant Hennessy,
and that their people had been crowded
into towns, six hundred being confined
in one building.
A doctor of the party said that he
was ready to testify that some of the
six hundred died from suffocation.
General Miles says he looked at the
building, which was one story in
height, eighteen or twenty feet wide,
and possibly sixty or seventy feet long.
He asked for written statement to be
forwarded him att Manila, but says ne
never received it. and adds:
Il 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
daeth are confined by other reports"
Coercion Intfmated.
Concerning the failure to receive the
report, Gen. Miles says:
Whether any influence was brought
to bear to prevent their statement,
either by persuation or coercion, am
not prepared to say at the present
time.'
General Miles then refers to other
cases, stating that on the island of &C.
gu 1t was reported and published in
November /, 902, "that two officers,
captain Samuels, Forty-fourth Infan-
n.y. U. S. ", and Lieutenant Feeter,
Eighteenth 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. AT Tacloban, Leyte,
II was reported that Major Glenn or
uefed Lieutenant Caulfeld, Philippine
scouts to take eight prisoners out into
1ne country, and that if they did not
eulde him to the camp Of the insurgent
queen he was not to bring them back.
1t was stated that the men were
taken out and that they either did not
oF could not do as directed. One of
Tue men, who had a son among the
S.outs' was spared, hut the others were
1ePafated into two parties, numbering
.-iee and four respectively, and while
!ieu together were all murdered by be-
ing shot or bayoneted to death, some
.;elg In kneeling position at the
'He The pretense was made that
o aney were killed while attempting to
s'''pe' but so far as know no official
port was ever made of the circum-
W. these facts were reported by Major
. ";Sa'ts, who investigated the case. Be-
Ss Lieutenant Caulfiield, Civilian
E,ou's Ramos, Preston, Corn and Nc
N0eh were participants"
Portland's Scandals.
PORTLAND Or Anil o. E,-4ha-