WOODSIDE, OCTOBER 17, 1902
APPENDIX H
Alonzo F. Woodside, 10 Fairmont street, Cambridge, Mass., late of Company D, Twenty-sixth Volunteer Infantry, having first been duly sworn to testify the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, as to the matter respecting which he was to be examined, did testify as follows:
Q. State your name, age, occupation, and address.-A. Alonzo F. Woodside; post-office clerk, Boston post-office; residence, 10 Fairmont street, Cambridge, Mass.; 32 years of age.
Q. Were you ever first sergeant of Company D, Twenty-sixth Volunteer Infan- try?-A. I was.
Q. When and for how long?-A. I was first sergeant from some time along the 1st of October, 1899, when in Honolulu, until the muster out of the company, May 13, 1901.
Q. What was the character given you when you were discharged?-A. Excellent.
Q. Was Company D, Twenty-sixth Infantry, stationed at Banate, Philippine Islands?-A. It was.
Q. While you were first sergeant?-A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you remember about what time that was?-A. That was from the 1st of March, 1900, up until about the 22d or 23d of February, 1901.
Q. Now, Sergeant, it has been testified to that a native priest called Augustine de la Pena was held at Banate as a prisoner in the latter part of the year 1900. Is this so?-A. I believe it is, and that that was his name.
Q. But there was such a priest?-A. Yes, sir; I believe that is the name.
Q. It has been testified to that Captain Brownell had the water cure administered to this priest on more than one occasion. Is this so?-A. I could not say whether it was more than once or not. I rather think it was twice.
Q. Were you on guard, the night this priest died, over the house where he was confined?-A. I had charge of the guard about that house. It was a special guard.
Q. Who detailed you for this duty?-A. Captain Brownell.
Q. What instructions did he give you?-A. He told me to select a guard. I think there were six or eight men-I would not be sure as to the number, possibly eight- and guard this prisoner to see that he did not escape from that house.
Q. Did you see them take this prisoner into the house?-A. Yes.
Q. Do you know who went in with him?-A. Other than Captain Brownell, I could not swear to anybody.
Q. Do you know if Sergeant Campbell was there?-A. Yes; Corporal Campbell was there. He was a corporal at that time.
Q. Did you have any knowledge of what was going on there?-A. I had no other than that they wanted to extract some secrets from the prisoner.
Q. You knew that?-A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you know if the water cure was given him that night?-A. I did not witness it. I heard that it was.
Q. Did you hear that his death was the result of that?-A. I did not.
Q. Did you hear that he had died?-A. I did.
Q. About what time did you hear that?-A. That I could not say. I heard that night that he had died.
Q. Did you see anyone going out of the house going for the doctor?-A. Yes.
Q. Did you see the doctor go into the house?-A. I did.
Q. Did you talk with the man who came out of the house going for the doctor?- A. I think I asked him what he wanted when he came down to go out of the house. He told me he wanted to get the surgeon. I told him to go.
Q. You, at this time, were sergeant-major of the post, were you not?-A. I was.
Q. Do you know if the doctor gave any medical certificate as to the cause of death in the case of this priest?-A. I do. There was a death certificate given by the post surgeon stating the cause of death as fatty degeneration of the heart.
Q. What was the date of the death of the padre as given in that certificate?-A. December 8, if I remember correctly.
Q. Did you have any conversation with anyone who was present when this priest died?-A. No.
Q. Did you go into the house yourself?-A. I did not enter the house.
Q. Do you know if the priest was buried that night or the next morning?-A. That I could not say.
Q. Do you know if he was buried at all?-A. I could not swear to it. I heard that he was.
Q. Where?-A. That I don't know. I never heard the place mentioned.
Q. When was your guard relieved?-A. I should say somewhere after 10, between 10 and 11 o'clock.
Q. Do you remember any other instances where the so-called water cure was administered?-A. Yes.
Q. Give the dates and places as near as you can.-A. Well, it was at Banate; somewheres along the middle of November, if I remember correctly, that same year, 1900.
Q. How many times did you see it administered?-A. I guess a couple of times.
Q. For what purpose?-A. To extract information from a prisoner.
Q. For information as to what?-A. As to a company of insurgents that had been organized in the town. There had been a plot laid to "massacre the garrison.
Q. And it was administered to this fellow to bring out secrets connected with that?-A. Yes.
Q. Did it hring out this information?-A. It did.
Q. And the information you got in this way was true?-A. It was. This native who was given the cure proved to be a lieutenant of the insurgent company.
Q. In the instances where you saw it administered did you think the victim's life was put in danger?-A. I did not.
Q. What kind of men were they who were selected to do this work?-A. They were among the best men in the company.
Q. Do you mean that they were humane men?-A. They were.
Q. And intelligent?-A. Yes.
Q. Have you ever been approached by anyone to give a statement relative to this matter to which you are now testifying?-A. I have.
Q. By whom?-A. By one Private Bertrand.
Q. What was the character of this man Bertrand in the company?-A. He was a disturbing element in the company.
Q. Do you know if he entertained any animus toward Captain Brownell?-A. He had made open and public statements to that effect.
Q. Have you ever heard him make any statements against Captain Brownell?-A. I heard him say that he would get even with him, or words to that effect.
Q. Where is Bertrand now?-A. The last I heard of him he was in Lynn.
Q. Is there anything else that you know that I have not questioned you about?- A. Not as I know of.
Q. How did the captain treat his men?-A. The captain never gave harsh or cruel punishment to the men, nor to any prisoner we had under our charge.
Q. This water cure was given for what purpose? For getting information?-A. It was.
Q. In your opinion, Sergeant, was it necessary to resort to this means to get that information?-A. It was.
Q. Could it not have been obtained in any other way?-A. It could not. They absolutely refused to make statements at other times, and when this water cure was administered they generally made statements, and we would find them reliable.
Alonzo F. Woodside,
Late First Sergeant Company D, Twenty-sixth Infantry,
U. S. Volunteers.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 17th day of October, 1902, at Boston, Mass.
E. Hunter,
Judge-Advocate, U. S. Army.