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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 8, 1905)
ANILA. Sept. 2. (Special Corre al spondcnco of The Sunday Oregon- " ian.) The effort to stamp out ladronism In the Philippines has pro duced a number of heroes whose exploits were fully equal to Funston's sensational feat of penetrating the Jungle and cap turing Agulnaldo in his lair. The last American to distinguished himself is Cary I, Crockett, a captain of constabulary. This young man la from Virginia and comes well by his fighting spirit, being a descendant of Davy Crockett, of Alamo fame. He came to the Philippines as a wagon master in General Lawton's divis ion. Ho has performed allant service in a number of expeditions against the out laws. On the last of these ho was ab sent 11 months, during which time he "hiked" 2000 miles through the tangled fastnesses of Samar, tho unruly Island which the Spaniards never conqucrVd. and which the Americans have not wholly succeeded in pacifying. About half of these Samarites are fanatical desperadoes, and the question of their subjection Is one of tho problems which confronts the administration. Young Crockett was sent into tho coun try with a small detachment of constabu lary to penetrate a district infected with hostlles. There are no roads in Samar, and when the troops are sent after these bandits the warning is spread by means of Bentrles who blow conch horns from the hilltops. By this means of signalling the news of the approach of an enemy, the alarm is echoed over the valleys for hundreds of miles in a few hours time. Fierce Fight in Jungle. Crockett and his men soon found them selves in a deserted country, but they held plucklly to the trail. Tho young American and his faithful native soldiers suffered every conceivable hardship. They waded In mud to their waists; wero thrown Into streams by capsized boats, and marched many weary days and weeks with wot feet. As a consequence half of the command were soon 111 from fever and rheumatism. Only on three occa sions were they able to corner the out laws and force tho fight. Once, when tho command was separated, a force of 200 ladrones were surprised by a squad of 13 of the constabulary. By tho time Crockett, with only 16 men, arrived to re inforce thorn, eight of the original 13 had been killed. The fighting which took place on this occasion was of the most desperate char acter. Tho American was in the heart of the jungle, miles from the nearest Army post, his support consisting of only a small, worn-out, bedraggled force of Filipino soldiors. Yet the outlaws were finally repulsed, leaving "3 of their number dead on the field. Crockett did not lose a single man of his squad of 16 relnforcoments who had saved the sit uation. That the plucky "Virginian was in the thick of the fight 4s shown by the fact that he "was shot and cut four times end grazed twice He himself killed 11 of his antagonists. If ho had fallen dur ing the fight his men would havo been annihilated. Had to Fat Snakes. Their greatest hardship camo later. There was no doctor to treat their wounds, which they had to sew up with hemp. Before they could reach the coast their rations gave out and for 15 days they suffered terribly from tho tortures WHY, NEARLY ALL THE story of George Dixon's defeat the other day brought ime up with a round turn to take a look over the field of fighters who have gone to the bad .financially After winning all kinds of good, hard money In the prize ring, and I began to think back over the list of men I knew something of In ono way or another who have come off no better. It's a funny thing, but the average fighter never has much .horse sense when It comes to handlfhg money. I say the average, but I don't count my self In on the average by a whole lot, because I've got a neat little bundle and I am. going to hang on to It. I'm plenty cagey enough for that. It's an actual fact, though, that most of the fighters have gone off and have wound up in destitution at the end. Perhaps some of these college sharps who find a good living In figuring out things of that sort and writing yarns about them can tell what angle in a boxers nature brings him down that way, but I can't and so I'll leave it to them. I've been looking up tho records a bit of late, and the first Instance I can remember off the bat, so to speak. Is "Yankee" Sullivan. Anybody who knows anything about the Ting at all knows he was a topnotcher In the game half a century ago. "'Yankee" was, as I say. a real fighter, and his real Jiame was Fred A. Murray. He went jolong, and beat everything that was of starvation. At first they tried to get along by eating roots and bark, and by making salt from Bca wator. Bats, hawks and lizards soon became acceptable food. They managed to exist for several days on the meat obtained from a shark and a devil-fish. Finally, when despairing, they