Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-13
WORK OF POLITICIANS
Estimate Placed Upon Effort
for Filipino Independence.
REGARDED AS FARCE
RESULTS IN A PROVINCE OF
SOUTHERN LUZoN.
Betrayal Alleged, Following Downfall
Of the Tagalogs in 1897-Im-
munity Purchased.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
DIES MONIES, Iowa, October 10, 1904.
The recent efforts of Teodoro Sandico and
other irreconcilables in Manila to stir up
an independence agitation, which would
only benefit the professional Tagalog and
Visayan politicians, and consign the 80 per
cent of the poor, ignorant and friendly
lower classes to hopeless feudal slavery and
peonage, have called attention to the re-
suits Of Independence" where it was UNI
nolested for over a year, in beautiful
province Of the southern part of Luzon.
called Ambos Camarines, where the writer
lived for nearly year. Most Of these In
cidents have never been published.
In this province war had been unknown
for generations. The Spaniards had peace
fully occupied the country in 1877, and
under the Franciscan friars forty-ave towns
had been founded, and nearly 49, 900 people
of the Bicol race dwelt there in content
ment and happiness. But the germ of dis
content was introduced there by some or
the restless and scheming Tagalog race
from Manila, not over dozen in all. but
members Of the dread Katipunan murder
society Of Cavite province, which was
headed by Andres Bonifacio and Emilio
Aguinaldo. This was In the autumn OF
1896. and a dozen or two Of Bicols of Nueva
Caceres were drawn into the conspiracy.
1t was a foolish and hopeless attempt,
and with the fall of the Tagalog rebellion
around Manila in the summer of 1897 under
the arms Of Spain betrayal followed be-
trayal, and the Tagalog intriguers purchas-
ed immunity by giving up the Bicols to the
executioner, and dozen of the leading men
of the Camarines persisted at Manila as po-
litical criminals. The lesson was all-sufh-
cient to the Bicols, and during the Spanish
American war not a Bicol raised his hand
against the Spanish. although the 100000
or more Bicols were only garrisoned by
few companies of the civil guard, COM
posed mainly of Tagalogs with Spanish Off
GERS. But after the armistice of August
10, 1893. Aguinaldo refused to cease opera
lions against the spaniards, and messen-
gers were sent everywhere to corrupt the
native troops still loyal to Spain. The
Spaniards could do nothing The flower of
their army had been surrendered to the
Americans at Manila. Gen. Pena had sur
rendered to the insurgents in northern Lu-
ION. and Gen. de los Rios was closely be-
sieged at Iloilo. The small garrisons at
lligan, Zamboanga and JOlo could not be
withdrawn and allow the Mohammedan
fanatics to work their savage will with the
Christian natives around the forts. and the
Katipunan was free to work it's own sweet
will from APART to Sorsogon, in the Island
of Luzon, as well as in the great southern
islands Of the Visayan archipelago.
Emissaries Dispatched.
To the Camarines came some emissaries
of Aguinaldo and to the Tagalogs Of the
civil guard they addressed themselves.
Eueva Caceres, a city of $4,000 people. and
the capital of Ambos Camarines was the
first place where they began work, and
Elias Angeles, corporal of the civil guard,
was their willing instrument aided by his
comrade, Private Luis Cagayutan. These
two treacherous fellows regardless of their
oath of fidelity arranged massacre of the
Spaniards at Nueva Caceres and the night
hnr fny fb<,1
AL midnight Angeles and his confederates,
who were on guard at the barracks, COM
nenced by firing up through the floor, where
Capt. Navarro the commander, had his
quarters, killing him, his wife and little
thiIteen-year-old girl as they slept At the
same time Cagayutan, who patrol
with a Spanish sergeant, stepped to the
rear and shot his comrade through the
back, as he started to run toward the bar
racks at the sound of the firing. A general
attack on all Spaniards, men, women and
children, then commenced, and several were
killed, among them Francisco BorraS, regis
ter of property of the province
The few remaining Spanards took refuge
in a stone church. and for two days fought
well, with little to eat and little water,
hdmpered as they were by women and chill
dren The Bicols, unused to war, fed in
terror or covered at the sounds of battle.
At length the Spaniards surrendered, and
after being roughly treated were made
prisoners even the women and children be-
ing locked up and abused in many ways.
Later the Bicol element secured the release
of the latter and on the arrival of the no.
torious Vicente Lucban, the instigator of
the massacre of Balanguga in Samar mat
tiers became still more menacng. Angeles
became major, and Pena, who had been
a driver of a public cab in Manila, was a
general, second to Lucban.
Many Cruelties.
During the long months of diplomatic and
senatorial negotiations the Tagalogs had
their own sweet way in the Camarines, and
Bicols, Chinese and Spanish prisoners were
alike abused and oppressed. Most of the
Blcols thought Independence" was the
name of Aguinaldo's wife, and the Con
stitucion'' was his mother. The Tagalogs.
not being in the Camarnes for their health
never tried to en1ightsn them, but used
rifle butt when necessary to convince a
Blcol that his prices were too high
Finally the storm broke at Manila and
the naughty Tagalog army was hurled back
from the line of villages around Manila on
February and 5. 1890, by the American
soldiers. For a year later the Camarines
were left alone. and some 700 Spanish pris-
oners of war were sent there from around
Manila by the Tagalogs. In their barbar-
ism they declined to give them up alleging
that America had taken up Spain's quarrel
and that these men were to be considered
as Americans: Meanwhile. an expedition
was gotten ready in Manila for the con-
quest of the Camarines. and Gen. James
Montgomery Bell. who had been wounded
at Santiago, was selected to command it,
He had the 10th and 45th Infantry Regi-
ments a machine gun battery of the 37th
Regiment and some other troops
The expedition set sail from Manila bay
In February. 1900, and arrived of the east
err coast of the Camarines about the 10Th
CT February. On its appearance in the bay
of San Miguel CONSERVATION fear and rage
filled the leaders breasts at Caceres and
Eothing was thought Of but flight and re-
venge. The Spanish prisoners, 113 Of whom
were at Libmanan. near the bay, were
started toward the interior under one
Vicente Ursua. and were taken by him a
few miles and turned over to Major Bra
ganza. who took them a few miles further
to a village called Baliuag, and there killed
every one Of them in cold blood, l13 in all.
He was hung for this crime, through the
efforts of several army officers, one of
whom was afterward tried for using the
water cure" through efforts of friends OF
Braganza, some of whom were Americans.
Long List Of Murders.
On the 22d Nueva Caceres was occupied
by Bell. and two battles had been fought,
one by the 4Oth, at Lithuanian, and the
other at Calabanga by the 45th. The ma
tives were beaten in both cases. and the
Tagalog forces fed in disorder to the noun
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