Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-09
SIX HUNDRED
MOROs KILLED
Confined from First Page,

Confined from First Page,
at the outbreak OF the Spanish war as q
sergeant IN Company N. ID Mississippi In
fantry. and In 1899 ne was appointed sec
ond lieutenant in the 43d United States In
fantry. In 1901 he was honorably mustered
out of the volunteer service. and In the
same year entered the regular army as a
second lieutenant in the 10th Cavalry. In
1902 he became first lieutenant OF the 18th
Cavalry. and in 1893 was detailed to the
Signal Corps.
First Lieut. Ernest H. Agnew entered
the army as second lieutenant in the 10th
Kansas Volunteer Infantry. May 10, 1888.
and was made CAPTAIN of the 18th United
States Volunteer Cavalry in 1899. He was
appointed second lieutenant in the regular
army February 2, 1901. reaching the grade
of first lieutenant on the 18th of the same
month. He has been attached to the 9Th
Infantry since June. 1902.
First Lieut.. Wylie T. Conway Is a native
of Illionois, and entered the army as a pri-
vate In the 7th Infantry May n. 1898. In
February. 1901. he was commissioned Sec
ond lieutenant, 2Sth Infantry. and in May,
1905. was made first lieutenant, 9th In
fantry.
Cooke a Native Of the District
Ensign Henry D. Cooke, jr., who COM
mands the gunboat Pampanga, a small
craft of 300 tons. was born in the District
of Columbia and appointed to the navy
from New York In September, 1890. His
father lives at 1853 West 55th street New
York. His commission ensign was only
recently signed by the President. and is
now on its way to the Philippines He has
been on duty on the Asiatic station since
1903. and recently relieved Ensign Oscar g.
Cooper of command Of the Pampanga, Of
xxybf ch v,rtn To hat
officer.
but the movements OF the gunboats of the
Philippine squadron are reported to the
commander-in-chief Of the Asiatic station,
but are not forwarded to the Navy Depart
concerning the engagement. Nor Is 1t
known whether other naval vessels were
present at the time Of the trouble.
No Moros Made Prisoners.
From the fact that the official report Of
the Jolo engagement says nothing about
captured or wounded Moros it is assumed
by army officers at the War Department
that all the natives who made their last
stand at the Notifications on Mount Dajo
were exterminated. The presence of Gems
Wood and Bliss at the fight makes 1t evil
dent that serious trouble was expected at
Jolo and that vigorous and decisive action
lawless bands of Moros who persistently re-
fused to respect the authority and laws of
the United States in the Philippines.
The news Of the sanguinary engagement
came surprise to the officials at the
War Department. as they have not received
any reports from the Philippines recently to
indicate anything in the nature of a general
uprising in Jolo or. in fact anything more
than the sporadic outbreaks of small bands
OF fanatic follower Of the sultan.
The officer who sent the dispatch from
Manila In the absence of Gen. Wood is Col.
George Andrews of the military secretarys
department. who was recently stationed at
San Francisco.
AS soon as received copy of Col An
drews' dispatch was sent to Secretary Taft
at the White House and formed the basis
of a general discussion by the President
and his cabinet of the troublous condition
of affairs in the Philippines.
Discussed at the Capitol.
The Associated Press dispatch of the Jolo
battle was particularly interesting to MEM
bers Of the House who were with the Taft
expedition to the Philippines last summer
Representative Longworth remarked on
reading the message Of Gen. Wood: II re-
member that little island very well indeed.
We went all over It. It was there the Sui
tan of Sulu entertained us with an exhibi-
ton of the native sport, including buffalo
fights. The Inhabitants of the island are
entirely uncivilized. being Mohammedans
and religious fanatics of the most pro-
nounced type. They have no military Or
CARNATIONS and their fights are all inspired
by religious beliefs.
"At any time priest among any of the
mountain bands can inspire an uprising,
when swoop on the lower country will be
made. The belief that IL killed in battle
they will go directly to heaven makes them
desperate and anxious to fight to the DEATH
This island. which Is one of the extreme
southern islands Of the archipelago, was one
of our last stops in the Philippines"
II took pictures Of those hills" remarked
Representative Sherley of Kentucky who
was also of the party. "Jolo." he contin-
Ted, sis an old walled town. Directly to
the south outside the wall is an extended
natural amphitheater sloping to the sea.
1t is formed by a circular chain of hills, OF
which the battlefield described in the dis
patches was undoubtedly one"
THE soldiers told me-" said Representa-
tive Cooper of Wisconsin. "that they were
exceedingly glad when our party went
aboard ship from this island The natives
there are the most treacherous of any in
the group. Our people kept them down for
some time by telling them that whenever
they were killed in battle the Americans
would bury them with pig in their grave
They believe that they cannot go to heaven
through a pig, and were in mortal dread
of being killed for that reason"