MORO FORT SURRENDERS, CORTLAND PARK, BAIL BOND SIGNED, AID FOR HOSPITAL, SAUTELLE'S CIRCUS, GEE BROOK TRESTLE, AND MRS. WOODWARD

 

Gen. George Davis.

Lt. Col. Frank Baldwin.

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, May 5, 1902.

ENEMY SURRENDERED.

After Hard Fighting Moro Fort Was Taken.

HAND-TO-HAND FIGHT IN DITCHES.

Great Credit Given to Colonel Baldwin and Fourth Infantry—One Officer and Seven Men Killed and Four Officers and 39 Men Wounded. Many Moros Killed.

   Manila, May, 5.—General Davis, the commander of the American forces in the island of Mindanao, cables that the 84 Moros, who survived the attack and capture of the Moro fort by American soldiers in Mindanao Saturday have surrendered, and that the Sułtan of Bayan, Rajah Muda, Sułtan Panda Padto and a number of leading dattos were killed in the engagement.

   The assault on the principal fort, reports General Davis, was one of the most gallant performances under American arms in the Philippines, and the regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Frank D. Baldwin, the Fourth infantry, deserves the greatest credit for its conduct. The men of the Fourth infantry had a hand-to-hand struggle with the Moros in the four lines of ditches under the walls of the fort. When the position was captured those ditches were found to be lined with Moro dead.

   General Davis characterizes the rifle fire of the Americans as excellent and says he has never witnessed a performance excelling the capture of the Moro fort in gallantry and grit.

   General Davis says also it is his painful duty to announce that overthrow of Moro power was not accomplished without severe loss to the Americans. One officer and seven enlisted men were killed, while four officers and 39 enlisted men were wounded. The list will be cabled later.

   After the 84 Moros who survived the assault had marched out of the fort eight others who were concealed there made an unsuccessful break for liberty. Some of the Moro wounded tried to stab the American soldiers who were succoring them. It is impossible to give the total Moro dead as a number are lying in the tall grass. The fort was defended by 300 men. Its capture saves a siege and it would have been impossible to carry the position without scaling ladders.

   General Davis further reports his intention of retaining his prisoners until the few adjacent Moro forts are occupied.

   Then, with the consent of General Chaffee, he will retain 10 of his principal captives as hostages and release the others.

   The American forces who attacked the fort numbered 470 men and four mountain guns. It rained hard during the night preceding the attack and the men were without blankets.

   The battery fired 120 rounds at a range of 1,400 yards.

   General Davis adds that he is sending the dead to Malabang for burial. He intends to invite the Sultan of Tarace to an interview. His fort is of the same strength as Bayan, the one captured Saturday. General Davis is urging the people to return to the cultivation of rice.

   Lieutenant Bovars of the Twenty-seventh infantry was killed in the engagement at the fort. Captain Moore of the same regiment was mortally wounded; Surgeon Porter and Lieutenant Henry S. Wagner of the Fourteenth infantry and Lieutenant Jossman of the Twenty-seventh infantry were severely wounded.

 

Theodore Roosevelt.

PRESIDENT'S CONGRATULATIONS.

Cables General Chaffee Thanking Army For Courage and Fidelity.

   Washington, May 5.—The president sent the following congratulatory dispatch to General Chaffee:

   Washington, May 4.

   General Chaffee, Manila.

   Accept for the army under your command and express to General Davis and Colonel Baldwin especially my congratulations and thanks for the splendid courage and fidelity which have again carried our flag to victory. Your fellow countrymen at home will ever honor the memory of the fallen, and be faithful to the brave survivors who have themselves been faithful unto death for their country's sake.

   Theodore Roosevelt.

 

Engineer Seriously Injured.

   Syracuse, May 5.—The water bar from the fire box of a New York Central freight engine blew out while the train was passing Minoa Sunday afternoon. Engineer James E. Smith of Albany jumped to escape the steam and hot water. Both legs and his shoulder were broken. He is in serious condition at St. Joseph's hospital in this city.

 

Cortland Park.

CORTLAND PARK.

Arrangements and Attractions for Present Season.

TRACTION COMPANY DOING ITS BEST.

Track to be Extended to the Pavilion—New Landing to be Built—More Lights to be Installed—Monkeys and Baboons and Other Animals—Attractions for the Season—Formal Opening May 30—Dances Twice Each Week.

   The work of cleaning and preparing the park for the summer is nearing completion. In addition, the Traction company will make a number of improvements and addition to this now popular resort with the view of adding to its comfort and attractiveness.

