Sept. 27, 1901: ‘White Bandit’ George Raymond executed in Pampanga
Photo from the Museo Mabalacat.
George Raymond was an American volunteer soldier who served in the Philippines for 16 months. He enlisted in the US Army in Manila on Jan. 1, 1900. He provided his own transportation from the United States to the Philippines. His initial enlistment expired on June 30, 1901. The Philippine-American War was significantly declining since General Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by the Americans in March 1901.
George Raymond was assigned to the Mabalacat and Angeles area of Pampanga Province. He became quite familiar with the territory and people in Central Luzon. After only a few months in the Philippines, Raymond was promoted to an elite Brigade Scout unit. He was an expert on his weapons and was exceptional in riding a horse. He was the special forces of his time.
Raymond also showed talent in interacting with Filipinos. In a short time, he had learned some Kapampangan, Tagalog and Spanish, which helped him in locating Philippine rebels. He also knew the class differences among Filipinos. He would extort protection payments from wealthy Filipinos without the knowledge of his superiors.
On April 29, 1901, George Raymond and other volunteer soldiers were ordered to report to the American Headquarters in Manila. They were informed that their enlistments were scheduled to be abruptly terminated on May 2, 1901. The American commanders thought that the war was winding down, and fewer US volunteers were needed.
George Raymond and many other discharged American soldiers had an important decision to make. Should they return to the United States with paid transport and food allowance, or should they remain in the Philippines? With all the American military, government and civilian money flowing into the Philippines, the career options for discharged soldiers could be better in the Philippines than back home.
Raymond chose to stay in the Philippines. He returned to the town of Angeles which was the area that he knew the best. Instead of looking for honest work, Raymond became a ruthless criminal. In only five days after his discharge, he committed murder, rape and robbery. On May 7, he murdered a former American soldier for his gold. He raped a 16-year-old Filipina on May 8, and he robbed a wealthy Filipino family on May 9 for their horses and equipment.
Fortunately, George Raymond made many mistakes and was captured shortly after his crimes. He was placed in jail in Angeles. Since he was no longer an American soldier, he was not covered by a Court Martial. George was considered an American civilian in a war zone. He was under the jurisdiction of a military commission.
On June 10, 1901, the commission found Raymond guilty on all three charges. The court proceedings showed that Americans could be convicted and executed for crimes against Filipinos. The outcome of the trial proved that Americans were willing to execute an American in public.
It was estimated that 10,000 Filipinos witnessed the hanging of George A. Raymond, also known as the White Bandit, on Sept. 27, 1901.
Dennis Edward Flake is the author of three books on Philippine-American history. He is a Public Historian and a park ranger in interpretation for the National Park Service at the Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg, PA. He can be contacted at:flakedennis@gmail.com
