Josephine Bracken Her Struggles and Her Last Days

A manuscript autobiography and a chapter from a book shed new light on the “Dulce Extranjera” who became Rizal’s wife

By Gene Cabrera
Published in July 2, 2011 at Philippine Free Press

Dr. Jose Rizal’s one and only wife celebrates her 135th birth anniversary on August 9 this year. From the Free Press archives, we pull out this piece so that the present generation will know that she, too, fought for our country, suffered and died at a young age.—Ed

August 9, 1958—August 9 is a significant event in Philippine History. On this day, 82 years ago, was born Josephine Leopoldine Bracken. She was the pretty Irish lass whom the great Filipino patriot, Dr. Jose Rizal, married before he calmly faced the firing squad at Luneta.

Comparatively, little has come to light about the life of the hero’s widow.

Josephine at the time of her second marriage. Her first marriage, to Dr. Jose Rizal, lasted 15 minutes.

There was gossip during our hero’s time that Josephine Bracken was a singer in a tavern in Hong Kong. There were ugly stories that she was a woman of the street. There were rumors that she was a planted spy of the Spaniards sent to Dapitan to lure Rizal into a well-laid trap. But Rizal, “the greatest man the Malayan race has produced,” turned a deaf ear to all these rumors. Barely a month after meeting her, the hero asked her to be his wife.

In a little-known biography written by Josephine Bracken and dated February 22, 1897, she described her parents, her early childhood, her disappointments and heartaches, and finally her meeting with the Filipino hero.

Josephine Bracken’s autobiography begis thus: “My mother is a native of Ireland and was married to my father on the 3rd day of May 1868 in Belfast, Ireland. My father’s name is James Bracken and my mother’s name is Elizabeth Jane McBride.”

In her own honest and simple words, she described her other brothers and sisters. There were five Bracken children, according to her. “Charles, Agness, Nelly, Francis and myself Josephine. I was born in Hong Kong at the Victoria Barracks on the 9th of August 1876.”

Josephine relates that her mother died after giving birth to her. Her father, according to her, being a military man, was always on the move. He found it hard to attend to all his motherless children. Finally, Cpl. Bracken gave his youngest child (Josephine) for adoption to her godparents, Mr. and Mrs. George Taufer. Mr. Taufer was a German-American. He was a boiler engineer by profession. Mrs. Taufer died of heart disease on Oct. 8, 1882. Taufer took another wife a year later. Josephine began to realize for the first time the hardships of life when the second Mrs. Taufer died of an illness on Aril 26, 1890. On Nov. 12, 1891, Taufer took a third wife who, in Josephine’s own words, was a torment to her. On Dec. 12, 1891, she ran away from home and sought refuge at an Italian convent. She stayed there for two months. Taufer came begging for her because his wife was starving him. Josephine went back to the Taufer home. But on September 14, 1892, she clashed again with her third stepmother.

In 1893, Mr. Taufer fell ill from an eye disease which no doctor in Hong Kong could cure. Then they heard of the prominent Filipino physician, Dr. Jose Rizal.

March 14, 1895 was turning point of her life. On this day, Josephine arrived with the blind Taufer in Dapitan, where the hero was in exile. Here Dr. Rizal operated on Taufer’s eyes. Taufer’s sight improved after a week. The hero had fallen in love with the Irish beauty. Josephine admitted in her autobiography that he had found a responsive cord in her. The story of their love affair in Dapitan is well known.

But their happiness was short-lived. After a mock trial in Manila, the Spanish authorities sentenced Rizal to death as a traitor to Spain. On the eve of the execution, Josephine visited Rizal in his Fort Santiago cell. Rizal seeing her sadly exclaimed: “Ah! My time has come to be united to you but to be separated forever.” Then he begged her to forgive him for the sorrows he had caused her. Fifteen minutes before the execution, inside the cell. Josephine narrated, they were married and become man and wife. Thus ended her short and heartbreaking autobiography entitled: “Descriptions of My Life.”

Then the fatal shots broke the stillness of the morning air. Rizal fell. Josephine, wearing black, ran to him. But the Spaniards pushed her away. She followed Rizal’s corpse to the cemetery but the Spaniards shut gate in her face. She cried and cried. Josephine was 20 years old when she became a widow.

Sometime in 1924, a certain Eduardo L. Claudio returned to the islands after many years’ stay in Europe. Mr. Claudio while in Europe visited many historical landmarks connected with the life of the martyred hero in Spain, France, England and Germany.

Mr. Claudio brought with him a translation from a chapter of the book “General Aguinaldo And The Filipinos” which was printed in France. It was written by the noted French author Henry Turot. The chapter was entitled “How Wife of Jose Rizal Described Bagumbayan Tragedy.” Mr. Claudio translated it while in Paris with the help of a Frenchman for the benefit of his countrymen. After 28 years, the account of the hero’s execution as described by his widow finally came to light.

