LONGE, MAY 12, 1902
APPENDIX D.
Statement of William J. Longe, 20 School street, Burlington.
BURLINGTON, VT., May 12, 1902.
I enlisted from Essex and am a Burlington man. I enlisted in the First Vermont and was at Chickamauga during the Spanish war. I was then in Capt. C. M. Brownell's company. I was honorably discharged November 7, 1898. I reenlisted in the Twenty-sixth U. S. Volunteers the 1st August, 1899, and went with that regiment to the Philippines on the transport Grant. We stopped at Manila, but did not disembark until we got to Iloilo. We then went to Jaro for about a month. We were then stationed at Sara for about three months. After that my company, Company D, was stationed at Banate, which is a coast town. I had been on a special detail and joined the company at Banate after it had been there about a week. This was in March, 1900. In the fall of that year, November, 1900, a man reported to be a priest was sent up to camp from Iloilo. He arrived by boat in the afternoon or evening and came up by the quarters. I saw him, he was dressed as a sergeant of artillery. He was confined in a small room under the officers' quarters. He was a stout man and had the top of his head shaved. He looked about 40 years old.
He stayed there about two weeks. On December 9 I saw him about 6 o'clock walking down the street with the captain. I never saw him again, though I mounted guard over the prisoners. That night I was at the quarters which were some little distance from the prison. I suspected that something was going on, but knew of nothing myself. Afterwards I was told by other men, I don't remember which ones particularly, because it soon got to be camp talk, "that the water cure had been given to the priest that night and he had died under it, and that his body was buried that night on the parade ground." He could not have been removed from the camp without the knowledge of the guard. During the latter part of the stay of the regiment the water cure was frequently administered to prisoners to get information. I never did it myself. It was done by a special squad. At first the treatment of the niggers was lenient, but toward the last part of the time the captain was stiffer toward them.
WM. J. LONGE.
MAY 15, 1902.
Then appeared the above Wm. J. Longe and made oath that the above statement was true, before me.
W. L. BURNAP, Master in Chancery.