PABLO TABARES TRIAL

HEADQUARTERS DIVISION OF THE PHILIPPINES,
Manila, P. I, May 11, 1901.

General Orders, No. 94.

Before a military commission which convened at Iloilo, island of Panay, P. I., pursuant to paragraph 2, Special Orders, No. 2, Headquarters Department of the Visayas, January 3, 1901, and of which Lieut. Col. Charles J. Crane, 38th Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, was president, and Capt. Edwin F. Glenn, 25th U. S. Infantry, was judge-advocate, was arraigned and tried Pablo Tabares, a native.

CHARGE I.—"Murder."

Specification 1.—"In that on or about the 18th day of July, 1900, then as now a time of insurrection, at or near the pueblo of Cabatuan, island of Panay, P. I., a place then, as now, a part of the territory and under the military government of the United States, one Pablo Tabares, a native, being then and there occupying and filling the office of sergeant of police of the said pueblo of Cabatuan, did willfully, feloniously, and with malice aforethought, incite, move, procure, aid and abet, order and command one Eladio Jilarios and one Placido Hebia, natives, and policemen of the said pueblo of Cabatuan, to murder and kill one George O. Hill, private, Company H, 18th U. S. Infantry."

Specification 2.--"In that on or about the 18th day of July, 1900, then as now a time of insurrection, at or near the pueblo of Cabatuan, Island of Panay, P. I, a place then as now a part of the territory and under the military government of the United States, one Pablo Tabares, being then and there occupying and filling the position of sergeant of police of the said pueblo of Cabatuan, it having been reported to him that one Eladio Jilarios and Placido Hebia, natives, and policemen of the said pueblo of Cabatuan, had willfully, feloniously, and with malice aforethought, killed and murdered one George O. Hill, private, Company H, 18th U. S. Infantry, by the aforesaid policemen, Eladio Jilarios and Placido Hebia, did receive, harbor, maintain and assist the aforesaid policemen, and did order, command, and direct that all knowledge of the aforesaid murder should be suppressed."

CHARGE II.—"Arson."

Specification.—"In that on or about the 14th day of December, 1900, then as now a time of insurrection, at or near the pueblo of Cabatuan, island of Panay, P. I., a place then as now a part of the territory and under the military government of the United States, one Pablo Tabares, native, being then and there filling and occupying the position of sergeant of police of the said pueblo of Cabatuan, did willfully, feloniously, and maliciously burn and cause to be burned, one hundred (100) dwelling houses, more or less, in the said pueblo of Cabatuan, Island of Panay, P. I."

PLEA.—"Not guilty."

FINDING.—"Guilty."

SENTENCE.—And the commission does therefore sentence hiin, Pablo Tabares, native, "to be hung by the neck until dead, at such time and place as the proper authority may designate, two-thirds of the commission concurring in the sentence of death."

In the foregoing case of Pablo Tabares, native, the following are the remarks of the department commander:

"It appears that the accused in this case caused two of the policemen of the pueblo of Cabatuan to bring to his house an American soldier who, unfortunately, was one of weak intellect and strong passions; that, taking advantage of the latter fact he caused him to be delayed in his own house for an hour or more, during which time he plied him with native drink, in the shape of vino, until he was sufficiently intoxicated for his nefarious designs; that he then gave positive orders to these men to take this unfortunate American soldier outside of the pueblo and kill him; that when these policemen returned and reported their action, it was not only approved, but that he took steps to protect these men from the hands of the law, by sending them out to join the insurgents, thereby placing them practically without the jurisdiction of the American government established in these islands; that he took advantage of the situation to the extent that he caused to be placed in the hands of

those in open insurrection against the American Government, of which he was at the time an officer, the gun, belt, and ammunition of which they had stripped the deceased. At no time during the intervening months, while he was still holding office as sergeant of police under the American Government, did he make known or attempt to make known his knowledge of the crime that had been committed. The proceedings, findings, and sentence are therefore approved.

The sentence is confirmed, and will be duly executed at the pueblo of Cabatuan, Island of Panay, P. I., on the 14th day of June, A. D. 1901, under the direction of the commanding general, Department of the Visayas.

By command of Major-General MacArthur:

THOMAS H. BARRY,
Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, Chief of Staff.