KILLED IN THOUSANDS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2131, 24 April 1914, Page 7

KILLED IN THOUSANDS

AMERICAN TROOPS IN THE PHILIPPINES

EXTEIIINATE PAGAN TRIBES

FANATICAL "HtfERWANTADOS."

Sensational details coMemlng the annihilation of a pagan army of Mows, estimated at some thousands of men, by General' Pershing and a United State force at Mindanao, the most southern of the 1400 Philippine Islands, havebeeu brought into Sydney by Mr. J. White, an American planter re'sidaiig at.Lais, in the Gulf of Davao. _ The trouble, whish ended in a practical ."clcan-iip." hag been apparently browing far some years, and lias been caused primarily through the murders which, from tinro to tuna liavo been committed on Europeans and American officers and soldiers by hands of fanatical Moras, known m ''HnflrinaHtado-s,*' wijo run amok for Christians. This .methods of the. "HueMriantado," in preparing himself for Iris self-imposed sanguinary .task, "all* of a necsyliar- eWaefer, Ho first of #H bandages' his body in white, and then tho muscles of jiis arms mid. logs are also baud-aged, 'fjiis is., so it is asserted, in -order that ho will have no feeling for what he is going to do. Be then arrays himself in white eloth-os, and sallies out on his murderous mission, a crazy ijianiac, with, heiVever, a special eyo- for American officers and soldiers. Up to within a short time ago, when salutary i cngeafneo wub wreaked on the men, soma of them could be seen almost every day ..in Joltfij a small town on Snlu Island; some distance from Bavaes, the capital of the island. After tho 4 murder of Captain ISklridge, an American officer, who wn-s. bnteStcresd as ho walked down tho street, it was decided that pronounced uetion was necessary, if the lives of the Europeans living'oft the island tfere to bg preserved.

Antipathy to Europa&fts. Of the popttlation of Mindana.Of estimated at about 300,000,"half or them are- eaid to bo partially wfld. A largo proportion belong-to tho Visayos. tribe, who are 'OhristirtH.ised to somo. eoc'teut, but tlte remainder a.i'o Moros (Mohammedan Malays), with pra-ctifiaHtyio, rpr 1-igwn, and one or i-Wo other tribes';'Tito" poDulatioi) of Sidn is nbc-nt 51,889, wider a Sultan, -who acknowlodged sovoTcignty. to the United. State's k 1.89&.. . The antipathy of the Mores to. those natives who saas*o become Cliristia.iii.sed is well known," and theii"bati'ed of Euro.peaiiis, partienlarly Am-oricans, is of an intense character." llio natives of the island wero tffll armcd,_and after eom> nutting their atrocities it "Was usual for thorn to retire to their stronghold's. Their excursio'ns into the town of Jolo becanvo so frequent that wore so often attended by a trail of blood that the Europeans at Inst made.a practico of sliooting every man in whitn on sight,' but evoh this did not stop tho fanatks in their murderous warfare, and as in last e-hanee for them General Pershing ■ ordered that they should bring in all their arms and ammunition by a certain day. : To' tho eo-mmaud tho More chiefs returned most insolent answers, and took »p a defensive position fit three "cattaos" or forts, about four miles away from Jolo. Their arms included machiiro guns, and they had plenty of om•uvunitKMi. thd Battle. , ; General Pmlvin.g left Jolo overnight to attack the thrco strongholds. His force included an Bth infantry regi-< •nental section, two mouhiai.it batteries, some light artillery, and various companies of native scoata. In the co-UrSo at a jiaiiey tlio general rnnna.ged to get tho Moras separated from their women , and -children, as ho did not wish to slaughter tho latter, and by moans af a boat attack ho surprised 'tho enemy hi an imexpec'tcd place, Tlio figbtmg, which was of a most stubborn nature, lasted all night and all nest day. Tho Moras would not, surrender, and they neither «,sfcod for ner.ga.vo quarter. They.stood in their serried^masses, rushed again and again Oli their hateful invaders, only W be mowed down at timos like corn beforo tho deadly iiro of Anwrican artillery, ■General Pershing led tho American attack in person,' and with Captain Charlton distinguished himself for bravery during the progress of tho battle. Two of tho forts were captured on tho first night of the fight, hut the third took much- longer, and it was not ' finally occupied nntil the fiost day, Tho Americans lost aliont 1.7 killed and 50 wounded. Tho exact loss of tho Moras was not fully known, but as •their force was put down at (5000, and no prisoners were taken, a fair estimate is that thousands of them were killed. Asked how it was thai this news had not boon received before, Mr. White said tho matter had been kept quiet in ease of objections- being wado'to tho slaughter .by people in Amoriea, and his information camo from somo of tho officers themselves who took part in tho battle. It was to bo remembered also 1 lint tho island of Mindanao, which was near to Rorrnso, was a very long way away from Manila. Mr, White adds that things wero quiet when lie Mt Davao.