Horrors of the Philippines Revolt.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 179, 1 February 1897, Page 2

Horrors of the Philippines Revolt.

The Hongkong correspondent of ' The Times,' in a letter dated September 80, supplies some interesting particulars of the revolt in the Philippines. He says it is a rising of half-breeds and Natives, who are members of a secret society. Upon joining each member seals bis membership with the pact of blood, ft triangular mark being made on his arm. In this way the officials have found it comparatively easy to trace members. The bead centre was said to have been in Hongkong, bat has gone to Japan. This may have given color to I;he assertion, which the correspondent does not believe, that the Japanese are in league with the rebels, and that they obtained arms and ammunition from Japan. A German firm are suspected of also assist* ing tbe rebels in this connection, and an American named Collins has been arrested. "In an attack upon the suburbs of Manila it is stated that the rebels discriminated between the Spaniards and ether Europeans, whom they have no desire to injure. To* wards the Spaniards they have be* hayed with horrible cruelty. A large tnonaitry in Cavite fell into their bands, only a few of the priesta escaping, the captives were subjected to disgusting tortures. Some were dismembered, a limb per day and left to die ; others were saturated in petroleum, hung tip to trees, and set on fire. These and other incidents, comparable to some extent with the brutality of the Indian Mutiny, have naturally enough incensed the Spanish troops, and the rebel captives have also had to suffer a terrible retribution. Between three and four hundred prisoners have already been deported to the Caroline Islands, and the captain of the vessel informed that no questions would be asked aa to how many were landed Qn.a prison in Manilla has earned the pppr<kbrioui title of the B}ack. Hoje. \t \a an. ofa fortress. The prisoners are let down into an oubliette. Ventilation is obtained through an iron grating in the floor. AC high tide this means of ventilation is entirely closed. There were about 150 prisoners in this dungeon one night, and when the tide rose and the atmosphere became more and more stifling the wretched men and women fought like wild animals. Some went mad altogether. Next morning tbe numbers had been reduced by almost one half, The rebels were obliged, to take that field earlier tfaiap they intended owing to the discovery of the plot. Consequently they were not too well armeo\ although they are stated now to posses* upwards of 8,000 Mauser rifles.. \\ They had intended a wholesale, massacre of the Spaniards in Manila, and plans that h,ave fallen into the hands of the authorities have the European honses marked off in red ink. As they streamed into the streets on Sunday, the 30th, p( August, the Native boys in, the service, of Europeans warned the rebels tb&i l&esta.in Houses were occupied by English* fflen. _ As as the rising was reported: at Iloilo the officer in command da* spatcbed all available troops to Mantta., an,d special precautions were taken, |o$ the defence of the port. A hurriedly convened meeting of the foreigners was held in tbe club— there are some twenty - five British subjects— and it was resolved to offer their services to the Spanish authorities to assist in the defence. These services were welcomed, $h,s Foreigners were armed, an.4 tjh,PY patrolled the s^reet§ and otherwise, to, keej) order in ; tbe absence of pc usua,\ soldiers 1 and 'gendarmes/ The cc/f^ poudabt thinks that the ' s^fin'restiion oj the rebellion q pp,tfocted; asair> Meantime tyade, bgs been, Prftc|iQal\y jujsjeudea, - '■.-'.%