Investigating U.S. History
New York Times, 1901
Manila, December 8. –Native scouts from Bongabon, Province of Nueva Ecija, have killed the American negro David Fagin, a deserter from the Twenty-fourth (colored) Infantry, who for more than two years has been leading Filipinos against the American troops. The scouts decapitated their prisoner and the head was recognized as that of Fagin. They also secured his commission in the insurgent army.
Fagin had on one of his fingers the class ring of Lieut. Frederick W. Altstaetter of the Engineers, who was captured by Filipinos supposedly under the command of Fagin himself on Oct 28, 1900.
More than once Fagin has been reported killed. The authorities are satisfied that former statements of his death were erroneous and that this time he was really slain.
A military commission has sentenced the Filipino Gen. Isidoro Torres to be hanged after finding him guilty of ordering the assassination of Corp. Fieldner of the Twelfth Infantry at Malolos, Province of Bulaucan, last October. The sentense of the commission has been disapproved by Gen. Chaffee, who finds that the commission had reasonable grounds to doubt whether Gen. Torres personally ordered the assassination of the American soldier. Gen. Chaffee thinks that the high rank held by Torres in the insurgent army would have been sufficient to prevent such an unmilitary action on his part.