CONNELL, OCTOBER 11, 1902

CAMP GEORGE H. THOMAS,
Chickamauga Park, Ga., October 11, 1902.

The JUDGE-ADVOCATE GENERAL U. S. ARMY,
Washington, D. C.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 6th instant, asking for information about one Father Augustine de la Piņa, a parish priest of Damangus [Dumangas], Panay, P. I., and for any facts within my knowledge of the circumstances connected with his death. I have the honor to inform you that Father Augustine lived at Molo, 3 miles from Iloilo, Panay, P. I., but beyond the fact that he was one of several wealthy and influential residents of that town who were suspected of being active insurgent sympathizers, I know nothing about him. As to the facts connected with his death, I have no personal knowledge. During the greater part of December, 1900 (the time you state his death is supposed to have occurred), I was in the First Reserve hospital, at Manila, recovering from an attack of dengue fever.

Furthermore, from the time the Twenty-sixth Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, was divided and sent to different parts on the island in December, 1899, until the regiment was assembled at Iloilo for transportation to the United States, in March, 1901, I never saw Captain Brownell's company (D), as we were stationed at different parts of the island. Captain Brownell was stationed at Sara and Banate during most of that time near the west coast of the island, while I was in the interior at Santa Barbara, Pasey [Passi], and Cabatuan. I also have the honor to state that during my entire service in the Philippine Islands, during nearly all of which I was in the field, I never administered the so-called "water cure" to anyone, and, what is more, I never saw it administered by anyone else. In fact, I have heard much more about the "water cure" since I returned to this country than I ever heard while I was in the Philippine Islands.

Very respectfully,

WM. MURRAY CONNELL,
First Lieutenant, Seventh Cavalry
(formerly Captain, Twenty-sixth Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, commanding Company H).