Notoriety
Because of the black colored defector’s erroneous campaign to help you general, guerilla fighters today handled your while the “Heneral” Fagen. Regarding the after the days, reports with the challenging Western proliferated. An enthusiastic unsubstantiated story portrayed Fagen as the a cooler-blooded executioner. But multiple released POWs afterwards challenged such characterizations and testified to Fagen’s kindness while they had been in the custody.
The fresh new U.S. Army’s famed “guerilla catcher,” Col. Frederick Funston, turned into enthusiastic about the grab of your own renegade and you can decried a missed chance: “I’d a pretty a great glance at the well known Fagen during the a radius out-of 100 meters, but unfortunately, got already emptied my personal carbine. Which wretched boy got into a couple of hours written me impudent and you will improperly spelled characters. Fagen is actually ‘permitted an identical therapy while the an upset dog’.”
Funston caught Aguinaldo alternatively-using a complex ploy-on the February 23. Two weeks later on, brand new 
Filipino commander swore allegiance on United states and you will purchased their pushes to stop trying quickly. For the Nueva Ecija, General Lacuna or other guerilla leadership obeyed its leader. Lacuna, yet not, would not stop Fagen, and you may emerged down from the hills with his officers just after releasing the brand new American off their command. Funston today embarked towards a most-aside hunt for “your head of one’s American Negro.”
Towards the mid-day of December 6, 1901, they seemed the wily Funston in the long run bagged his quarry. Anastacio Bartolome, an old guerilla, which now won a living once the good deer hunter, joined the new Armed forces barracks inside Bongabong, Nueva Ecija, less than Lt. Roentgen.C. Corliss. He applied a material sack on the ground and recited certain incidents of one’s prior months, that American officer recorded as a keen affidavit.
The brand new hunter reported he had been fishing that have one or two companions throughout the Umiray Lake one early morning, whenever Fagen showed up having a couple of Negrito family relations and his local partner. He enjoy Fagen with his cluster to talk about a supper from seafood and rice. The newest affidavit checks out: “If you find yourself all of the was indeed dinner, Anastacio and his awesome team out of the blue turned on Fagen and his guys which have bolos. Fagen is actually mortally wounded and you may ran in the 100 meters and decrease inactive. The two Negritos fled poorly wounded. Fagen’s wife ran towards water, jumped for the and you will drowned by herself.”
Bartolome said the guy buried Fagen’s system for the riverbank, once cutting-off his head. The guy exposed his sack to reveal evidence, a great “poorly decomposed lead, with Negroid services.” Just like the subsequent facts, Bartolome filed a worn out image from Urbano Lacuna included in Fagen’s nipple pocket and you can Lt. Alstaetter’s Western Section group ring. The You.S. Military signed the book to your Pvt. David Fagen.
Veracity Expected
While this features remained the state membership, historians Michael Robinson and you will David Schubert blogged inside the 1974 a blog post curious its veracity. Within the a conflict in which all the cent, nickel and you will mule is actually meticulously taken into account from the U.S. Armed forces, truth be told there stays no number regarding a $600 bounty granted in order to Bartolome. The fresh historians as well as found multiple reputable advertised sightings out-of Fagen of the Army soldiers days once his advertised passing.
You can expect to this new deer hunter’s account were a properly-invented spot hatched from the Lacuna and you will Bartolome to store the black colored defector alive? You certainly will the guy provides lived-in this new jungles out of Luzon free of Jim crow and you will Frederick Funston, long afterwards new cessation off hostilities?
When it comes to rest of Fagen’s comrades who stayed devoted to help you the newest American banner, more 1000 joined to stay in the hawaiian islands through to its discharge at war’s official end for the July cuatro, 1902. Citing its “racial attraction” on the neighbors, of numerous intermarried that have Filipino female and you can paid all over Main Luzon. They truly became clerks, educators, brief growers and you may storeowners.
Head Honest Steward turned brand new provost legal out of San Pablo, Laguna, when you’re W. Nearly a century later on, their Dark colored descendants is obtainable all across the newest Philippine diaspora, of Pangsinan so you can Pennsylvania-and you can San francisco bay area, in which it began the historic travels and you may where an early on black colored kid sailed for the their book input Philippine record.