LUKBAN
Andres Hilaria , who were both members of the town police force . The sixth company was made up of the men of Lawaan and was headed by Custodio Salazar and Paul Gacho , the barrio chief . And the seventh company would be under command of Valeriano Abanador . He would initiate the attack . 13
The first five groups would remain in the forested area until the signal was given . But the company of the men from Lawaan would already be inside the church dressed as women worshippers at the time of the attack , while the group of Abanador would be made up of his police corps and the prisoners . It was Abanador who was going to give the signal with his cane so that the boys would start ringing the church bells . That would be the sign for those in the forest to rush in . Women , children and old men were to be evacuated earlier . 14
The attack
September 27th was the 52nd anniversary of the founding of the parish and a cause for a fiesta . Abayan and Abanador had previously advised the Americans of this fact , so there was no surprise as Samareños from nearby towns arrived in town throughout the morning . But in comparison to previous parish anniversaries , the celebration was muted . After all , the town ’ s able-bodied males continued the cleaning ordeal , and there was little food left for the celebration . Still a carabao was brought to be slaughtered at dawn and cooked in a corner of the square throughout the day . As long as the food was eaten in full view of the Americans and not spirited in the mountains to Lukban and his men , Connell would allow it .
As darkness fell , a procession of as many as 50 people , many of them women , approached and entered the church . Six men bore a wooden box which , on examination by American guards , contained a statue of the interred Christ . Unknown to the Americans , these were the men from Lawaan .
Meanwhile , as darkness fell , Bumpus returned from Tacloban with the first mail that the men had received in fourth months , and confirmation of the news that President McKinley had been shot by an assassin on September 6 , and had died on September 14 . Theodore Roosevelt , whom many of the men in Company C had ridden with in Cuba , was now the President of the United States . There had been rumors prior to this , but Bumpus brought the first official confirmation .
Adolf Gamlin , who was on guard in the Plaza , could hear the praying in the church and saw women and children leaving town . He thought this was strange and reported it to Sergeant Henry Scharer , who
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