Evening star., 1945-06-06

businessman, who was commissioned
in the American Army after out
break of the war.
A Mr.. and Mrs. Clardy and their
two sons Johnny and Terry. No
records are available on further
identifie tion of the Clardys except
he formerly was an engineer in the
Philippines.
Two Unidentified Men.
Two unidentified men believed to
be engineers. Both were reported to
have escaped from a mining camp
in the zambales Mountains of Luzon
only to be captured while attempt
ing to join guerrillas on Panay.
Paterno H. Enano, %, former stu
dent of the Central Philippine Col
lege, who was present at the execu-
tions. said in a signed statement
that Capt. Kunoyi Watanabe,
known on Panay as the Terror of
China" was solely responsible for
death of the 10 Americans"
Enano said that, during the
atrocities, he was employed by the
japanese as an interpreter. He later
joined the guerrillas. This, in brief,
is Enano's story of the beheadingS:
1t was the policy of the japanese
Army at the time on Panay that
Americans found hiding in the
mountains were to be captured only.
None was to be killed when captured
without orders from officers.
Filipino Revealed Secret.
With japanese force estimated
at 500, Enano left the township of
Libacao in Capiz province December
l8, 1943, en- route to Iloilo. On the
way, the japanese captured 1t. |
King and the two unidentified en-
gineerS.
The japanese also took into Gus
tody a Filipino who. when threat
ened" with his life, divulged to Wa
tanabe the loca ton of an American
mission hideout in the Valley of
Hope"
Services were being held in the
Baptist mission when the japanese
reached Hopevale about 9 am. Sum-
day, December 19, 1943.
Watanabe ordered the area
searched for Americans.
Approximately $50 soldiers sur
rounded the camp while the re-
Japs with Watanabe in
command entered the American
camp. The japanese soldiers cap
,ured Is Americans. They took
hem to q house one-half kilometer
;outh where they were kept under
guard until the next day. "'''''
The Japanese soldiers confiscated
goods owned by the mission
aries and gave them neither food
nor water.
The executions began about 3 pm.
he next day.
Mrs. Coven First to Die.
Mrs. Covell was the first to be
escorted by Japanese guards from
the detention house to the death
room.
Enano said he knew Mrs. Covell
well because he had been one of her |
pupils in the college.
Standing only five meters away,
Enano heard Mrs. Covell beg Wata-
nabe for mercy.
capt. Watanabe, why will you
kill us alp" she pleaded in jap
anese.
"We are Christian missionaries.
Watanabe smiled and said MOTH |
ing.
With her hands tied behind her
Mrs. Covel was forced to kneel with
her head down.
Il saw Capt. Watanabe draw his
Samurai sword as the Japanese
guards stood by with bayonets
fixed"
But Enano did not want to see
Watanabe strike the death blow
He turned and walked away.
Il couldn't bear to watch it," he
said. Mrs. Covell screamed"
Ten other Americans were led one
by one by the Japanese guards into
the death house where there was
only one man with a sword-Wa-
tanabe.
In another house, five other
were beheaded. The bod
les, charred almost beyond recog-
nition, were found later by Engra-
,io C. Alora, general secretary of
he convention of Philippine Baptist
Churches.
Enano returned to the death house
ater in the afternoon, around pm
THE house already was in flames.
The bodies of Americans could not
be seen burning inside through the