River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-01-24
nleH.HAnpEp INSULT.

fi6f1-HANDED INSULT.
II Is offered to the stars AID Str pes by
Germans ia Samoa The az Torn
Dove, aud he Residences and Property
OF Amer can Citize IS Destroyed-Com-
ment at Washington.
| SAN FRANCIseo, Jan. 21.-The steamship
/ Alameda has arrived from Australia and
/ brings advices from Samoa which confirm
| the reports of the battle which ensued
\ when the Germans attempted TO land, and
/ in VIII Oh they were forced TO return to
/ their boats, after a loss Of twenty
/ two kille and thirty two wounded. Ma
/ taafa's loss We're ten killed and wounded.
I This was on December Is. Both the Amer
/ lean and British Cousuls were asked by
I Mataafa Tor advice but declined 70 inter
fere.
On the morning Of the 18th Commander
7 Mullan, Of the United States steamer
/ Nipsic. followed the German ship Alder,
/ which IL was given out was en- route to
| Saluafata. Mullan boarded the Alder
and protested against the action OF the
| Germans, who had deel4red they would
/ shell Mataafa's stronghold, which would
4 put the lives and property of Americans in
! the greatest danger. Knappes, the German
! Consul, replied discourteously 10 Mullan,
saying be would hold no communication
/ with an American naval Captain, and
would be responsible for his action to his
| Government On the next day the Alder
/ bumbardet LaIly, whicl had been evacu
ated ire night previous. Thirty-fOur
shells were fired by the Alder and then
| four bo,t loads Of sailors were landed who
/ burned the villages, including Two small
/ Roman Catholic churches.
On December ~, two days after Mataafa
/ had whipped them, the Germans attacked
T.af.
/ strucdon right and left In the il.age
were three houses owned by an American
named Hamilton, who had an American
/ flag flying from each house. The Ger
mans laughed at these flags and
I fired at Them Kidding them with
bullets, and then set fire TO the
hou es. The remains Of the flags were re-
covered, and viii be sent to Washington as
evidence of the German outrages. One
day later tue Gernfans sent further orders
to Mataafa TO surrender, and he told
them they had attacked him and he
would fight TO the de ,th. Then the Ger
mans had wild debauch in town. About
| 200 sailors and marines got drunk and
charged through the town, doing
all sorts OF wantOn damage. They
destroyed houses in Apia owned
by Americans, aud stabbed an Amer
icar named Snyder. There was an
American negro named Brooks, who had a
1 b at They chased him. and, though he
disp ayed an Am .rican flag III his boat
and aid he was an American, they said:
''Ali niggers are rebels" and arrest ed
him. He was released afterward.
Tue German Consul afterward wrote &c
1 Consul Blackjack that he had been in,
formed that Americans had led the Ma.
taafa forces on the night of the 18th and
- . - H., ILL II
piled that he had investigated the run OF
and found il to be untrue. On the 2lsi
| Charles Brown, an American citizen, who
wa on shore, was requested by the En-
gIish officers TO ask the Germans 10 cease
shooting. The Germans seized Brown,
carried m on board the war ship Eber,
and after handling him roughly released
him. The Germ rs have made further as.
saults upon the villages since the lombard.
ment of Matafag4tele. Tamasese's men
are still at Laut .unoo, Mataafa's forces
having been compelled to retire owing to
their conflict with the Germans on Decem.
Der is. IL is said that about LOCO of
A Tamasese's forces have joined Mataafa
since the bombardment. United States
Consul Blackjack has telegraphed all the
facts respecting the situation here, n
forming Secretary Bayard that the Ameri
by thu Germans; that American citizens
have been taken prisoners by tae Ger
mans, and adds that the lives and prop
erty of American citizens are in great
danger
! 1t was an American correspondent who
took the message from Mataafa to the
American Consul, asking him for advice
Tamasese will not be able to hold out
against Mataafa If the Germans are
not reinforced. The latter has given
notice that in the event of more native
property being destroye he will destroy
every article Of German property in
Samoa, and even destroy the cattle and
cocoanut trees on the plantations. He il
in a position TO destroy property worth
81. 800, 001, and will 10 so if at all pressed
The three Consuls met TO discuss the sit.
uation but tho consultation came to an
abrupt end, as the only conditions upon
/ when the Gecman Consul would consent
TO a settlement of the troubles was that Of
the surrender of Mataafa on board of the
German war ships and the disarming of
his followers 1t was promised that Ma.
taafa's life would be spared, but no guran.
tee would be given that he would be lib
Grated
TIE Exam ner prints long letter from
Its CORE ,pondent at Aria describing the
conflict between Mataafa and the Ger.
mans and, in detail, the firing on Amer
Jean houses aud the American flag
and the assaults on American residents.
1t says editor ally that the indIg.
mites heaped upon American citizens and
the American flag, watch were singled out
by the Germans for targets, deman ex-
emplary reparation. 1t was on account OF
these things that the German officers
spread reports of American interference,
deeming it advisable to put in a counter
complaint
Mataafa, the rightful King was in an
intrenchmeut about two miles from Apia
He has 5000 so diers well armed and
equipped and has the sympathy of the
American and English residents. Tam
/ asese is in possession of a fort about
seven miles distant and his force is esti
mated at 3 900
At 4o'clock Sunday afternoon the United
S ates man-of-war Vandalla left Mare
Stand navy yard, bound for the Samoa
islands, the present seat of warlike dis
turbanees
WAsHINGToN, Jan. 2l.-The latest de
We opment in the Samoan situation has
caused considerable excitement in Wash
ington Men of both pol teal parties agree
that the 5 tuation Is very serious la an
: interview Secretary Bdyard said:
There is nothing new in to-day's dispatches
The offic al dispatch concerns g the lighting
has already been sent 10 the Senate. Yester
days story is sensat onal version ald is not
very clear. The CORES pondence shows that
the situation is very serious. The Republican
members OF the Senate muittee o. Foreign
Relations say that as the Senate IS consider
erng the Samoan situation Ia secret session II
would be indisereet for them to discuss it"
1t was learned at the Navy Department
that the Nipsic is the only vessel in
Samoan waters The Adams is on the
way to San Francisco, and the Vandalia
| has Just left the latter port. The Trenton,
with Admiral Kimberly on board, and
the Dolphin are en- route Tor Samoa.
The Monongahela has been ordered
to Samoa as a store-ship The German
fleet at Samoa cons SITS Of the Adler, Olgs
and Eber A large number Of German iron
clads, however, are within easy reach OF
the islands
BALTIMORE, Md, Jan. 25.-The Sun's
Washington special says; Secretary
Bayard stated Sunday that the state De-
partmeut had gone 10 the extreme linn it OF
I its discretion in trying TO arrange the
1 trouble over the Samoan islands in dig
nfied and honorable manner. The Senate
ad been furnished with all the CORE
spondence on the subject, and { now re-
NAMED for that body to defn e the policy
of the Government in dealing with the
subject further
! Secretary Whitney was also inter,
viewed. He said lie thought the time had
arrived for tn $ Government TO estaolsh
anu ma ntaiu definite line OF policy with
regard TO ne islaH.ls Of the Pacific Ocean.