encountered two large, 15-foot snakes, which they proceeded to kill and eat. Crockett eventually delivered his brave command through to the coast without losing a single man, except those killed In the light Although tho expedition onded several months ago. Captain Crockett has not fully recovered from his wounds. He Is considered one of tlie most dauntless men that ever served In the Philippines, and "has been given a medal for his brav ery. up against him for a while and a good while at that until he mot Tom Hyer, and Tom took his measure. Then he stacked up against John Morrlssey, and John trimmed him, too. He was down and out, and he went "West. He landed in California somewhere In tho '50s and the records show that ho ran across the vigilantes who were dealing out law and order In 'Frisco about that time. They figured him out for a bad man and he went to jail for a while. "While ho was there It was doped out that he was mixed with a gang of burglars that were pretty busy there, and while there wasn't a shred of evidence against him, the vig ilantes arranged to execute him. He was murdered In his cell, but he put up a game fight, just tho same. He hadn't a penny when he passed over the divide. Everybody remembers JohnP. Clow, who was shot through the heart by a policeman at Denver in 1S&. The policeman's name was F. C Marshall, and the shooting occurred December P. When they went through tho dead man they found 15 cents, and that was everything ho had In the world hut 'his clothes, and yet he had cleaned up a good bit of money in his day. There was John Morrlssey, who gath ered up more money than any other fighter of his time, not even excepting John L. Sullivan, and he died with 45 cents in actual cash on him. After Heen an put him down and out ho wenfinto the putXabUng game and opened up somewhere THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, OCTOBER 8, 1903. Lieutenant Edward Y. Miller Is an other American who has won ronowri in the Philippine service. Miller Is Gov ernor of the Province- of Paragua, the most isolated portion of tho Philippine archipelago. He, too, has successfully led native troops against the renegades. Ho Is the Governor of a zone containing 200 small islands, the total land area of which is G0W square miles. In this prov ince there are 50.000 savages who speak ten different languages, yet the total white population consists of only 13 Americans. Never ITad a White Visitor. These exiles are Governor Miller and his secretary, two constabulary officers. threo school teachors, one customs In- THE PRIZEFIGHTERS on Broadway, in New York. Ivo been ! told on good authority that at one time ! Morrlssey was worth $2,500,000, and that ! he was steered by old Commodore Van- derbilt In some big real estate deals. Af ter tho Commodore passed away Mor rlssey hit the tobbecan and nasseri on in Join the rest It's a fact, . too, that his widow went to work in a collar factory up In Troy, N. Y., and worked for years at a dollar a day. They tell a lot of stories about Morrlssey, and it has been said that he gave his wife J500.CO0 worth of diamonds, and that she used to like to wear them all at once. Of course It's history that Morrlssey became State Senator of New York and later a Congressman, but It didn't make his fall any softer that I've heard. It was his fault. In a way, too. that Bill Poole got his death In 1S55. It's a long story to go into here, but Bill got mixed up In politics and double crossed Morrlssey some way. They were going to mix It up with the bare knuckles and they wero going to meet on a dock. Each man was to have two friends, but Poole showed up with 300, and the beat ing Morrlssey got soured him for yoirs. Of course ho was going to get square, and ho did It in February of the next year. A gang hopped him one night when he was In Stanwix Hall, on the Bowery, and Bill was shot. He lasted nine days, and ho went over with the rest It isn't necessary to mention that he had two dol lars and a half when they looked him over. THD (JUNGLES spector, nnd three discharged soldiers who have embarked in the lumber business. The only wtiite women In the province are the wives of tho Governor and the customs Inspector. These two ladles live j the beginning of this article, cites a num 150 miles apart. Governor Miller's capital bcr of Instances where lone fanatics. Is 100 miles from the nearest port df any other provlnco In tho Philippines, and is 275 miles from Manila. Although the Mil lers have been in Paragua thrco years they have never had a white visitor. The people of their Islands know almost noth- ! lng about the ways of civilisation, because the Spaniards made no attempt to oc cupy this portion of the archipelago when they were in possession here. The outlaws of the Philippines, called pulajans, ladrones and bandoleros, have lone exlRd !n thla tarf of thrt trnrld. They rarely molest white people, devoting