Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-18
FILIPINOS KILL
FOR A REWARD
AMERICAN PRISON FUGITlVES
ARE VICTIMS
Man Released From Alcatraz Tells a
Narrowing Story of Inhuman
Practices In a Luzon Mil
itary Prison

Pardoned by the president, Alfred r.
Rhodes brings back to the states
stories of barbarous practices in the
military prisons in the Philippines
Rhodes last week got his release
from 'Altatraz prison through execu-
tive intervention, and aged by his con-
finement he lays the blame for 1t to
prejudice among the court-martial Of
fcers against him. Sensational are the
charges he makes that F'ilipinos are
paid for shooting down fugitives from
American military prisons.
In February, 1S9S Rhodes enlisted in
company f, Fifteenth infantry. He
Fought against the Filipino insurrec-
tlonlstS and was wounded several
times by the bolos Of the savages.
On his body are long ragged scars,
criss-crossed in every direction. Sew
eral times he was left for dead by the
natives, and after lying unconscious
and helpless for hours regained
strength enough to crawl back to
camp.
In 1902, when the Filipinos were
nearly conquered and it was no longer
necessary to watch them with so sharp
an eye, Rhodes company was en-
camped in Catbeglogen, on the island
OF Samar. Rhodes was sentry at the
hospital. A group of friendly Filipinos
were idling about the camp staring at
the soldiers who had sujugated them.
One of the natives tried several times
to wrest the musket held by Rhodes
from his grasp, and in spite of the re-
peated rebukes of the soldier per-
sisted.
Struck the Filipino
Finally Rhodes pushed the Filipino
away from him and struck him with
the butt of the gun. The chance blow
Foil f1,1 r.,,,
and the next morning he died. That
is the story Rhodes tells and which
finally interested his congressman in
the case.
The officers of Rhodes company told
him he need fear no results from the
accidental killing, Rhodes says Rhodes
was confined in the guard house, how
ever, and, Notwithstanding these as
surances, was ourt-martialed q few
days later. Gen. Fred Grant was in
charge on the court-martial and after
hearing Rhodes was sentenced to
serve a term of sixty years in the mil
1tary prison at Bilibeb, on the island
of Luzon.
Rhodes was taken to the prison and
confined. The prison was that, Rhodes
claims, which was in charge of Major
Del Darlington, recently charged with
misappropriating government funds. All
WlllCH DelOHBeu 10 PRISONERS were
placed in the care of Darlington Once
week the prisoners were allowed to
purchase at high prices such candles,
soap, toothbrushes, etc, they wanted.
The price charged for one envelope,
one sheet Of paper and a stamp was
25 cents in American money Candles
with which to light their cells cost the
men 80 cents apiece. A scent sack
OF tobacco was priced at As cents, and
all other articles were accordingly high
in price. The men were allowed to
write one letter a month.
Death for FueltiVes
The military prison was surrounded
by n low wire fence beyond which
there was a slough sixty yards wide.
A reward of $3.50 was Offered by the
prison authorities for each escaped
prisoner killed by the Filipinos. Rhodes
asserted that during his stay in the
prison no fewer than thirty men were
killed in that manner by FilipinoS
seeking blood money
Two years ago Rhodes was sent to
the prison at Alcatraz. When he was
first sent to prison the papers contain
ing the proceedings of the court-mar-
tial which sentenced him were sent to
the congressman who represented the
district from which Rhodes originally
came. These were finally laid before
the president with the result that
Rhodes was pardoned a few days ago.
Although Rhodes is p young man,
his experiences I'm the military prison
In the Philippine islands have prema-