The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-30
Kansas Boy, Taking State Law
Examination.
STORY OF BATTLE OF MAGTAOn
Fifty-One Americans Routed
125 Pulajane Fanatics.
Fascinating Report of This
Engagement.

Kipling's hero-Major Ralph w.
Jones, in command Of the crack bat
talon of Filipinos at st. Louis during
the Worlds Fair, and a member of
the Philippine constabulary. He is to
be admitted to the Kansas bar, and Is
in Topeka today.
There is special interest surround
ing him for the reason that he was the
hero of a most spectacular fight at
Magtaon, Samar. on March 20. 1906.
The engagement took place between
two officers and fifty-one enlisted men
of the constabulary and about one
hundred and thirty-five to one hum
dred and fifty Pulajanes.
The Pulajanes are fanatics. They
wore sometimes a sort OF coat called
anting-anting. They believed 1t would
protect them from bullets-or that. IN
| the event one was killed by q bullet.
| the coat would soon resurrect nim:
| At the time of the fight the enlisted
men Of the constabulary had SPRING
field caliber As carbines and used
black powder Major Jones had a
lKrag-Jorgenson carbine. 1t was the
onlv one in the outfit. Its calfber was
| different from the other rifles. AIter
the fight was over a member or the
/ nATtY counted Tic OOOACo Va S@AS 49,
mics killed with the Krag. They were
/ eighteen in number. This will snow
| that the young man from the short
grass country is something of a pala-
din himself.
! Major Ralph w. Jones was a boy at
Syracuse, Kan. His parents still i've
there. He has long been in the Phil
appines constabulary. He has oeen
studying law for five years under
Judge Jesse George, one of the land
court judges in the Philippines and a
graduate of Kansas university. Be
| ing now home on visit he has taken
the examination for admission to
| practice.
The report made by Major Jones
after the Magtaon fight, full OF fas-
cinating details, follows in part:
"The Pulajanes, numbering from
one hundred thirty-five to one hun
dred fifty, under the leadership of
Rosario Aguilar and Cipriano
Amonge, alias Ii Ducduc,. entered
Magtaon at about 1920 a. m. on
March "a, under an agreement with
the provincial governor, Honorable
George Curry, to surrender. They
were all in Pulajane uniform: were
armed with from fourteen tOteighteen
! guns and a large number of boios and
spears. They also carried a Pufatane
flag. .
\ AL the approach u TIC = uldJdAt0S'
Governor Curry sent Mr.. Scott and
Senior Sison to meet them and escort
them into the settlement. Complying
with the expressed wishes of Governor
Curry, 1 remained with him. and sent
Lieut.. George b. Bowers to the Quartet
to take charge Of Sub-Inspector Leon
Puno and the fifty-one enlisted, men
which comprised the command, with
instructions to cause the men to be In
readiness with their arms in theiI
hands, but to he sitting on the edge
of the floor of the Quartet in such
manner as not to case the Pulajanes
! to think that we were suspicious OF
them or that we intended them any
harm.
las the head Of the Pulajan column
arrived (marching single file) opposite
: the house Of the governor, he halted it
which as it halted faced the Quartet
r We descended from the balcony an6
! went back Of the line to meet the
: chief, Isidro Pompac, alias Otoy, who
is leader of all the Pulajanes in the
!, Magtaon district and who had promis'
ed to surrender.
I'VE met Commandante Rosario
5 Aguilar who indicated that Otoy wal
{ coming behind. About this time no
ticed that the right of the line hae
moved considerably closer to the con
stabulary Quartet, and, although no
yet sure that they were bent OF
treachery, 1 passed around the righ
of their line and entered the Quartet
= BY this time all Of the Pulajanes hat
entered the plaza and had formed {
line, crescent shaped. with their RICH
h within about Is PAGES from the left, O.
east, end of the Quartet, and their lef
e extending about 40 PAGES to the ives
8 of the west end Of the Quartet, ant
= about 70 PAGES from IL.
n Charge of the Pulajanes..
ON the completion Of their line the
Il were facing the Quartet. II Ducdu
8 gave the command. .Descansen
: (rest) followed almost Immediately b
r 'Firmes' (attention). Aguilar the
II blew a whistle. and I'll Ducduc com
e manded 'Avanzen,' (charge) which wa
: complied with at once. The Pulajane
= who carried guns were o.dcers and oc
cupted positions in the line as abou
each eighth or tenth man. Their gun
were already loaded. They fired i'm
mediately.
1T is impossible for me to stat
Just in what form the Pulajane