The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-11-03
Jop Leader Issued Order
(Continued from Page D
Unternational Soundphoto)


 
 questioning, he said. He added that he had heard that a number of the prisoners later were executed, in cluding at least one woman.
 Recardo Esquerra, Filipino un- dertaker, said a Japanese officer without mentioning any names told him that higher headquarters ordered the mass execution of the inhabitants of Manila last February.
 No Doubt Whom To Blame
 But Esquerra left no doubt today as to whom he blamed. Turning in the witness box, he ripped open his collar to disclose a terrible saber wound on his neck, then shouted at Yamashita:
 q want you to see this scar firSt!'' Spectators in the courtroom gasp ed at Esquerra's ugly wound. He broke into sobs and was dismissed from the stand.
 ESquerra was one of the victims of the sO-called vAlcid massacre in
  Japanese soldiers. Japanese troops there slashed off ears and noses, gOuged out eyes, hurled grenades among wounded and even tried to bury some persons alive, wit nesSeS said.
 Esquerra said Japanese soldiers summoned him to the field on the pretense that his services as an un- dertaker were needed Once he reached the field, however, the Jap anese bound his hands. He protested that he had a pass" from the Jap anese.
 Pass To Death Good
 "Yes, your pass is good" Esquer- "a quoted a Japanese officer. "Yoi good man, but you die. You all die
 Why" frantically demanded Es- Its orders from higher head quarters" came the reply.
 A pretty 17-year-old girl, Julieta Milanes, whose father and brother were killed at Alcid, shouted so many recriminations at Yamashita that she had to be forcibly removed from the courtroom temporarily
 You still have the face to look at me?" she demanded of Yama- shita as soon as she entered the wit ness box.
 If I could get loose I'd show you"
 Witness Returns to Testify
 The tribunal rapped for order. The bailiff gripped Miss Milanes tighter, but she went on:
 You laugh. Look at you laugh. You ought not to be hung. You ought to be cut into small pieces and fed to the dogs
 Yamashita hurridly removed his horn-rimmed glasses anG peered in- tently at the witness. Whether or not he could understand her Eng fish, he obviously guessed the na- ture of her remarks.
 Miss Milanes struggled to free herself from the bailiff's grip, still shouting abuses. The tribunal final ly ordered her removed from the courtroom, where sh, was calmed by surviving members of her family. She then returned, apologized to the tribunal and gave her testimony.
 Saw Beheaded Bodies
 Jose Canbero showed the court saber cuts on his neck and a partial ly-seyered right ear, He said he was wounded when he tried to escape from the Acid field. Another witt ness said he escaped by diving into river despite the fact that both his hands were tied,
 T saw 200 bodies, some with their heads cut off" the witness said.
 Benjamin Urrutia testified that a Japanese blindfolded, then slug ,ged him with sabeF.. He fell in- tO a hole containing about 40 bodies, some dead, some dying and some only wounded.
 The Japs threw a grenade into the hole .ttempting to kill the rest, Urrutia said. Then the Japs start ed to throw on dirt"
 Urrutia escaped after the Jap- anese left