SAN FRANCISCO MAIL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2399, 22 February 1900, Page 15

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL NEWS.

* | AMERICAN SUMMARY. The Grand Opera House, the largest auditorium in Washington, was packed to the door on January 21 with an enthusiastic . audience that expressed its sympathy with the Boers in their fight with Great Britain. The speakers included members of both Houses of Congress, and on the sta£e were other public men who came merely to add their support. The keynote of the speeches was that the Boers' were fighting for their independence, as our forefathers had done in 1776. The gathering assembled under the auspice*, of the United Irish Societies and a number oi leading Germans in the city joined in the movement. Mr M. P. T. Moran, national treasurer of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, called the meeting to order, and after a few words of welcome introduced Congressman Sulzer as presiding officer. Senator Mason was firot introduced by the chairman. Mr Sulzer said: — I congratulate Washington, the capitol of the nation, on this sympathetic demonstration on behalf of a sister repxiblic. The Boers are right, but unless we can aid them in some way their eauee may not triumph. The bird of liberty has hitherto always found a resting place in this country. Lately American people, it appears, have taken to eating carrion. We do not want for the Boers the kind of liberty that England would give them. We want the Boers to have the kind of liberty they want. If you have any influence lend your voice to the cause of the Boers. If you have no influence, but have convictions, speak your sentiment? up." AFFAIRS AT MANILA. Lieutenant Gilmore. of York Town, and a party of prisoners held by the insurgents for many months, have at last been rescued, and are safe al Manila. Nineteen American*, who have suffered terrible hardships, have an interestimr story of their -nonderings to tell. All are weak and nervous, and had been abandoned by the Filipinos and threatenedFl

with death at the hands of a savage tribe of natives. Gilmore said the treatment was fair while the men were in the hands of Aquinaldo, but brutal in the extreme later, when the prisoners were under the jurisdiction of General Tino. He declares that the Spanish prisoners were abused by the Tagplas, who had the old grudge to wipe out. The Spaniards were sthuck with whips aad revolvers in the hands of the Tagak.s. Lieutenant Gilmore declined to speak regarding the political condition, except to say he believed the rebellion would last as long as there were any Tagal-w left. The prisoner* were re-cued in a dramatic faJ.ion by a sconcing party of brave Americans after hope had left them. They reported to General Otu barefooted, rag-sod and v, eary. Aquinaldn's y.ifp'.; sister* and several Fili pinos officers have surrendered to the Amsri can«. but tl-ero seems no chance of capturing the intrepid chiefo. Fighlnis? is goinsj on in a small way in several localities, and "the list of American dead and w ounded grows clay by dzy- Americans occupy the principal towns of Oavfte and Latangas province^, where many insurgents have returned to theh homes and secreted their guns. The southern port will be open soon.