Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-01-30
SAMOA.

General ROugh.and.T Tumble Fight
Among the ConsIls...An American
Protectorate Declared...A Yankee
Robinson Crus0e.
San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. H.
The latest dates from the Samoan
islands are to Nov. II, per schooner
Ada May, Capt Petersen. From in
terviews with passengers who arrived
we learn that Apia, the capital of the
Samoan group, was in state of
anarchy, and a bloody civil war was
raging ON the island of Tutuila AT
Apia, on the night of Nov. 8, an Ameri.
can, James Fox, was killed in drunken
brawl by one James Cochrane. A con-
sular court to try the murderer was
formed. Consul Griffin in the chair,
and Messrs. Alvord, Williamson, Par
ker, and Grey, American citizens, act
ing as associate Judges. A verdict of
willful and deliberate murder was
brought in against Cochrane, who was
placed in irons on board the schooner
Ada May, but without guard, to be for
warded to San Francisco. Soon after
ward, late in the night, an armed force
of about thirty men, all foreigners, in
two large boats, boarded the schooner,
and, without a word, took Cochrane
ashore and instantly hanged him to a
Lcocoanut tree. The affair created a
profound sensation. Gldefroy Wells
Griffin, American consul at Apia, has
been the subject of u shameless indig-
nifty.
1t appears that one Capt. Wright had
set the consular authority at defiance.
and Consul Griffin called upon the
French war steamer Seignelay to aid
him in the capture Of Wright, who was
supposed to be on the premises of G
S. Smith & Co., an English firm. This
firm is also reported to be indebted to
the California Cracker company, and
for both reasons the consul called for
aid. Being unable to gain admittance,
the house was broken open, but Wright
was not found. The armed force from
the Seignelay then returned, but Consul
Griffin took possession of the house
AS the English flag Was flying over it a
demand for evacuation was made by
"Gen." w. j. Hunt, counsel for Smith
& Co. Griffin refusing, he was seized
bodily and carried out on the street or
beach. The affair set the whole place
in the widest excitement. Il. Mere
dith, vice consul of the United States
for the islands of Tutuila and Manua.
had, has written letter to Chief Maui
gu, the leader of the rebels, informing
him that he would hold the said Maugu
responsible for any injury done to the
property of foreigners during the civil
war now raging on the island of Tutuila.
The chief answered Meredith in de-
tiant and insulting manner, and threat
ened him (Meredith) with the ven
geance Of English and American men,
of-war for mixing himself up in native
troubles. Vice Consul Meredith claims
to represent England, Germany, and
France, as well as his own country, the
nations mentioned having no consular
representative at Tutuila. The matter
has been referred to Consul Griffin.
The civil war waging on Tutuila is
entirely native in its character, though
few whites who are married to native
women are somewhat mixed up in it.
Maugu, the principal chief on the
island and leader of the rebels, wants to
be let severely alone, and will have no
thing to do with the" government arty,"
the same established by the fallen
Steinberger, and which still flies the
flag of the ex-premier. The govern
ment party is determined to assert its
authority, and hence the war. Several
fights have taken place, in which a
number of killed and wounded on both
sides had fallen. Seven heads, cut clean
from the trunks, were brought to the
camp Of Maugu, and there was great
rejoicing over the trophies. At last &C
counts Maugu was reported to have left
with his followers for an adjacent island
(Marcua. He left Pago pago through
a sharp ruse. Being sore pressed. he
lighted his fires on his ramparts, and
the enemy thinking he was getting up a
feast, watched them intently. In the
meantime the wary rebel chief with
drew all his force in canoes, leaving
three native women to keep the fires
burning. When the morning came the
government party found Maugu and
his followers far aHay in a lone island in
the sea. tI'H
On the oath of May last Acting
American Consul Colmesnil flew the
American flag over the Samoa group
and declared an American protec:orate
for the islands. This act utterly astound-
ed the German, French, and English
residents and raised loud protestations.
Consul Griffin arriving afterward, and
having no authority to raise protec-
torate, the act of Colmesnil became
null and void. The government is now
purely native, and the chiefs say they
want no more foreigners, and the latter,
according to the Samoans, are " all on
| the make and they don't care how they