Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-18
OUTLAWS WIPED OUT
Successful Expedition of the
Sixth Cavalry.
JIKIRPS BAND OVERCOME
Daring Attack Made by Capt.
Byram's Command.
FIGHTING ON PATIAN ISLAND
Only Disturbance of Any Note in the
Philippines in the Last Fiscal
Year Re ported.
FIGHTING ON PATIAN ISLAND

Mai Gen. Duvall, commanding the
Philippine division, in his annual report
for the past fiscal year says that condi-
lions have been peaceful. as rule.
. throughout the archipelago during that
period. The only disturbance of any
note reported was that occasioned by the
acts of Iawlessness and piracy commit
ted In and about the islands OF JOlo and
Basilian by a band under the leadership
Of Jikiri. beginning in December. 1905.
In June last an expedition, consisting of
. two troops and a section of the machine
gun platoon of the 9th Cavalry and
detachment of the Hospital Corps under
command of Capt George l.. Byram, 9th
Cavalry, was sent out to capture or
destroy the bands of outlaws and pirates
operating in the districts of Zamboango
and Sulu. In the following month sec
ton of Battery f. I'd Field Artillery.
joined the expedition. The gunhoats
Arayat and Paragua and six naval
launches co-operated with the troops.
Prior to the expedition twenty-nine of
the band had been killed. seven captured
and ten arrested. In addition to that
number, seventeen outlaws. supposed to
be a part of Jikiris band. had been cap
tured on the islands adjacent to Basilian.
About the last day of June it was as
certained that Jikiri and the remaining
members of his band were located i'm
cave on the Island OF Patian, Immediately
south of Jolo The party was supplied
with several days provisions and a large
amount of ammunition. Gen. Duvall says
the cave appeared to be almost impres-
nasble against attack. The island was
covered with dense brush and the cave
was a large deep one. sloping upward
= into the mountains. II had four entrances
opening on shelf, which was de1enoeo
BY means of breastworks and was pro-
tected above by an overhanging shelf OF
rock. from which there was no way of
getting down to the front OF the cave.
TIE slope In front of the cave was steep.
ending in precipice not very far below
the cave.
Attack on the Pirates.
From a knowledge of the Moro charac.
ter. the report says. the officer in COM
mand was satisfied that. sooner or later,
the outlaws would make a rush with
their barongs. doing as much damage as
possible. in an attempt to escape to the
brush. killing as many Of the attacking
party as possible. I'm view of the prob
ability" says the report, that the rush.
IL made, would be made at night in the
cave to places near the posts of the
sentinels and would no doubt result in
the killing of many OF the sentinels and
the escape of some of the outlaws it
fortified position. Accordingly. July 4.
1909 an attack on the cave was r.ade and
resulted In the destruction Of all the
pirate band, ten in number, as they
the attacking party were two enlisted
men Of the 9Th Cavalry killed, three OFF,
certs and eleven enlisted men of the 9th
Cavalry, five enlisted men of the I'd Field
Artillery, and two enlisted men from the
gunboat Arayat wounded: total of two
enlisted men killed and three officers and
eighteen enlisted men wounded. Two
wounded enlisted men died afterward
from the effects Of their wounds"
The. commanding officer of the post at
Jolo said that the work done by Capt.
Byram command was excellent and will
undoubtedly result in a better state of
affairs. Capt. Byrams action in rush.
ing the outlaws" says he. was wise.
brought about the success of the expedi-
ton. and undoubtedly saved many lives"
Advantages Of the Scouts.
Gen. Duvall says that, although it is
not questioned that fifty-two companies
of good American infantry would be al
more effective body than the same num-
Der Of the Filipinos organized as scouts
such. change could. be made only. at
great expense. When the facts are .ex-
Eafnfned." says he, much will be, found
in favor Of the scout. His pay Is one
half that OF the American soldier ma
tons but little. more tbap. one-haIf:. he
has no bed. mattress. pillow. sheets
crockery. tableware or locker. No posts
are built for him; all posts occupied by
scouts thus far are either those built by
their own labor or Abandoned by Ameri-
can troops. There Is no expense OF bring
ing the scout from or returning him to
the United States. The quartermaster
expenses for maintaining a battalion of
scouts of 40 men are less than for main
tanning American garrison of 2tD men,.
Gen. Duvall estimates that for the first
enlistment the cost of a scout is less than
half that of the American soldier. He
says that the object for which the scouts
were organized. namely. to furnish an
efhcient body OF native troops at compar-
atively small cost and to save American