The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-06
America ii The Philippines
" PASSING or BRIGANDAGF


claimed himself the chieftain Of the
clan. He announced that he was Pope
of Negroe. He adorned himself with
respondent robes and wonderful head-
gear. ana performed marriage cere-
monies which had no validity. sold ant
ing paintings which had no virtue and
baptized the unenlightened in droves.
Like Papa Pablo" he became truly
great man during the Instruction
against Spain. He had grown to the
proportions Of a first magnitude hero
turned over TO the insurrectos. He
was wined and dfned and made Mill
tary Chieftain Of La Castellana, which
pleased him as much as Il Inundated
and frightened the educated people of
Negroes. He was talking Of proclaim
ing himself Ell Presidente when the
alarmed inhabitants of Negroes ran up
the stars and stripes and raised Mac
edonian cry for American protection.
Papa Isio" declined to "come in" In
due time he was reported to have been
killed by the Constabulary. 1t was
not a bad ruse after all. for when he
was found alive and captured and sem
fenced to death, the authorities decid-
ed that Papa Isio" alive, but in Bill
bid prison, would have q better moral
effect upon pulatans than Papa Isio"
buried. with second and fraudulent
Pope of Negros in the bosque. SO his
death sentence was committed.
Cleverer than the Popes of pulajan-
ism. and of higher caste. was Cornelio
Felizardo, a ladrone chieftain who al
SO wore q shirt made bullet proof by
Spanish inscriptions and strange pic
lures made with pen and ink. He was
cruel and relentless murderer and
carabao thief. He was a fugitive from
Justice before the insurrection against
Spain. During that insurrection he was
an officer under Gen. Cailles and later
under Norfel. When Noriel was cap
tured Feiizardo made himself Brigadier
General by proclamation.
After the Instruction he became
ladrone chieftain and spread terror in
the provinces of Cavite, La Laguna and
Batangas. Once, In connection with
Julian Montalon and Lucio de Vega, he
raided Constabulary Quartet In Cav
lite, killing an American surgeon and
number OF men and capturing a few
stands Of arms. The regular army was
called upon to help suppress him, and
he achieved the distinction of being
chased by 5000 soldiers. His band could
not Withstand the pressure, but Fell
zardo escaped when his men were
caught. killed and dispersed.
SAfter the band was crushed lone
bandit entered the barrio Of Calca. In
lager forestalied his gun play by maui
ing him over the head with a rice pes
tie, and the nsighbors aided in casting
his body over o cliff. The world learn
ed that Felizardo had been chased to
cliff. and despairing Of escape, had
hurled himself to death upon the rocks
below. The authorities recovered the
body and interested themseivs more In
the question of whether 1t was that of
Felizardo than In the question OF whose
rice pestle made the dent.
Three members Of the band. taken
separately from Bilibid without infor-
nation as to where they were going.
positively Identified the body The
last qualified his Identification by OBJ
serving casually that Felizardo had
broken tooth in the upper cleft Jaw.
Such tooth was found. The feet and
hands were small. the instep arehed.
ana the left leg SCARED by a bullet
wound such as Felizardo had received
Identification seemed complete. but
there was final witness Feiizardo's
mother was summoned. she identified
| the body and accompanied 1t to the
grave with much lamentation. Col.
| Bandaholtz, Of the Constabulary, whose
experiences with iadrones and pulajans
| had made him extremely suspicious,
subsequently, found that this remarka-
| olO idSAs&AAts1t thtA 18ufaI4G - -
| When he succeeded IN atraeking down
the real Fe1izardo two Filtpinos detail
ed to eaptur e,him laid down their rifles
because they believed HIS shirt was
bullet proof. They tackled him bare
handed and In the scuffle he was killed
with his own bolo.
A book might be written about the
personnel of the pulajan and ladrone
leaders. another about the outfages
they committed. and stu another
about their cunning methods But
some 1900 officers and men are now
making themselves useful in prison
Their names adorn a long dishonor roll
in the ONCE Of the Chief of Constabu-
larry After the record OF each there
might be written the expressive word
'"finish," which 10 understood by men
Of all races from the Mediterranean tc
California. 1t might also be written at
the end Of the history OF pulaianism
and ronism---accomplished under the
rule of the American flag in the Phil.
ippines.
Tomorrow--America I'm the Philip
pines.
vI-Native Thirst for Knowledge.