The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-10-09
ATTITUDE OF MOR0S,
sallenly Hostile, Says Ex-sena'
tor Towne Who Saw Them.
PHILIPPINE TRIP INCIDENTS.

e. IllEdO fNINlu a NlFClG OF ! nTSdIcnINQ
Faces-orders From Constantinople.
Extraordinary Fanaticism Of a Moro
Y%ounsster.
"uostility, sullen unfriendliness, thin.
ly yelled and frequently urdisguised,
is the dominant impression which l he.
ceived throughout the Moro province"
said ex-senator Charles A. Towne OF
Minnesota in the course of a descrip.
ton of his tour of the southern archi.
pelago of the Philippines, writes a
Manila correspondent Of the New York
Sun. Together with Senator Joel w.
Stone of Missouri, Senator Towne re.
Gently spent some three weeks in de-
lightful sailing from port to port OF
the islands of Pinay, Cebu, Iloilo, Ne
gros, Mindanao and Jolo, and they had
made an arduous and dangerous over-
land journey. While in Mindanao they
were accompanied by soldiers.
The governor general placed at their
disposal his yacht, the Pollilo.
1.-The Moro is a fierce fellow, and he
has no love for U.S." continued Senator
Towne. Centuries of Independent rule
and scores Of years of conflict with the
Spaniards, during the course of which
their piracy was somewhat suppressed
and their rule was broken up in so far
as the coast line was concerned, to-
gether with an Unborn religious dislike
for the infidels, or whites, have left
an indclible mark on this extraordina-
ry people who have fallen into our
hands under the government of the
Philippines. l understand from Off
GERS who have been in contact with
the Moros that there are some who
profess friendship, but during my trip
I was told on excellent authority of a
prominent datto who had long sup
pressed his hostile feeling, when sud
denly, without a moments warning, he
took to the hills with his retainers and
communicated with the commanding
officer of the district, saying that be
had received word from Constantine
pie, from me of the principal dignita-
ries Of his church, That any cultivation
of friendly relations with the Ameri-
ans would be received with high dis
pleasure and that, moreover, the sui
tan would soon send a force to invade
the United States.
Gle concluded his communication by
informing the American officer that
any n who wanted to see him could
come out into the hills and try to get
him.. OF course o have all heard of
the fanatics called Juramentados, who
rush forth determined to die, charge
into a group of foreigners and kill as
many as possible before receiving the
death stroke, thus earning a high
place in the Moro paradise. and there
have been many examples during the
American occupation, but | was told
of a Moro boy only thirteen years of
age who, rushing on an American sol
dier, grabbed him about the legs and
threw him, at the same time slashing
at him with his bolo. The soldier en-
deavored to defend himself, and several
of his comrades came to his assistance
and commenced firing on the fanatic,
who, despite numerous wounds, kept
u on slashing at the soldier and cut him
y severely. Finally an officer placed his
revolver almost at the boys head and
blew out his brains. There We're four
teen wounds ON that child's body, and
u yet he sustained his fiendish attack
until the top of his head was shot off. .
Senator Stone told of a short halt at
the edge of Lake Llanao while they
. We're waiting for the boat to be made
ready. When they arrived the place
was deserted, but suddenly the Moros
began to appear one by one, apparent
e ly springing up out of the brush, until
they realized that a complete Gordon
i had been quietly established. With only
e the lake as an exit.
n 81 saw our little guard of soldiers
4 looking to their weapons and carefully
vantageous positions. The Moros wore
u cloths or shawls. which partly covered
S them, and could see no weapon OF
them. Nevertheless after | looked into
their faces and saw their expression
together with the attitude of our OWL
men, l confess that ! moved toward
the lake, though annot imagine
what particular advantage l could gair
by plunging into the water. There
q apoCiotCif Nv CIldtllCc vi SMlJil
ming across the lake, and, while eact
one of us might have accounted fol
S his nan or perhaps his men in thu
a event of a conflict, vet the Moros were
so numerous that had they desired
they might have overwhelmed us.
vas glad when we embarked"
"And more particularly so,' remark
ed Senator Towne, when we recall
! that just Il short distance up the lake
within sight. was a spot which hat
been pointed out to us as the scene O
a fight with the constabulary which
had occurred recently, resulting in til,
! killing and w%ounding of some forty
Moros, and after all it required n,
:, very great stretch of the Imagination
a to see in the surly circle which ha(
a quietly formed about us some sur
/, vivors of that conflict.
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