The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 25, 1901, Page 1

PHOTO BY MascCEAU N & retived street of Los Angeies O lives a gallent soldier bey just returried from Manila who has mn his possession a relic that puts in the shade, in point of romantic interest and historic value, most of the many souvenirs which have interested Americans since the close of the war with Spain. This relic would suggest 2 tale of adventure and intrigue, of ro- mantic plots and h readth escapes, for it is nothing less than the regalia of Aguinalao, the captured Filipino chief- tain. Once it shone in all its splendor of silver stars and lace upon the white dress of the island leader—now, by s of war and flight, it is the Richard H. Cooper, ng man of Troop F, unifor the fort property of Pri a Santa Paula yo 2 United tes Volunteer Cav- ed to Los Angeles on 1 Philippines. venth was the only United nteer cavalry in service since the Civil war, and Troop M of the Elev- ; hed itself by its famous le of San Mateo, where Eleve: charge 2 al Lawton lost his life. do i February, 1900, m for ten days or more up untains of Southern Lu- lly lost track of him and went over the swamps into Camarines RicHARD H. Coorer Province. But so hot was the pursuit and so near did it come at one point to capture that some of the ponies in Aguinaldo’s band were shot and the leader threw away bundles of clothing and other stuff in his mad desire to es- cape his pursuers. It was in onc of these critical mo- ments that Corporal Belding, a friend of Cooper, picked up in the trail amid the bamboo jungle a small bag bf mus- lin which contained this regalia, a small flag of the province of Vigan, and wrapped in it a curious dagger with a point of needle-like sharpness. Belding took out.the sash first, and, it being similar to a decoration worn by a priest, thought it belonged to one of them, but hid the bag hurriedly for fear the Fourth Cavalry, which was passing, might get it. When he showed it to his friend in the morning Cooper asked him if he might take it and show it te some one. Belding thereupon made him a present of the bag and its cem- tents. Cooper showed it to Captain Agnew of the Eleventh Cavalry, who exclaimed at once at sight of the red and silver star: “Why, man, you've got a prize there! That regalia is Aguinaldo’s own, for I have seen him wear it many times during dress parade before the out- break. I know that star.” Since then Mr. Cooper has treasured the regalia jealously, and the pennant- shaped flag of Vigan, and its embroid- ered sun, as well as the curious dagger, are among his most prized relics of the Philippines. He also has mwmeng his collection some murderous looking bolos, saber- like weapons, one edge of which is sharp enough to shave a man’s face, and which are fit companions for an im- mense cannon ball found the other side of Fort Malate. The regalia is heavily embroidered in solid silver, for which Mr. Cooper was offered a goodly sum by the native sil- versmiths in Manila. The most inter- esting piece is the silver-embroidered shoulder sash, somewhat stained by wear, of yellow satin, richly incrusted with silver, and where it crosses the reast shines a six-pointed silver star of openwork upon red satin, the badge of Aguinaldo’s highest rank. A broad belt of yellow satin and silver, wide cuffs of blue satin, spangled with silver, and four decorations in the form of silver leaves, which were worn upon. the breast, are also parts of this glittering insignia. Here are the great silver star and hatband that decorated the som- brero and complete the paraphernalia which rendered Aguinaldo a gorgeous figure when worn over his white suit at dress parade—for he never wore this , regalia over a khaki uniform. Mr. Cooper was offered large sums from officers anxious to purchase this regalia as a remembrance of Aguinaldo, but’ declined, considering it the more valuable from the fact that only one other such suit of regalia owned by Ag- uinaldo is known. According to a cur- rent army rumor that suit was presented by the insurgent leader to Major Gen- eral E. S. Otis and is now in Wash- ington. % As a scout, one of four sent out from the front of the regiment to locate the insurrectos, Private Cooper had a thrilling escape from death. He tells AUCUST 25" 1901 his ‘experience bfTHy, but graphically, as follows: “When we were sent out the colonel warned the corporal who was with us to watch out for Filipinds in ambush while going down through the depths of .the bamboo jungle. But he was a new man, eager for the fray and glory. He followed his own way and led us straight into the teeth of three or four hundred ‘Goo-goos,’ as we called the natives. Then came hot and bloody work and before I knew it my com~ rades were killed by the natives’ bolos. At close quarters my horse was shot through the breast and as he fell I made a jump for another horse irom which one of the boys had just fallen. As I did so—ping! came another bullet, and with a wound in my leg, I fell into a jungle well about four feet deep, one of the many surface wells dug by the natives anywhere and everywhere. “As I fell I fired my pistol, which in some way I had managed to keep free, and the last I heard was the clatter of the regiment behind as they came charg- ing down and put the ‘Goo-goos’ to flight. But I was lucky to get nothing worse than ten days in the hospital™ v .