George Fulljames got his up in Manito ba a few years ago. while he was In the ring with an unknown. A local man had some heavy money on the unknown, and when the time came where George was going to hand his opponent his, the local man brained him with a bung-starter. I don't believe the caso was ever looked Into by tho police. Then there was John Sully, a cracker Jack English fighter. Ho made a pot of money and after he left the ring got seat ed la Parliament, and then went In for racing and some dickering on the Exchange- He began to drop his cash as if he was catching cold, and towards tho end feared he was going to die in the workhouse. A lot of his old pals, however, saved him from that, and he died a pauper actually. Ned O'Baldwln. a splendid fighter, who gave Jem Mace a whole lot of trouble to put away come to think of It, Jem never would meet him for the world's champion ship, after all was shot In the back In New York by a loafer he had fed and taken care of for years. It was the merest accident that he didn't go to the potter's field. He was absolutely stone broke. Johnny Heenan went up with a rush after he beat Tom Sayres, and it looked as If he was going to get all the money, but he didn't. He opened a gambling house on Broadway and went down with a rapid rush. "When they came to bury their energies to preying upon helpless members of their own race. The state ment has been made that a white man could walk from one end of the islands to tho other with perfect safety, and while there are a few localities, like Sa mar and Mindanao, that arc unsafe, they are exceptions. A short time ago two prominent capitalists from America, who contemplate making railway Investments here, were in the Interior alone for weeks. entirely traversing the proposed route without being molested in any way. Yet since my arrival in Manila a band of out laws shot up a village within three miles Of the city limits. Seeing that the guerrillas do not Inter- fore with tho whites, the question may arise in the minds of the reader why the officials pay any attention to them. Until they are suppressed it will be almost Im possible! for that portion of the rural na tive population which would engage in peaceful pursuits to do so with any de gree of safety. T,he outlaws demand trib ute from a community, and if this Is not forthcoming they swoop down upon It to murder, loot and burn. Cruel as the Turk. The atrocities the desperadoes commit on theso occasions are too horrible to describe. They dash through the streets murdoring mon. women and children alike. They visit special vengeance upon all who dare to aid the authorities in any way, cutting off their lips, gouging out their eyes, and perpetrating other bar barlties too horrible to mention. When the constabulary Is sent after them they take to the hills like arrant cowards and will never show fight until they are cor nered in their lair. However, some of them who are religious fanatics some times glvo battlo In the" most foolish man ner. The report of Captain Crockett. j relating to the expedition mentioned at armed with nothing more formidable than a sharpened corn knife, advanced boldly Into the open and dashed toward his column. After these brave but fool hardy wretches wero dispatched they were found to have paper charms upon their person, which they Implicitly believed rendered them invulnerable to Injury. "While the people of Mnnlla arc respond ing to the effort the Americans are mak ing to introduce civilization, the greater portion of the Inhabitants of the rest of the archipelago are still enshrouded In the Ignorance and barbarism that marked DIE POOR him they had to take up a collection for him. He died out in Green River, Colo. Of course, there are a whole lot of good men of today who have, managed -to keep a little of their money, but look at George Dixon. It's a safe bet that George drew In over a million at one time or another, but how much of It has he got now? I've seen Tom O'Rourke hand him a ten-spot pretty frequently, because he didn't have a- place to sleep, and I guess a whole lot of others have seen the same. "With George it was Just tho colored man's lovo for hot living. He couldn't seem to make money stick to him anyway ho got It. He bought everything in sight and was a "good fellow" all tho time. I'm wondering right now how many of the lads who used to live off him are coming around now to hand him a five or ten to help him along. I don't think there's any need for a cop to keep the line in order, or the crowd In line, for that matter. I don't believe anybody ever figured up jMst how much John 1 Sullivan mado during -his lifetime, and It's not doing John a wrong to mention that he's no millionaire now. He isn't, and that's all there Is to IL Remember Johnny Griffin, tho handiest little man with his fists that came down the roadway in a long while? Poor John ny fell down a