Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-07-16
OUTLAW BAND
DIFFERENTIATED
Story Of American Soldiers
Fight With Savage MoToS
4 HANO-T0-H ENCOUNTER

Climax of Desperate Battle After
Jikiri and His Followers Had Been
Driven From Cave Almost Inacces.
sibIe and Upon Which a Terrific
Fire Was Observation-Disclosures Sup
posed Chieftain Bore Charmed Life
Manila, July 13.-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 on July 5, have
not been received. several brief dis
patches and a 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 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 located the party
and the troops worked their way
around the place until it was entirely
surrounded and there was no chance
of escape.
Captain Byram of the Sixth cavalry,
who commanded the attacking force,
then ordered white flag displayed,
and through his Interpreter called
upon Jikiri to surrender The out
law refused and also declined to ac-
cept a safe conduct for the women of
his party, who remained with the
band and bore their share of the
fighting.
Captain Byram ordered up the guns
and terrific shell fire was opened on
the cave. The missiles broke above
and around the opening, but ledge
protected those inside from the fire of
the guns and little damage was in
fiicted
Storming parties worked their way
up the steep slope, and finding foot
ing on the ledge, endeavored to rush
the larger entrance to the cave. The
fighting for few minutes was des-
perate, but the outlaws drove their
assailants back by a savage spear
charge. The soldiers were not COM
pletely routed and, taking up their
posts at the end of the ledge. poured
terrible rifle fire into the mouth of
the cave, the bullets glancing from
the rock walls and throwing showers
of sharp splinters of rock among the
besieged.
Jikiri himself singled out Lieutenant
Wilson, who commanded one section
of the attacking party Rushing 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
slashed at his neck with the heavy ma
tive knife he carried, endeavoring to
behead him. Lieutenant Baer saw his
comrades peril and dashed to his aid.
AS Jikiri swung back the knife to
strike again, Baer shot him dead and
w iioOh cpPCu " lllO SlOuuu. IL Is
feared that Wilson will be incapacitat-
ed 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.
Hundreds of friendly Moros saw the
tight at close range. They perched
among the rocks where they could see
he ledge. and not a movement of the
escaped their eyes. Many
IF them believed that Jikiri bore a
life, impervious to knife and
bullet. They would not be convinced
hat he was dead until they saw and
elt his body.