The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-21
Governor General Says News
paper Stories are False
TRY TO AVOID BLOOOSHED
Warriors Fortified on Mount DaIo Had
Been Told BY Arab That Their
Fortress Was In
vulnerable.

Washington. March 2O.-Secretary Taft
has received the following cablegram
from the governor general at Manila to-
day. relative to the Mt. Dajo fight
Newspaper reports from Manila an
nouneing wanton slaughter of women and
children at Mt Dajo extremely sensa-
tional and I'm all essential detailss false.
The situation occupied by Moro outlaws
on the crater of the volcano, 200 feet
high, was exceedingly difficult and re-
quired a great display of heroism on the
part of the army, navy and Filipino and
Moro constabulary, who rendered most
valuable service.
Some women and children were killed
or wounded by preliminary Smelling at a
distance Moro outlaws and fanatics re-
fused to surrender until the last, at
tempting repeatedly to murder our forces
who were rescuing wounded Moros- Moro
Sultan and leading Dattos rendered great
assistance and the surrounding popula-
tion is in great sympathy with the course
taken to remove the gang of eut-throats
who We're preying on the community.
There was no killing of any one except
as was indispensable to end an intolerable
situation Troops and officers deserving
of highest praise"
Secretary Taft has also made public an
exhaustive report from Major Hugh l..
Scott, who was governor of the Moro
provinces just preceding the engagement
respecting the habits of warfare of these
people.
The text of Major scott's report fol-
lows:
Major Scott Makes Report.
.The recent trouble in Jolo had its be-
ginning over a year ago when Suiu
Moro by the narnaaof Pa1a ran amuek in.
the streets of Lahud, Dato, British North
Borneo, and ran away, after killing and
wounding twenty-six people. He returned
10 his Gotta on the southside of the
sulu islands. about fifteen miles from
Jolo. An attempt was made to arrest
Pala by surprise His Gotta was taken
and destroyed. and he himself escaped to
the Jungle General Wood came down
with troops from Mindanao as the Seven
teenth infantry was about to leave for
the United States, and had become de-
nleted in numbers. to surround Palas
Jungle and arrest him.
.He was fired upon on the way to Pala's
Jungle in the Tambang pass by the Dajo
people. One soldier and several Moros
were killed. Many of the Dajo people then
ran up on Mount Dajo and began forti-
fving themselves. The troops went on,
fought Pala, who would not surrender.
and killed him. They went on to Tando-
looc. where another band of sympathizers
who had been depredating on friendly
Moros were fortified in a crater on a
mountain, about twenty-five miles from
Jolo.
Gave Up His Guns.
I"Rv means of one old Moro who had
been captured on the way, the chief of
this band was induced after many efforts
10 surrender without fight, and gave up
his guns General Wood with the troops
spent the greater part of the day far
from water, under tropical sun, waiting
with the utmost patience upon the dila-
tory tactics of the savages, in order to
accomplish the subjugation of this band
without boodshed. Upon the return OF
General Wood to Jolo 1t was considered
that the ringleaders We're dead, and the
MOrOS had Detn punished ftIOuSht anu thc
expedition disbanded. 1t was soon dis
covered that Dajo fugitives from the
Tambanga fight were on top of Mount
Dajo They put in a crop of rice and
sweet potatoes inside the crater and had
plenty of water there all the year round.
"A demand was made on Dattos Joak-
anain and Kalbi for the guns of the
ringleaders which were surrendered and
they were, told to come down and settle
below but could cultivate their crops
above so as not to lose all their food
Dattos Joakanain and Kalbi, from whom
the Dato people had run away, exerted
their power of command over them and
kept them from depredating during the
summer and fall. They accordingly caus-
ed about $50 of the original 200 reported
TO be on the mountain to come down and
settle in their old homes below. A day or
50 before Thanksgiving | went to Zam-
boanga 100 miles north, and returned
about December /. / found that during
MY absence some Moro had told the Dajo
people that the governor would attack
them at daylight on November 80 They
ali ran away to the top of the mountain,
sounded their gongs all night and made
ready for the attack.
"They considered that a state of war
was on, and it was reported that forty
armed Moros were going about at night
to take property of friendly Moros. Sew
eral buffaloS mad been taken Wnen
arrived. Pressure was at once put upon
Joakanain to allay this excitement and
stop all depredations. letter was writ
ten General Wood detailing the circum-
stances. whereupon he ordered two COM
panes of the Nineteenth infantry to Jolo.
Joakanain was able to prevent any fur
Their depredations and said that if he
allowed to, he would succeed in getting
all the Moros off the mountain. All dur
Ing the month of December he kept them
quiet.
Supposed to Be Quiet.
II saw General Wood last about De-
cember 26. and told him the two com
panies of the Nineteenth infantry would
not he needed for the present, as the
Moros were being kept down by Joak-
anain and the order sending them to Jolo
was revoked and I started on leave of
absence on January 1. The last advces
by mail from Jolo were dated January
% and the Dajo question not being men
Continued on Second Paae)