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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