The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-01-24
GERMANY HOSTILE.
Americans Stabbed at Samoa and
Houses of an Ex-COnsul
Burned.


Mataafa's soldiers, under the direction of the
German consul and Capt. Fritz, the senior
naval officer in the port As the result of
.he encounter twenty-five German sailors
wero killed, and thirty-two wounded
Since then the Garmln N war ships have
burned American houses and flags, torn
1own the United Statesf1 flag, seized American
citizens in the neutral waters of Apia harbor
and taken them prisoners on board Of the
German men -of-war and fired upon the
American flag. Ktug Mataafa's party, who
lad been fighting a st constantly siuce the
battle al Lautoanua, killing ard wounding
many of Tamasese's men, began to fail of
ammunition. but were able to obtain 20, 900
Snider cartridges, NOR gaQing their lands TO
pay for ammunition. Tamasese's men were
.eported becoming more dissatisfied daily,
and desertions from his ranks became very
requent. several villagers leaving his party
body and going TO their homes. de-
:achment of
MATAAFA'S MEN
succeeded in carrying the upper end of
Tamaseses big fort, Lantuando. on Dec. IL.
On the same day the German man-of-war
Olga arrived from Marshall islands The
0oat had on board the departed King
Nalietoa, whom the Germans had decided 10
oring back from Africa where he had been
AIKEN Malietoa had been left az Marshall
stands, not having been brought back to
Samoa. On tie night of Dec 16. a large
oarty OF German sailors numbering one
hundred and eighty came ashore at ApIa and
entered the stores, saloons and native houses
n search of Americans, EngIishmen and
lalf-castes They entered the residence OF
George Scanlar, United States marshal in
Apia. He was not in, but the sailors found
him, his brother and Morris Snyder, also an
American citizen, further up the street, and
sturting quarrel, stabbed the Amer
Cans in the back The Scanlans escaped to
native church where their wounds were
1ressed and found not to be fatal. The Ger
nan sailors ran through the streets attack
ng all persons they met except Germans,
md injured the adherents of Tamasese, and
among the number were native women and
children
GERMAN BOATS ATTACKED.
On Dec. II the United States consul sent
protest to the German consul, asserting that
he conduct of the Germans had been out
.ogeous ami had placed the Americans lives
ind property in great jeopardy. ATT o'clock
IN the morning Of Dec. II the Olga left Apia
and steamed up the coast, and returned that
evening with Tamasese's secretary on board.
That night the secretary wrote letter to his
wife in Apia, stating that the Germans would
attack the town named Matafagatele during
| he night, and would attack Mataafa's men
while they were sleeping. This town is stu
lted about two miles above Apia The
| y oman told the news to one of her relatives
n Ap;a, who in turn sent word to Mataafa's
soldiers Before midnight 200 armed meu
lad assembled on shore short distance
| above the English consulate, and concealing
| themselves in the bush waited for the ap-
pearance of the Ger nan boats. which, it was
| said would contain number of Tamasese
men as well as German sailors who had been
brought from Saluafata by the Olga. An
| American newspaper man named John c.
Klein accompanied the Mataafa men to wit
aess the proceedings in the interest of his
paper About o'clock in the morning three
German men-of=war boats approached about
lalf mile above the British consulate and
we're distinctly seen by
THE BRITISH CONSUL.
| 1t was evident that their intention was to
and and proceed to MatafagaGoie on foot
The soldiers of Mataafa gathered on the
shore and asked Klein to ask the Germans
not to land, as it would be regarded as q
hostile act, and that they would be fred
upon. This was shouted to them when the
BOATS were fifty yards from the shore. The
boats came on toward the shore, and when
they received a second warning two boats
then pulled out towards the sea and went to
village called Vailele, four miles from Apia.
third boat kept along the coast, being still
followed by Mataafa's soldiers When oppo-
site Mltafagarele the boat pulled straight
across the bay to q point on the other
extremity. Mataafa chief, followed
by eight or nine men, ran around
the edge of the bay to intercept
the boat When opposite the village
of Fageli the boat pulled rapidly fol
the shore. At the same moment three men
on horseback, carrying lanterns, rode out OF
the bush and signa!ed the r,en in the boats
simultaneously number of German soldier:
rose from the bottom of the boat, where
they I'd been concea ed, and began TO wade
ashore Some of Mataafas men had come
up in the meantime, and the Germans begar
shooting at them. The natives di4 not return
the fire. The Germans were soon landed
and took shelter behind some rising ground
| THEY OPEN FIRE
As soon as they gained this posit!en the.
at once opened fire on Mataafas men. Within
a minute fully two hundred shots had beer
fire by the Germans and black laborers, ma
tives and other islanders, who work on tn
German plantations. In the meantime Ma
taafa's reinforcements began to arrive from
MGtafagatele, and as they came up heav.
volley fired could be heard from the direc
tion of Vailele, and in few minutes a chic
arrived and said the Germans were firing o1
Matafaa's men there, who were afraid to re
turn the fire, although the Germans hat
already killed Savay, chief, ana mis- son
| The chief who came as messenger aSket
Klein if they would be justified in returning
the fire of the Germans but he declined I
advise them, but requested of high chic
who accompanied the latter to Apia to oh
tain the opinion of the United States vic
consul, but the consul also refused to Civ
any advice. Shortly afterwards the native
came into Apia from Fageli and Vailele say
ing that the Matafaa men had driven III
German sailors from the breastwork
Black laborers had run into the bush an
refused to fight longer The Germans ha
run along the beach to Yailele at such
rapid rate that
THE NATIVE SOLDIERS
could not overtake them. At Vailele ther
| were about one hundred and fifty soldier
one boat load having been landed there dul
ing the night by the German man ot-wa
Eber. At Vailele sailors who had fed fror
Fageli joined their comrades who had left i
the two other boats and also the sailors frol
the Eber. They formed hollow square an
commenced shooting at Matasfa's men. 500
after two of the latter had been killed the
began to return the fire. The native soldier
began to increase in number, attracted b
the firing, and shot from behind trees an
fiom bushes. The sailors became pam
stricken, despite the efforts Of their thre
WORSE AND MORE OF IT.
On the 21st boat from the German mar
of-war Olga was chasing native boat
neutral waters opposite the American col
sulate. The Germans fred o number of sho
at the boat, which was in direct range of Il
boat containing two English officers, Il
latter of whom narrowly escaped being sho
The commander of the Olga afterward apo
| cclzed 70 the Enrlish officers Charles Brow,