Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-07-13
Moro Outlaw Band Surrounded
by Soldiers Scorn Offer of
Truce and All Die Fighting
Against Overwhelming Odds.
MEN, WOMEN AND ONE
CHILD SLAIN IN BATTLE
Long List of American Casual
ties IeStifieS to Savage
Chieftain's Ability as Fighter
Before Band Is Wiped Out.

ny Morning Journal Special Leased wirsI
Manila, July l8. While detailed
accounts of the last fight of Jikiri,
the famous Moro chleftain, who was
| a pitched battle near Paten on the
island of Jolo, July 3. have not been
| received, several brief dispatches and
a letter or two from American Off
| Gers 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 for days, Jikiri,
with seven followers, two women and
one child. took refuge in cave that
pierced the side of the crater of an
extinct volcano. The narrow hole
had two entrances. the principal one
opening on a ledge OF rock high up
on the step slope. Here the outlaws
gathered to make their last stand.
AS the soldiers came up the scouts
located the party and the troops
worked either way around the place
until it was entirely surrounded and
,
Captain George y. Byram of the
sixth cavalry who commanded tho
attacking force then ordered a white
flag displayed and through his inter-
prefer called upon Jikiri to surren-
der The outlaw refused and declined
also to accept 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 the ledge protected those inside
from the fire of the guns and little
was inflicted
Storming parties then 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 few minutes was
desperate, but the outlaws drove their
assailants back by savage spear
charge The soldiers were not to be
routed, however, and taxi
ing up their posts at the ends 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 splnters OF
rock among the besieged,
Accounts of the final encounter diff
'er. one disptch says that the rife
ire forced the outlaws out of the cave,
hat the band rushed from the cave
o assault the besiegers, and that all
)erished on the narrow ledge, fight
ng with empty guns and krisses
against the bayonets and clubbed RI
les of the soldiers
The other version of the struggle
describes the natives as coming from
he cave in one body to face the bull
cts of the soldiers. Both accounts
gree, however that they died fight
ng to the last.
Jiriki himself singled out Lieuten-
mt Arthur II. Wilson, of the Sixth
avalry who commanded one section
f the attacking party. Dashing from
hc cave the outlaw flung himself
pom the American before he could
aise his pistol With one hand grip
ing the officers hair, the bandit
lashed at his neck with the heavy
nife he carried, endeavoring to be-
cad him Lieutenant Barr of the
ixth cavalry saw his comrades peril
nd dashed to his side AS Jiriki
wung back the knife to strike again,
,arr shot him dead and Wilson
ropped to the ground covered with
lood flowing from the gashes in
is throat. 1t is feared that Wilson
i'll be incapacitated for further SER
Gle in the army. as the muscles ana
,rds of his neck wer severed by the
indit's knife
Writing of the fight. American Of
GERS say that in the desperate hand
, hand encounter on the narrow
dge. some of the assailants may
ave heen wounded by their own
lends. as in their anxiety to save
,ch other they were forced to shoot
iickly and high power rifles at
ose range are doubly dangerous. as
le bullets will plough through sew
-al men Hundreds of friendly
oros watched the fight at close
,nge. They perched among the
,cks where they could see the ledge
nd not movement of the combat
nts escaped their notice. Many of
lem believed that Jikiri bore
harmed skin. impervous to knife and