C. Warmsley, an armed forces surgeon, amassed a small fortune inside the cigarette smoking inside Cagayan
Notoriety
Considering the black colored defector’s incorrect promotion to help you standard, guerilla competitors today handled him once the “Heneral” Fagen. On after the weeks, records on the challenging American proliferated. An enthusiastic unsubstantiated dating een college football-speler facts represented Fagen while the a cooler-blooded executioner. However, several create POWs after challenged such as characterizations and you may testified so you’re able to Fagen’s generosity because they was in fact inside the custody.
The newest You.S. Army’s famed “guerilla catcher,” Col. Frederick Funston, became obsessed with the new get of one’s renegade and you can decried an effective missed chance: “I had a pretty an effective look at the notorious Fagen within a distance regarding 100 meters, regrettably, had already emptied my personal carbine. Which wretched guy had towards one or two occasions created myself impudent and you may defectively spelled characters. Fagen is ‘entitled to a similar therapy given that a crazy dog’.”
Funston caught Aguinaldo rather-as a result of a complex tactic-with the February 23. 2 weeks after, the newest Filipino leader swore allegiance on Us and bought their forces to stop instantly. In Nueva Ecija, General Lacuna and other guerilla frontrunners obeyed its chief. Lacuna, not, refused to give-up Fagen, and you will showed up off throughout the slopes with his officials after establishing the new Western out-of his order. Funston today embarked to your a pretty much all-out look for “your mind of one’s American Negro.”
Toward day of December six, 1901, they appeared the wily Funston in the end bagged his quarry. Anastacio Bartolome, an old guerilla, whom now received an income as a good deer hunter, inserted the fresh new Army barracks in the Bongabong, Nueva Ecija, under Lt. Roentgen.C. Corliss. He put a canvas sack on the floor and you will recited particular events of your prior days, that your Western officer filed while the an enthusiastic affidavit.
Brand new huntsman reported he had been fishing with a couple companions about Umiray Lake that morning, when Fagen showed up which have a couple of Negrito relatives along with his native wife. He desired Fagen along with his team to talk about a lunch regarding seafood and rice. Brand new affidavit checks out: “If you are all of the have been dining, Anastacio and his people all of a sudden fired up Fagen and his awesome boys that have bolos. Fagen was mortally injured and went from the one hundred meters and you can dropped dry. The 2 Negritos fled badly injured. Fagen’s partner went on water, sprang for the and you may sunken herself.”
Bartolome said the guy tucked Fagen’s system into the riverbank, immediately following cutting-off their direct. He launched his sack to reveal evidence, an effective “improperly decomposed lead, with Negroid characteristics.” Because the further evidence, Bartolome filed a worn photograph of Urbano Lacuna included in Fagen’s nipple wallet and you may Lt. Alstaetter’s West Area category band. The You.S. Armed forces finalized the publication to the Pvt. David Fagen.
Veracity Expected
While this has stayed the state account, historians Michael Robinson and David Schubert authored in the 1974 a post questioning the veracity. In the a battle where every penny, nickel and you may mule is meticulously accounted for from the You.S. Military, around stays zero listing of a beneficial $600 bounty issued to Bartolome. The historians in addition to found numerous credible claimed sightings away from Fagen from the Armed forces troops weeks just after his stated dying.
You can expect to the fresh deer hunter’s account was indeed a proper-formulated plot hatched by the Lacuna and you will Bartolome to store new black colored defector alive? Could the guy possess lived in the fresh jungles out of Luzon free from Jim-crow and you will Frederick Funston, long afterwards new cessation regarding hostilities?
As for the rest of Fagen’s comrades just who remained loyal to help you brand new American banner, over 1000 opted to remain in the hawaiian islands abreast of its discharge at war’s formal end on the July 4, 1902. Mentioning the “racial affinity” for the locals, of numerous intermarried which have Filipino lady and you can settled everywhere Central Luzon. They truly became clerks, instructors, short growers and you will storeowners.
Head Honest Steward turned the provost judge out-of San Pablo, Laguna, if you are W. Nearly a century after, the African american descendants is obtainable all across the fresh new Philippine diaspora, of Pangsinan to help you Pennsylvania-and San francisco bay area, where it first started the historical trip and you can in which an earlier black colored man sailed toward their book invest Philippine record.