   The company has planned to extend the track from the present landing through to the pavilion, or nearly so. This improvement will be appreciated by all the patrons of the park, inasmuch as the cars can then be taken at the pavilion which will avoid waiting in the rain in stormy weather as heretofore. A new landing platform will also be built.

A New Well.

   The company has arranged with Mr. M. A. Hoaglin of Lisle to drill a well within a short distance of the pavilion which will produce an abundant supply of pure, cold water for the people. Heretofore the most serious drawback and inconvenience at the park has been the lack of good cold drinking water. In recognition of this fact the company has arranged to supply this deficiency as above stated. The soil of the park is wholly of rock and a supply of pure cold water is assured.

Monkeys, Baboons, Bear.

   During the season of 1901, the monkeys proved a great source of amusement and attraction to the people. The company this season has ordered ten monkeys and two baboons and will establish them in a large cage, 12 feet square, with wire netting on all four sides after the fashion of the cages seen in the zoos of the large cities.

   The bear Charley is still at the park, having been wintered there. He has grown considerably and is now a fine specimen of his species. In addition, other animals will be added from time to time, as the Traction company expects to make this resort a permanent thing and a large outlay will be provided for each year to beautify and make the park as attractive as possible.

Better Lighting.

   A decided improvement in the lighting of the park will be made. Twenty new enclosed are lamps will be installed and a large additional number of incandescent lamps added. The arc lamps will be placed at the most advantageous points, thus insuring an excellent illumination of the grounds.

Many Attractions.

   The patronage of the public last year was very satisfactory and demonstrates that the people of Cortland will support a place of amusement and recreation that is attractive and that is conducted on clean lines and in an obliging and tolerable spirit.

   The company is arranging for a series of good, wholesome attractions for the summer which will be announced later from to time to time. Upon the completion of the Elm-st. extension of the lines of the company, excellent service to and from the park will be possible and will be given. To increase the efficiency of the park service, the weak points of which were demonstrated during the last year's season, was the determining factor in the decision of the company to construct the Elm-st. extension.

Formal Opening.

   The formal opening of the park will take place on Decoration Day with an attractive program which will be announced later. In the meantime dances will be held twice during a week, on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. The first dance will be held Wednesday evening of this week. McDermott's orchestra will furnish the music. Arrangements for picnics and outings can be made at once.

 

BAIL BONDS SIGNED

And the Three Houses Permitted to Return Home.

   At 5:30 o'clock Saturday afternoon the bonds were signed admitting to bail in the sum of $2,000 each John C. House, John H. House and Orson A. House of the town of Lapeer, charged with manslaughter in the first degree in causing the death of George Bennett. The bonds call for the appearance of the three defendants at such term of court as the case may be ready for trial.

   The following were the signers of the bonds: Daniel B. Tripp, assistant cashier of the Marathon National bank; Frank E. Whitmore, capitalist and produce dealer; and James R. Robinson, supervisor of the town of Marathon and former supervisor of Lapeer.

   The bonds were signed in the presence of County Judge J . E. Eggleston, District Attorney T. H. Dowd, Deputy County Clerk S. K. Jones and H. E. Wilson, attorney for the defendants. The three defendants had been in custody for fifty-six days. They returned home that night.

 

Cortland Hospital.

AID FOR HOSPITAL.

Ladies Progressing Well—Generous Gift from W. G. Hibbard.

   The board of managers of the Hospital association held a meeting this afternoon to compare notes as to how they are progressing in raising the $1,000 needful for keeping the institution open. The ladies say that they have not yet the full amount, not withstanding all reports to the contrary, and they will not proceed unless they get it all, as all the pledges were made with that condition.

   Mrs. W. H. Crane of Homer, one of the managers, this morning received a telegram from Mr. W. G. Hibbard of Chicago who was here last week, saying that a check for $100 was on the way to Cortland as a part of the $1,000.

 

Sautelle's Circus clowns in parade.

SAUTELLE'S CIRCUS

Entertained Large Crowds in a Most Satisfactory Manner.

   Notwithstanding the very unfavorable weather of last Saturday large crowds attended both the afternoon and evening performances given on the fair grounds by Sig. Sautelle's aggregation of artists. The seating capacity of the large tent was taxed to its utmost and every one seemed thoroughly pleased with the show.

   The menagerie which Sig. has collected from all over the world makes a valuable acquisition to the show. The animals were finely displayed in the new cages and provoked favorable comment. Dewey, the big lion that gave Mrs. Huftle, the trainer, so much trouble in Homer, was looked upon with awe.

