The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1903-04-08
REMARKABLE SCENE.
Senator Ben. Til mans Rotact to
Senator Redfield Proctor.
ON THE FLOOR OF THE SEN. TIE.
The Springfield, Mass, Republican
Stresses the Incident To the
Disadvantage of the New
Englandcr.


A remarkable episode is embedded
in the Congressional Record OF Jan
uary 20. Let us observe the scene it
presents. The senator from Vermont,
MIR. Proctor, had the floor He is Il
fair representative Of New England.
Debating with him was the senator
from South Carolina, Mr.. Tillmap.
who happens to be more associated in
the public mind with the defense OF
lynch law than any other senator.
Senator Tillman has often justified
violent acts toward the negro race
These facts tend to make the encoun-
ter between New England and South
Carolina on the floor OF the sen lte
impressive, for the subject under dis
cuSSion was peculiarly an issue Of law
leSSness and even Savagery.
The senator from New England had
read to the senate the statement by
Capt. Cornelius NJ. Browncll. late cap
tain of Co. X. Goth volunteer infantry,
confeSSing and juStifying his act in
WI w uCuOI UIlC lilSulH HtIlI L Ill
pino priest known as Father AugusJin.
The statement was read in full, and
the remarks that followed were made
with full knowledge of Capt. Brown.
ellis declarations. Brownell gave Il
detailed description OF the torture
which is absolutely forbidden by the
articles OF war under which the I'M
ted States army is governed during
hoStilitieS, and which the world re-
CARDS as Il crime against civilization.
Some extracts may serve to show the
character of Capt. Brown, IFS opera
tions:
Knowing that there was on deposit
in the city of Iloilo 4 large sum OF
money awaiting his order at the mer-
camille house OF Hoskyn * Co., the
banking houses OF Tie Hong kong and
Shanghai banking corporation, and
the Banquo Espanol, insisted that he
would be obliged to deliver orders for
this money to me.
The time given him having expired
without result, he was brought into
my presence and that or other officers
and enlisted men and told that he
would be blindfolded and the water
cure administered until he acceded to
my request.
The water cure was administered
for short time.
He still insisted that it belonged to
the pope at Rome. The cure
was continued.
Under this physical torture, which
was applied three times, the priest IL
na!ly signed the orders for the payment
OF the money which was in the various
banks. But Capt. Brownell was not
satisfied. He then demanded that the
priest disclose the hiding place OF one
Quintin SalaS. Now came the final
tragedy, which under any possible in
depreciation of military law was muir
der:
He (the priesD was in a detected
mood, respondent, thoroughly diScour-
aged. He told me that he had better
be dead, and wished lie might die.
l give him until certain hour TO con-
slider whether he would disclose this
hiding place or not. At the cxpira-
tion Of this time he declined To dis
close SalaS' whereabouts.
| finally ordered that the cure he
again administered to him and stepped
into an adjoining room.
In very short time | was
warned by disturbance in the room
where the prisoner was that some
thing waSi wrong and upon entering
The room the man was dead.
Never. of course, was there clearer
case for a physician in determining
the cause of death. Father AuguStin
died under torture. Yet, according
TO Capt. BrownellS statement, the
post surgeon Immediately came in.
looked at the corpse, and decided that
the priest had died from fatty de
generation of the heart, and from
complete collapse and mental anguish
over the exposure OF his criminal life. "
That was the surgeons little joke, but
1T was OF the sort of humor that may
best be described as mockery.
Now, the United States senate,
having heard all these facts as related
by Brownell, was then listener to
this remarkably prevented or remark
ably impudent expression of the cap
tain's views on his own case:
The water cure was administered
by my order several times TO different
natives. no not ana never
have believed it cruel or barbarouS in
any manner, and whenever it became
necessary, In my judgment, to admin
lister it, the men chosen for that duty
were chosen with a view to having
only intelligent, careful, humane men
perform the operation.
Senator Redtield Proctor when the
reading had ended, stood on his feet
and said: II propose TO make de
Tense of Capt. BrOwnell. In his posi-
tion he was fully justified in taking
any steps he saw proper for the safety
OF his command. Father AuguStin
might have been tried by drumhcad
cOurtmartial and shot or hung" And
that was New England speaking i'm
defense Of hideouS torture, which re-
suited in murder, rs means of war
fare. Up arose whom; The Sena-
tor from South Carolina, and he aim
ed at the New Englander thrust
that should have cut to his soul:
IF the senator will permit me, |
have only TO say that for the honor OF