304
THE HGKONGON WEEKLYPRESS. AND
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the room but at some distance. I said to Cha bank. The river is one of the largest in Luzon, ter, "On one condition, we will not hold the far too deep and broad for a large force to cross shares," and he told me that was understood. without boats. The bridge was not seriously He said I had better see plaintiff. I went with damaged, although the flooring, rails, and many Mr. Chater to him and told him on one condi. of the steel girders were removed, making it tion we were going to finance him, that we would impossible to pass except one by one holding ou not hold the shares but use them when we to the side guards. The trenches were the liked. He said “That's all right.. I only want strongest and most skilfully constructed of all to keep my interest. I only want the rise in that have been encountered. For three miles price. Un 30th June I arranged with plaintiff the north bank was protected with earthworks about some Kowloon and Punjom shares which 15 feet thick at the base runging to six und he sold to me, I think 4,350 Punjoms and eight feet at the crest. It was evident.that the 785 Kowloons. He proposed that I should enemy intended to make a stand such as never buy them. I did not force him. The prices had been attempted before. They were using were, I think, the proper market ones. I ask a small brass muzzle loading cannon that was my clerk to note all sales. I did not keep fired with great regularity but little effect, in the books; Mr. Chater and a clerk did. It was addition to their infantry, which was protected part of the agreement made with plaintiff from the Americau schrapnel by a long line of For sixteen that I should sell him 2,000 Punjoms on time. bombproof toapboled trenches. He bought 1,425 Punjoms through Chater and hours the Insurgents stuck to these trenches Vernon and some Kowloous for delivery at the and fought like demons, while the Americans end of February. The agreement to finance lay in the brush and long grass on the edge of plaintiff was made in June. There was no the opposite bank scarcely 250 yards distant. agreement for him to deliver Kowloon and Pun. It is little short of miraculous that the mortality jom shares to me. He proposed to buy for lists of both sides was not very great. ward on 30th June. The 2,075 Kowloons men-
COLONEL FUNSTON'S AND KANSAS tioned in the document produced are no part of
TROOPS' HEROIC WORK. the agreement, nor are the 2,000 Punjoms
Finally, about ten o'clock on Thursday mentioned in the other. Plaintiff left the co- lony about the 3rd or 4th April, 1888. There morning, two privates of the Kausas Regiment were purchases and sales between us about that stripped off their clothes and swam toward the time. (Referring to account) I bought 475 Pun-surgent bank, carrying a rope as they went. Both dived low and remained under water for joms at $12 on 3rd April, at plaintiff's sugges-
some moments, coming up to breathe about tion, because I wanted his debt to me reduced. I
They were also bought 540 Kowloons on sale date for the fifty feet from the American side.
under the direct fire of the enemy and bullets same reason. These sales were on the same day. rained on all sides of them until they had more I had known plaintiff for some years before
than passed the centre of the river, where the 1887 and had met him nearly every day. He was a sharebroker and before that a produce broker. height of the enemy's works prevented them On 3rd April, 1888, he was in his usual state of from firing directly down. As the men reached health, as healthy as anyone else and capable of the bank a great cheer went up, and quickly looking after his affairs. The signature and making the rope fast they lay down flat at the initials on the document produced are plaintiff's. water's edge shielded from the flying bul- lets. A raft was hastily constructed and I saw him sign it and he was capable of under-
Colonel Faustou with eight men boarded it standing what he was doing. I asked him if he bad examined the account and got bim to initial it. When he was signing this did
WA no other business. Mr. Chater arranged about the £1,090, and I saw him (plaintiff) sign the memorandum,
By Mr. Pollock-I received a letter addressed to myself and Mr. Chater asking the numbers of shares bold for plaintiff and refused to give any information. When he wanted the shares he could have had the numbers.
The case was adjourned till Monday at 10.30
8.01.
AFFAIRS IN THE PHILIPPINES.
THE AMERICANS MEET THE MAIN
the
and began to guide themselves Boruss Lhy
From rope.
every available peint the enemy poured in a galing fire, rapidly decreasing, however, under the shelling of the American artillery, which fire was concentrated just a little above the intended landing point. Two companies were ferried across on the raft bank and over the trenches, quickly routing the and then the gallant Colonel charged up the
enemy and obtaining a flauk fire. In a few moments they were on the retreat and General Wheaton ordered the Montana Regiment, to cautiously cross the damaged bridge and reform on the railroad track. The bullets of the re-
treating enemy struck the bridge in a hundred places, but fortunately only two men Were wounded in crossing. As soon as the men were safely over the battle was renewed, the Iusar- gents having made a stand from reserve trenches about 1,000 yards beyond the bridge. In half- THE FORCING OF THE IMPASSABLE | an-hour they were driven out of these and the
FORCE OF THE INSURGENI ARMY.
RIO GRANDE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
HEROIC DEEDS OF THE KANS- AS REGIMENT.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Calumpit, 29th April. The last few days have been characterized by the most vigorous and effective fighting of the campaign. The famous Rio Grande has been crossed in the face of all opposition and the backbone of the insurgent army is apparently broken. It was at this same river that the Spaniards fought so hard and lost so many men in obtaining control over the Filipinos in the last insurrection.
position was practically won, with a brass cap- non and several rifles to boot. As the fight had been going on for several hours, the order was given to cease firing, and the men lunche·l ou what scanty rations they carried in their haver sacks.
