The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-07-18
American Troops Engage in a
Hand to Hand Fight
With Outlaws.
CAVE OF ENEMY sToRMED
FIRST ASSAULT OF THE YAM
KEGS WAS REPuLsED 1Y DEs-
pERATE DEFENSE or NATIVES
ARMED WITH SPEARS.

Manila, July 17.-While detailed ac-
counts Of the last fight Of Jikiri, the
famous Moro outlaw chieftain, who
was killed and his band exterminated
In a pitched battle near Patian, on the
island Of Jolo. July 5. have not been
received, several brief dispatches and
letter or two from American officers
who fought against the outlaw give a
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
took refuge in cave that pierced the
side Of the crater of an extinct vol
cano. Here the outlaws gathered to
make their last stand.
AS the soldiers came up, the scouts
located the party and the troops work
ed their way around the place until
st was entirely surrounded and there
was no chance of escape.
Captain George L. Byram of the
Sixth cavalry, who commanded the at
tacking force, then ordered a white
flag displayed and through his inter-
prefer called upon Jikiri to surrender.
The outlaw refused and declined also
to accept a safe conduct for the wo-
men of his party; who remained with
fighting
Fire Opened on Cave.
Captain Byram ordered up the guns
and 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 In
flicted.
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 fight
ing for few minutes was desperate.
but the outlaws drove their assailants
back by q savage spear charge. The
soldiers were not to be completely
routed, however, and taking up their
posts at the end of the ledge, poured
q terrific rifle fire into the mouth of
the cave.
Jikiri himself singled out Lieutenant
Arthur H. Wilson of the Sixth cavalry,
who commanded one section of the
attacking party. Dashing from the
cave the outlaw slung himself upon
the American before Wilson could
raise his pistol. With one hand grip
ping the officers hair, the bandit
elashed at his neck with the heavy
native knife he carried endeavoring to
behead him. Lieutenant 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. It is
feared that Wilson will be incapaci-
Gated for further service in the army.
as the muscles and chords Of his neck
were severed by the bandits knife.
Wounded by Own Fire.
Writing Of the fight American OFF,
GERS say that in the desperate hand to
hand fight 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. The high
power rifles at close range are doubly
dangerous, as the bullets will pillow
through several men.
Hundreds of friendly Moros saw the
fight at close range. They were perch
ed among the rocks where they could
see the ledge and not movement of
the combatants escaped their eyes.
Many of them believed that Jikri bore
charmed skin. impervious to knife
and bullet. They would not be con-
WINGED that he was dead until they
saw and felt his body
M1nht R3dAesa Ra3d