The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-28

regarding 1t could be learned. General Miles. however, who had been furnished copies of the replies of the different bu- reau officers sent each a note of few lines, stating that replies to his comments on affairs in the Philippines were all of a gentlemanly character, save that of Gen. eral Hughes.
 TAany Requests for Reports.
 Secretary Root has received several re- quests for this report, some of these re- quests being from persons in Boston, who stated that they understood it contained much matter that never had been brought out in the investigations. The secretary has held that such reports were confden- tlal in order that the officer making ] them might be made free to make such comments as he desired, but, as 1t was learned General Miles had no objection to the publication of the report, it has been made public with brief comment by General Davis, chief advocate general, who has charge of all matters pertain ing to the subjects referred to in this portion of the report. The statements made by General Miles are the result of his tour in the Philippines last autumn and winter.
 Water Cure for Fifteen.
 General Miles report on his first ob- servations is dated February 1s 19OS and is addressed to the secretary of war. He says that in going from Calamba to Ba- tangas in November last he noticed that the country appeared very much depress- ed. Stopping at Lipa he says a ps.ty of citizens headed by the acting pr asident 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 fif- teen of their people had been tortured by what is known as the water torture" and that one highly respected citizen aged 65 years, named Vincent Luna, while suf- fering from the effects of the torture and unconscious was dragged from his house, which had been set on fire, and was burned to death.
 They stated that these atrocities were committed by a company of scouts under command of Lieutenant 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. General Miles says he looked at the building, which was one story In height. eighteen or twenty feet wide and possibly sixty or severity feet long.
 Report Was Never Received.
 He asked for written statement to be forwarded him at Manila but says he never received 1t, and adds: T have no reason not to believe their statements; in fact, the instance of the man Luna. having been tortured and burned to death is confirmed by other reports"
 Concerning the failure to receive the statement, General Miles says: Whether any influence was brought to bear to pre- vent their statement, either by persuasion or coercion, I am not prepared to say at the present time"
 General 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 Captain Sam uels, Forty-fourth infantry, United States volunteers, and Lieutenant Feeter, Nine teenth infantry, had committed similar atrocities against the people of that island. It is also reported that at Laoag on the island of Luzon, two natives were whipped to death.
 "kilIed Trying to Escape"
 At Taclogan, Leyte, it was reported that Major Glenn authorized Lieutenant Canfield, Philippine scout, to take eight prisoners out into a country, and that if they did not guide him to the camp of the insurgents he was not to bring them back. It was stated that the men were taken out. and either they did not or could not do as directed. One of the men who had son among the scouts was spared, but the others were separated into two parties, numbering three or four respectively and while tied together were all murdered by being shot or bayonetted to death, some being in kneeling posi- tion 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 circum- stances. These facts have been reported by Major Watts, who investigated the case Besides Lieutenant Garfield Civil ian Scouts Ramos, Preston, Corn and McKeef were participants.
 At Calbayog, Samar." continues the report, it was reported that several men in that district had been subjected to the water torture. I saw three men who had been subjected to this treatment. One was the presidente of the town. M. Ro- sazales who showed me long, deep scars on his arms which he said were caused by the cords with which he was bound cutting into his flesh. The second man