After waiting about half-an-hour, a long line of meu were observed coming from the directiou of Macabebe and as they drew usarer two regu-
lar skirmish liues could be distinguished, firing line and reserves. The approach was so orderly that for twenty minutes the troops heid fire. not knowing whether by some change a regiment had been sent around to carry out & flank move. ment. When the newcomers were within 2,000 yards their white straw hats were seen and then it was known that the main Insurgent army was on the plain ready to give battl. A heavy On Tuesday night General McArthur's troops fire was immediately opened, though the artil- reached the outskirts of the town of Calumpit, lery was still on the other side of the river, about thirty miles north of Manila. The railroad having been unable to cross. At the first bridge was destroyed by the retreating natives, volley the enemy dropped like a single man who dropped a 50 foot steel span into the river, and began a return fire which insted for some but the army's progress was only temporarily thirty minutes; the the long line commenced checked, as the artillery, baggage train, and a slow retreat. A single officer, General Luca, ambulances were dragged through the river mounted on a black charger, dashed up and down Bagbag and landed with small loss on the the lines, apparently exhorting his mou to return opposite side, about a mile from the centre to the fray, and finally they did turn and came of Calumpit. For a day and a half the two
back on the run fully 2,000 of them. This time armies hammered away at each other until finally they came on the double time to within 1,800 the insurgents escaped across the Rio Grande yards and then they droppet again and opened
andmade a stand in their trenches on the north ' fire, which was vigoroulsy returned by the
May 18, 1899.
waiting Americans. A small party of three companies of the Kansas regiment swung ronnd into the brush and in a few minutes obtained a flank fire that noticeably worried the Filipinos, and again they retreated, still in perfect order, and continued on, over into the brush, about half a mile to the west. A magnficent oppor tunity was lost for a great battle. The advance guard of General Wheaton's brigade pressed up as far as Apalit, some two miles along the railroad, and succeeded in routing the natives before they had set fire to much of the town. A heavy thunder and rain storm put a stop to the day's operations and the troops went into camp in the open fields.
GENERAL MCARTHUR'S OPINION.
Major General MoArthur says that the fore- ing of the Rio Grande, which is an impassible river defended by a very strong force, heavily intrenched, was a remarkable military event.
The battle of the Rio Graude marks a definite period of the war and it is the conceusas of opinion that its result will greatly toud to ward the demoralization of the Insurgent army.
THE AMERICANS CAPTURE SAN
FERNANDEZ.
Hongkong, 6th May. Yesterday a private wire was received in the city announcing that the Americans had cap. tured San Fernandez and that the Filipinos
had been routed.
STUBBORN RESISTANCE BY THE REBELS.
Manila, 4th May. Major-General McArthur's division took the field again at daylight yesterday and advanced from Apalit to San Fernando despite the pro- testations of the commissioners who recently came in to coufer with General Otis The rebels stubbornly resisted the attacking forces both at San Tomus and San Feruandó, General Hale's brigade, consisting of five 3-10 guns and a gattling under Major Young, 6th Artillery, two battalions of the 51st Iowa, the Nebraska and South Dakota volunteer regiments, started at daylight along the main road from Apalit to Fernando, some 24 miles to the right of the railroad. The enemy was first encountered at 6.45 o'clock near Sau Simou. The Iowas at once opened fire upon the rebels, position, a small unfinished trench on the left of the read, and drove the outpost ahead in fairly good order. The natives after setting fire to the village eracnated it. As the column advanced it became more and more evident
that the rebels had entertained no idea that the Americans' would split up their forces and 080 both railroad and highway; hence, beyond a few pitfalls and imperfect trenches, all of their earthworks were so construoted as to
command the embankment alone, leaving their occupants unprotected from the road. The result was that as dieneral Hale's brigade ad- vanced the rebels, who were waiting for the 'Americans to advance along the railroad, were compelled to evacuate their positions and re- treat to San Tomas,
.
At 7.45 o'clock the head of the column reached the banks of the river, on the other side of which the rebels were strongly entrenched · for a distance of over a mile on each side of the railroad bridge. Major Young's platoon immediately proceeded to shell the enemy's position, while the Iowa and Nebraska volun- teer regiments, which were thrown along the bank, fired volley after volley into the trenches. The rebels, however, offered a most stubborn resistance, and for fifty-five minutes held the Americans in check, despite the very beavy artillery and musketry fire which was maintained across the river.
Ultimately, however, they were flanked by the Nebraskans, and a wild scramble for the railroad, where trains were in waiting, ensued.
During the engagement and advance of yester- day afternoon the following casualties occurred.
KILLED,
James Spoirry, Company G. 1st Nebraska. Two other Nebraska volunteers killed, names unobtainable,
WOUNDED,
B. F. Danning, Co. E, 1st Nebraska. Willard B. Johnston, Co. K, lat Nebraska.
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