   The Italian band of sixteen members, under the direction of Prof. R. E. Flynn, gave excellent music. The grand tournament and entree was all that could be desired. Mounted riders, chariots, pony drivers, etc., all in beautiful costumes of dazzling splendor brought prolonged cheers from the large concourse of people. The educated pony, the fine exhibitions of the equestrian, the sensational work of the trapeze performers, the work of the ponies, the trick mule and in fact all the events were put on in remarkably fine shape. The racing on the large ring was exciting and interesting.

   The concert at the close of the main performance was well attended and gave excellent satisfaction. In fact, from start to finish Sautelle gave a fine exhibition, and a most successful season is predicted for him.

   Today the big show is in Binghamton, and from that city it will go into Pennsylvania.

 

Gee Brook Trestle.

CHANGE OF ROUTE.

E. & C. N. Y. R. R. to Change a Part of its Road.

TO OBVIATE GEE BROOK TRESTLE.

Three Surveys to be Made at Once Over Three Different Routes—One of Them to be Surely Chosen—New Steel Bridge Over Tioughnioga River.

   Engineer Charles F. Wood of New York with a surveying party will be in Cortland next Monday to make three surveys to pick out a new line for a certain section of the E. & C. N. Y. R. R. The idea is to obviate the Gee brook trestle which is 962 feet long and built on a curve and which will soon either have to be rebuilt or part of the gorge filled. Engineer Wood says it was a senseless thing ever to build such a trestle.

   Two of the routes will change the course of the railroad to the other side of Gee brook quite a good deal farther West and where the gorge is narrower and not very deep. One of the proposed routes makes the crossing near Dutch hill, the other near the White cheese factory.

   The third route, and very possibly the one to be chosen, will continue the track upon the same side of the creek a half mile farther down the hill toward Willet and cross in the valley below, then turning north toward Cincinnatus and taking a course near the base of the hill, coming into the present grade before Cincinnatus is reached. This route was once surveyed and a chart of it is now on record in the county clerk's office. It was the original plan for the road. This change can probably be made for less expense than the big trestle could be filled or replaced by steel, and it will be a better job when completed.

   Contracts are about ready to be let for the new steel bridge across the Tioughnioga river at Cortland.

 

SNOWBANKS ON THE HILLS.

Ten Feet Deep in One Place, up to Hubs in Another.

   A Cortland man drove into the city Saturday night who told of encountering and driving through snowbanks up to the hubs of his wagon in the road on the hill just above Messengerville. The people there told him that on the Shults hill in Virgil two miles away there was a place where snowbanks were still ten feet deep.

 

Death of Mrs. Woodward.

   Mrs. Hannah Angeline Woodward,  widow of Alpheus Woodward, died at her home near Loring's station in the town of Cortlandville at about 8 o'clock last evening. She was in her 80th year. Three years ago she sustained a partial shock of paralysis from which she never fully recovered. She has since been in feeble health, but has not been as well since the death of a daughter about a month ago.

   Mrs.. Woodward was a sister of the T. Mason Loring and was born on the hill east of her late home Nov. 23, 1822. All her life has been spent in this county and the greater part of it within a short distance of the place where she died. Mr. Woodward, her husband, died in 1877. Of her eleven children, seven are still living: Mrs. E. H. Clark of the town of Homer, E. E. Woodward of Tully, Fred I. Woodward of Truxton, Ward and Mason Woodward of Cortland, W. Ray Woodward of Truxton and George Woodward of Jacksonville, Fla. Mrs. Woodward had been a member of the Presbyterian church of this city for the past thirty-two years.

   The funeral will be held at the house Thursday at 2 o'clock.

 

BREVITIES.

   —A meeting of Woman's Relief Corps will be held tomorrow at 2 p. m. at G. A. R. hall.

   —Cortlandville lodge, No. 470, F. & A. M., will confer the first degree at their regular communication Tuesday evening. Important business will also come up for action.

   —New display advertisements today are—Burgess, Spring and summer suits, page 8; Warren. Tanner & Co., Curtain week, page 8; Gas Co., Gas Ranges, page 8; M. W. Giles, China, page 7; Baker & Angell, Colonials and oxfords, page 7.

 

Note: The last issue of the Cortland Standard was published Thursday, March 13, 2025. The newspaper filed chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings. See: https://www.wxhc.com/cortland-standard-declares-bankruptcy-final-publication-will-be-march-13/ and https://www.syracuse.com/news/2025/03/cortland-standard-one-of-new-yorks-oldest-newspapers-closes.html