Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-06-01
REBELS HIDE
IN THE HILLS
But One Small Band of Filipino
patriots Left to Defy Author.
ity of the United States.
REcARTe LEADS THEM
Although An llliterate Half Breed
Recsrte Shows Great Cunning
in Evadins Capture.

Manila. April 25.-Tne only organ
lied and armed opposition to tn
government now existing is a small
band Of so-called patriots, who ar,
hiding somewhere in the mountains o
northern Luzon, under the Leadership
OF half breed, part negro, part Ia
gallo, named Artemiso Ricarte. n,
calls himself Supreme Dictator an,
Captain General of the Universe
Democratic Republic OF the Philip
pine Islands" Ricarte held a subor
dinate place in the army of Aguinald~
was banished to Guam, refused to ac
cept the amnesty offered July 4, 1902
and would not take the oath of alleg
lance. Hence he was not allowed tc
land, but slipped into Manila in dis
guise and was allowed to remain here
unmolested for eighteen months oi
two years. He was the author of the
atrocious plot to blow up the entire
community with dynamite on the day
of General Lawton's funeral. but he
managed to escape, and, although the
entire police and constabulary have
since been after him. has never been
captured. He calls himself the Vip
er." and Is very proud of that title
Ignorant. illiterate. deprayed, of the
lowest order OF society, OF the most
vicious vindictive and cruel disposl.
ton, 80 -ayertheless considerable
natural ability and cunning. and Is
said ." exercise a remarkable infiu.
ence over the ignorant and sentimen.
tai natives. He has been concealed
In the mountains for more than a year
and has had several narrow escapes.
He issues lofty, grandiloquent proc.
lamations commanding the yankee
pigs" TO evacuate the islands and
threatening dire consequences If his
orders are not obeyed; sends bundles
of commissions and appointments to
military and civil positions to his
sympathizers in Mania and else
where, and has been able TO corrIpt
several persons occupying minor pc.
sitions under the government. Not
long ago he persuaded corporal of
the constabulary and his command
of sixteen men to join his cause and
take an oath OF allegiance to the pro.
posed republic. They deserted their
posts, carrying with them arms, am.
munition and other property of the
government, but were overtaken, ar.
rested, tried and convicted, and sew
eral of them have been sentenced TO
death. IL is necessary that the gov
ernment shall make a summary and
conspicuous example of these traitors
for moral effect upon the remainder
of the constabulary. Ayala. the cor
poral, has made a full confession,
which describes the shrewdness with
which Ricarte conducts his affairs.
More than forty OF Ricarte's men
have been captured and sent to prls-
on, and wagon loads of literature is.
sued by him, including bonds. com
missions, constitutions of his repub.
lie. codes OF laws. proclamations and
been captured and destroyed. He has
with him a competent literary coad'
jutor In the person of Aurelio To.
lentino popular playwright Of much
talent, who was convicted OF sedition,
appealed to the supreme court. and
then jumped his bail and fled to the
mountains.
For several years Tolentino has
been writing melodramas and skits
for the Filipino stage, and several
have been produced at low grade the
atres patronized by the working class
es. Off. from the beginning of the
American occupation, there has been
much complaint from the police con.
cerning the evil influence of these
performances, but they were tolerated
with good nature until finally he pro.
duced a melodrama in which the gov
ernment was overthrowD, the Ameri.
can flag torn and trampled upon be-
fore the audience, the Filipino revo-
lutionary flag hoisted and cheered an
an ideal Filipino republic established
all in two acts that lasted about an
hour.
Ricartc Is practically harmless. He
is a fugitive In the mountains, and is
compelled to skip around at very
lively pace inorder to escape capture
by the energetic and vigilant constab-
ulary. Some of his escapes have been
almost miraculous. According to cur
rent reports he comes into the city
frequently, has kept engagements
with a dentist or oculist, as some
have II: had been actually In the
hands OF the constabulary on two oc'
casions. and II is claimed that on one
expedition he acted as guide for the
him. Although these yarns may not
be true, he has at least shown extra
ordinary cunning in escaping arrest
and will continue to De a thorn In
the side of the government util hc
is safely lodged in prison or sent to
his reward like San Miguel, his i'm
mediate predecessor.
San Miguel was equally active and
troublesome. He was an adventureI
and cattle thief, but, like Ricartc, car
ried the title OF dictator and captain
general of the Filipino republic. ant
claimed 10 receive his authority from
a patriotic assembly. He, too, adopt
ed a constitution and proclaimed lib
erty and independence throughout thu
land. His active supporters were es
capped convicts. fugitiyes from jus
tice, thieves and professional crimi
nails who did a very active and pro
fitable business in the way of black
mail and plunder. and committee
many serious depredations In various
parts of the islands. So active di,
he and his bandits become that tn
constabulary were not sufficient 4
protect the towns and villages o
two provinces against their attacks