night of stairs Jn New York and broke his neck, and they put him, away without a cent to his name, though there was a woman who stuck to Johnny long after he was destitute and out at elbows. "Whisky did Johnny, just as It's done a good many better men. tho lives of their forefathers. The inde pendent rural natives are preyed upon by tho bandits and their accomplices, the local bosses known as caciques; while la borers living on most of the great plan tations are like so many serfs. The own ers of these estates often treat their em ployes with heartless brutality. Pitiful Plight of Serfs. An American told me of one case whioh Is typical. A man 42 years, of age was sentenced t6 prison on the charge of hav ing killed a carabao belonging to his mas ter. This man was born on the planta tion and had never been outside of its boundaries until ho was brought Into court to bo tried on the trumped-up charge. He had never received a penny for the servitude of a lifetime, his only compensation being a supply of poor cot ton clothing and a measure of rice. On account of hardship and overwork his health had been undermined so that he was of no more use as a laborer, and his comrades were forced tq swear that ho had maliciously killed a carabao, which in reality had died of old age. Being of no further use to his master the lattor had, without honor or pity, used the courts to get rid of him. Slavery. Is generally brought about by a poor man becoming Indebted to a plan tation owner. No matter how trivial tho sum may be, If the debtor enters the em ploy of the rich man to discharge his ob ligation by personal service, he Is doomed. The master will see to It that the debt Is tlLoohnrjTMl. The debtor and his whole family will bo forced to continue In the employ of the feudal lord until their servitude becomes permanent. Consider ing that there are millions of poor peo ple who havo been subjected to such hu miliating and unfruitful toll for hundreds of years. It Is no wonder they are not enthusiastic about work, and that hun dreds of them eventually nnd their way to the mountains to join the-outlaw bands. Driven to Outlawry. It Is said that ono of the noted bando lero chiefs who is now causing a great deal of trouble In one of the southern provinces was formerly an independent farmer who turned bandit because tho local hemp buyer, who was a cacique, continually cheated him out of tho frUlta of his toll. This furmer would carry h3 little crop on his back over mountain trails for miles, only to receive a few cents for It, when in reality It was worth as many dollars. If he tried to sell to any one but the boss he" was punished. As a Consequence of such treatment ho gave up trying to make a peaceful living, and on more than one occasion has visited terrible vengeance for his wrongs. In explaining the workings of tho caclquo system, a country school teacher told me how the edibles wero secured to provide a banquet for the first Taft party that went through the Islands, and tho same will apply to the delegation now touring the Archi pelago. Every native within miles was assessed a chicken or a pig", or some item of produce. Enough supplies wero raised In this way to feed fifty times tho number of people Included among the guests. Tho surplus was put up for sale In the market and the pro ceeds pocketed by the local officials. The travesty of the situation Is ap parent. The speeches by the well meaning Americans were followed by hurrahs from the seemingly enthusi astic natives, not one of whom dared to hint that tho contents of the groan ing table had been procured from their slender stores by coercion. In tho Philippines, more than anywhere In the world, things are not what they seem. It is never safe to accept sur Bob Fitzsimmons Tells a Lot, of Facts, But He Can't Quite Explain the Cause. Poor old Jack Dempsey died with but mighty little coin in his possession, and he gave that to his wife, but he made a pile of it. Jake Kllraln made a lot of money In his' day, but where did It go? The Heav ens only know. Charley Mitchell has his, but It was. looked out for for him by his wife's fam ily. You can go on down the list and you'll find, as a rule, there's something wrong between the average fighter and his money. They don't seem to hitch at all. I'm not pinning any medals on Bob Fitzsimmons for anything he's got. but ho was brought up In a hard school and he knows the want of a few dollars, too not Just now, but he has. Somehow It seems to come so easy I suppose that It doesn't seem any great hardship to let it go a little easier, and to a man who's never been used to all the money he could handle, maybe It seems a little strange to have It so handy in his pock et, and he lets go of it a whole lot quick er than he ought to. perhaps because he knows he can go out and gather up an other bundle any time he wants It or thinks he can. I wonder how many men have