The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-08-12
BATTLE ON LEDGE
WITH MORO BAND
Jikiri's Outlaws Wiped Out Only
After Desperate Hand-to-
Hand Fighting
COMBATS IN EXTINCT VOLCANO
{: Ieht Safety in cave-Driven Out by
the American Fire, Jikiri Tries to
Down.

Manila, Philippine Islands.
detailed accounts Of the last fight Of
Jikiri, the Moro outlaw chieftain who
was killed and his band exterminated
in a pitched battle near Patian, on
tie Island of Jolo, have not been re-
ceived, several brief dispatches and
a letter or two from American officers
who fought against the outlaw give
fairly complete story of the fight.
Hunted from place to place by the
regulars and constabulary. who had
been in close pursuit, Jikiri, with sew
en- followers, two women and one
child, took refuge in a cave that
pierced the side of the crater of an
extinct volcano. Here the outlaws
gathered to make their last stand. AS
the soldiers came up the scouts To-
Gated the party, and the troops work
ed their way around the place until
Ii was entirely surrounded and there
was no chance OF escape.
Capt. George L. Bvram of the Sixth
Cayalry. who commanded the attack
ing force. then ordered a white flag
displayed, and through his interpret
er called upon Jikiri to surrender. The
outlaw refused and also declined to
accept safe conduct for the women
OF his party, who remained with the
band and bore their share of the fight
ing.
Capt. Byram ordered up the guns
and a terrific shell fire was opened
on the cave. The missiles broke
above and around the opening, but
the ledge protected those inside from
the fire of the guns, and little damage
was inflicted.
Storming parties worked their way
up the steep slope, and finding footing
on the ledge endeavored to rush the
larger entrance to the cave. The
fighting for a few minutes was deper.
ate, but the outlaws drove their as
sailants back by savage spear
charge. The soldiers were not to be
pletely routed, however, and, TAX
up their posts at the end of the
ye, poured terrible rife fire into
mouth of the cave, the bullets
ncing from the rock walls and
=. rock among the besieged.
Jikiri himself signaled out Lieut.
Arthur H. Wilson of the Sixth Cavalry,
who commanded one section of the
attacking party. Dashing from the
cave the outlaw flung himself upon
the American before Wilson could
raise his pistol. With one hand grip.
ping the officers hair the bandit slash
ed ut his neck with the heavy native
knife he carried, endeavoring to be-
head him.
Lieut.. Joseph A. Baer of the Sixth
Cavalry, saw his comrades peril and
dashed to his aid. AS Jikiri swung
back the knife to strike again, Baer
shot him dead and Wilson dropped to
the ground. 1t is feared that Wilson
will be incapacitated from further
service in the army, as the muscles
and cords of his neck were severed by
the bandits knife.
Writing of the fight, American Off.
GERS say that in the desperate hand-to-
hand encounter on the narrow ledge
some OF the assailants may have been
wounded by their own fire. In their
anxiety to save each other they were
forced to shoot quickly using high
power rifles at close range, which
were doubly dangerous, as the bullets
will ploy through several men.
Hundreds of friendly Moros saw
the fight at close range. They perched
among the rocks where they could
see the ledge, and not movement Of
the combatants escaped their eyes.
Many of them believed that Jiriki bore
a charmed skin, impervious to knife
and bullet They could not be con-
vinced that he was dead until they
saw and felt his body.