The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-09
FOR LIFE
WITH A PHILIPPINE
Private Cronin Used Stick of
KindIing Wood Against
a BoIo.
HE RESCUED HIS COMRADE
NOW THE STORY OF THE SOLD
IER's GALLANT DEED HAS BEEN
GAzETTED THROUGHOUT THE
ENTIRE ARMY.
HE RESCUED HIS COMRADE

New York, Jan. 8.--A copy OF an
order issued in the Philippines, which
calls the attention of the army to the
gallant conduct of Private jeremiah
Cronin of the Twenty-third infantry.
has just been sent throughout the
army by the war department. The
order, officially. captioned gallant
conduct" tells what Cronin did, and
this, according to officer on Cover
nors Island, was one Of the bravest
acts in the history of the service.
Army men who have served in the
Moro country in the Philippines are
unit in declaring that the hardest
man to kill in the world is the Mo-
hammedan fanatic among the Moros.
Col. Scott. superintendent of the Mil
itary Academy at West Point, who
was for several years in command
of operations against the Moros, has
said that the Moro bolo is the dead
Hest thing in the world in the hands
Of Moro.
| An Unequal Fight.
| Jerry Cronin, according to the Or
der issued in the Department of Min
danao and signed by Lieut.. IF. S.
Young, his battalion adjuta4t, did
nothing more or less than fight with
stick of kindling wood a Moro armed
with a bolo. This was in district of
Mindanao, where the Twenty-third in
fantry was on duty.
The Moro's weapon, the order
states, was "a heavy, keen edged
working bolo."
The order says that Private Harry
Smith of the Twenty-third, while
walking unarmed, about seventy-five
yards in the rear of his barracks at
GAO a. m.," was surprised and assault
ed by bolo-armed Moro. The Moro
first inflicted a wound in the back of
Smiths head. then he struck him on
the left arm. The force of this blow
threw Smith to the ground with such
force that his shoulder was dislocat-
ed. Thus he was absolutely at the
mercy of the Moro.
Here cronin Enters.
At this point Cronin comes into the
affair. Cronin happened to leave the
barracks and, hearing Smiths cry,
hurried to the rescue. Cronin had no
arms of any kind, but he knew he
had no time to lose If Smiths life
was to be saved. Selling a stick of
kindling wood that was lying on the
ground Cronin started for the Moro.
The Moro was just about to end
Smiths struggles with another blow
of his bolo when Cronin rushed upon
him.
Then began the strange single COM
bat. For ten minutes Cronin and the
Moro fought, the soldier deity parry
ing every swing of the bolo with his
stick of kindling wood. The noise of
the struggle was heard in the bar
racks and an armed detachment OF
soldiers was sent to aid Cronin.
| The rescuing soldiers were unable
to fire at first, without danger of hit
ting Cronin. He shouted to them to
take up a certain position, adding that
he would fight the Moro into range
at the same time covering himself.
He did it. and the soldiers began fir
ing. Half a dozen steel capped bull
let's were imbedded in the Moro's
body before he gave up fighting and
fell to the ground, dead.
The order in which the story of Jer-
ry Cronin is told closes by stating
that his Goodness and presence of
mind, and his fearless attack with
only a club on a desperate well-armed
Moro, indicate high soldiery qualities
and reflect credit not only upon him
self, but upon his company and regi-
ment as we'll"
In passing it may be added that
Jerry" is on his way home with his
regiment now.