told George Dixon to call on them any time he was a little short. I also wonder Just how many of them were at home when he did calL Mighty few. I guess. It sets a chap thinking. I can tell you. when he looks back over the bunch of good ones who have gone before him and how they have- ended, up. It's no cinch to keep money for any man, and perhaps the face Indications. The members of the official party Could not be blamed for being enthusiastic about their recep tion, yet the invisible undercurrent of Injustice and intrigue wns all about them as strong and defiant as In tho darkest days of Spanish misrule. Brigands Are Encouraged. The poor countryman has no concep tion of the idea of liberty or personal privilege. He Is as much a slavo and chattel today as ever. If he dares to rebel against those who hold him in bondage, they have the power to crush him In mere ways than one. The Government will have to suppress the rule of the petty bosses and feudal lords in the Philippines before there will be Justice and prosperity in this benighted land. Striking proof of the wretched state of affairs is shown by a great case now engaging the atten tion of the courts of Manila. The rich est plantation-owner In the Philip pines Is being tried for encouraging outlawry. This mRn ' owns a principality con sisting of many acres of land, upon which there are thousands of employes and countless hords of cattlo and car abao. It became known to the au thorities that he had given money to the ladrones in that locality. The evi dence brought forth at this trial re vealed how doep-rooted and perni cious this system has become. Thl3 millionaire farmer admitted that It was cheaper to pay the bandits a cer tain sum not to molest hl3 stock, or people, than to refuse their demanus and suffer loss from their depreda tions. How hopeless Is the case of the average poor man when the richest and most poworful cltlzon in the coun try is found yielding to the influence of brigandage. Another case was found where a rich plantntlon-owner had-kept a band of ladrones in his employ In order to keep other thieves away from his lo cality. This after sevon yoars of American rule! "Will the reader not agree that tho officials deserve much sympathy in their attempt to estab lish law and order in a country cursed with such systems as those? Iiadronism Must Bo Stopped. It should be said onco and for all that the continuation of brigandage In the Philippines cannot be charged to American misrule. These upris ings, Instead of being revolts against the Government, aro native quarrels. Although outlawry in tho Islands was undoubtedly conceived by abused na tives who had no other way of aveng ing their wrongs. It has now become an Inviting calling for shiftless dare devils, who are abetted by unscrupu lous men of power, some for tho sako of plundering tho population, others because they have not the courage to resist its demands. "Where the American administration has orrod has been in tho exercise of too much patience and tolerance. Al though this Is true, the officials could hardly have done otherwise. Mr. Mc Kinley's mild policy of pacification had to be thoroughly tried. That soft measures cannot suppress the outlaw, and his confederate the boss. Is now understood. The .strong arm of au thority must rescue the serf from bon dngo, and protect his life and proper ty. There is no use to build and edu cate by day. If organized cut-throats are- allowed to burn and kill by night. "Unless the American people can be reconciled to the drastic measures that will bo necessary to wipe out ladron ism, tho success of American rule here will bo hindered for years to come. FREDERIC J. HASKIN. real reason Is that tho sporting life takes money to keep one's end up. I've spent quite a bit In my time, but I managed to keep within the railing, and that's saved me from the gong many a time. Perhaps It's all mighty simple when it's figured down close, and a man begins to feel that he's got them coming and that they can't help from coming, but I don't believe a man's the best Judge of his own capacity at all times. You know he doesn't feel the other -fellow coming up on him until lt'3 too late, and It's a pretty hard thing to havo to wake up and find the crowds shouting for Tom, Dick or Harry Instead of yourself. It's a fact, though, .that most boxers die poor, and if there's any real reason why they should from a psychological point of view I'd like to know what it Is. ROBERT FITZSIMMONS. Nothing In It. "Washington Star. "Remember," said the serious friend, "that you are a servant of the people." "Yes," answered Senator Sorghum, "the trouble is that nowadays you are expected to serve the people without accepting any tips." Not tho "Whole Thlnpr. Philadelphia Press. "Ah!" exclaimed the visitor from tho "West, "is that the Atlantic Ocean?" "That," replied Mls3 Krect, of Boston "Is only a portion of it." A I