Mr. Claudio is now 68 years old and is a retired government employee. He had served the government as a lawyer, as certified public accountant and a s a bank examiner of the Central Bank.

Queried recently as to why he had that particular chapter of the French book translated, the Columbia University graduate replied: “I am interested in anything about Rizal! As a matter of fact, I am at present following The Heroic Agony in the Free Press, which is a very interesting though fictionized story of Rizal by T.M. Locsin.” (Heroic Agony was the first version of The Heroic Confession. It was serialized in 1958—Ed).

Josephine’s description of her husband’s execution as recounted by the French author reads as follows:

“The whole world knew the mockery of a trial which was given to Rizal. Not only were there lacking proofs against him but also none could accuse him of having committed any wrong or injury. They criticized him on account of his book, the major portion of which had not even been read by the Spanish officers who composed the court-martial. Rizal insisted he was innocent; nevertheless, they imposed upon him the death penalty.

“He was to be executed at sunrise the following morning. It was then I entreated to be married to him. Believing that the separation following the nuptials would add to the torture of the martyr, they granted my request.

“The marriage celebration was performed by a friar. I spent the whole night on my knees in prayer, in front of the door of the prison where my husband was held. At daybreak, the doors were opened and Rizal came forward, surrounded by the soldiers who were to shoot him. His arms were tied behind him. He walked with regular steps. They conducted him to the Luneta, the favorite promenade of the inhabitants of Manila and the place where, after the insurrection, capital punishment was enforced.

“When the fatal shot was reached, the Spanish lieutenant who commanded the squad asked Rizal, where do you wish to be shot?’ Right in the heart,’ replied my husband in a strong, clear voice. ‘Impossible,’ replied the Lieutenant. ‘There is none convicted except those in high rank that has the right to ask to be shot in that manner. You shall be shot in the back.’ There was a moment of silence; then the volley was fired, and the victim of one of the the most odious crimes against Spain fell dead. ‘Long Live Spain,’ shouted the soldiers.

“I asked for the remains of my husband, but I was refused. Then I swore to avenge his death. With a revolver and a dagger, I reached the camp of those in arms. They promised to aid me in accomplishing my object and they gave me a Mauser gun captured form Spanish troops.”

It was on January 6, 1897 that Josephine joined Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s rebels. She once led a charge against the Spaniards and killed one Spanish officer with her own rifle. She participated in many skirmishes, like the Battle of San Juan de Malabon. Most of the time she was barefooted and hungry.

Then peace came.

Josephine stayed for some time in Cebu. There she earned her livelihood by giving private lessons in English. A bright young lad was one of her pupils. His name was Sergio Osmeña. Later, the American government employed her as a teacher in the public schools. Afterwards she went back to Manila and taught at the Liceo de Manila.

After the death of her adopted father, George Taufer, she married in 1898 a certain Vicente Abad, a Cebuano mestizo who worked with the Tabacalera in Hong Kong. A daughter was born to the couple. Her name is Dolores Bracken Abad de Mina and she now resides at 2023 Dimasalang, Manila. Dolores is now 59 years old. She has four children—two boys and two girls. The eldest of the Mina girls, Maria Sagrario, now works at the Central Bank. The youngest Mina girl, Isabel, has the semblance of her beautiful grandmother —fair and red-headed. Josephine’s grandchildren are Spanish-speaking.

We interviewed Mrs. Dolores Bracken Abad de Mina at the above residence. But Dolores’ reminiscences of her beautiful Irish mother require another story.

In 1902 Josephine found herself alone, sick and penniless. She applied for help to the Philippine Government. No aid came. The Philippines was then in an era of rehabilitation—the giant task of rebuilding.

Alone, Josephine clung to the last straw of hope – Christian charity. Her anguish drove her back to the land of her birth. The years that followed after Rizal’s death were a nightmare to her. They were continuous hardships and heartaches without end.

A certain father Spada, vicar general of Hong Kong, was deeply touched upon seeing her deplorable condition. Father Spada knew Josephine very well and had this to say: “The last time I saw Mrs. Rizal, I was stricken with pity. She was broken down; yes, very much broken down both in health and in spirit. I deemed it my first duty to comfort her and revive her spirit, but my efforts were futile. It was a losing fight. Poor woman, she had lost all hope, and with it, her faith in humanity.”

Father Spada then took her to the St. Francis Hospital, a charitable institution. The sisters took care of her. When the end was near, she asked for the Holy Sacrament. Father Spada and another priest administered it to her. Death came to the unhappy Josephine on March 15, 1902. She was 26. She was buried in the Hong Kong Catholic Church.

According to Rizalist Esteban de Ocampo, Josephine died of a disease of the throat. But Josephine died with the belief that she was the most miserable woman on earth.

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