Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-01-24
A SERIOUS STATE OF ArrArns.

sGcrmnns During am Attack on
samoa.
ARIA, SAMOA, Jan. 8, via San FnAno,soo
The most serious state of affairs exist Il,
Samoa. On the night OF December IAN
the sailors from the German men. OF. war
Adler, Olga and Eber attacked Mataafa,s
soldiers, under the direction OF tho ger.
man consul and Captain Fritz this senior
naval officer in the port. As the resnIt
OF the encounter "a German sailora wera
killed and 50 wounded.
Since then men from tho German wa,
ships have burned American houses and
| flags, torn down the United statea tlng
seized American citizens 10 tho neutral
waters OF Apia harbor and taken Them
prisoners on board of the German man
of-war, and fred upon the american flso
On tho night of December 10th. ISl
German sailors came ashore at Apia and
entered the stores, saloons and native
houses in search OF Americans, Enplisb.
men and half. osstes. They entered ina
residence of George Soaulep. unitad
States marshal In Apia. He was not in.
but the sailors found him and his brother
Morris Snyder, also an American citizen
further up the street and starting auar.
rel, stabbed both OF tho Americans Ia tha
back. Seaman escaped to a native chur,h
where their wounds were dressed and
found not to be fatal.
The United States consul sent a protest
to the German consul, asserting that the
conduct Of the Germans had been ont.
rageous and had placed American lives
aud property in jeopardy. On the morn.
ing OF December 18th the Olga left Aoia
and steamed up the coast, and returned
that evening with Tamasase's secretary on
board. That night the secretary wrote
letter to his wife, In Apie, stating that the
Germans would attack the town OF
Mataatasa.ele during the night, and
would attack Mataefs's men while they
were sleeping. a. The town Is two miles
above Apia.
The woman told the news to one OF her
relatives In Apis, who In turn sent word
to Mataafs's soldiers. Before midnight
200 armed men had assembled on shore.
short distance above the English con.
sulate, aud concealing themselves In the
bush, waited for the appearance OF the
German boats.
An American newspaper man named
John @. Klein accompanied the Mataafa
men 70 witness the proceedings. About
2 O'Clock of the morning three German
en-of-wRr boats approached about half
mile above the British Consulate and
were distinctly seen by the British con-
sui. Il was evidently their intention to
land and proceed 70 Mataafasatela on
foot. Soldiers Of Mataaia asked Klein 10
ask the Germans not TO land, as 1t would
be regarded as hostile act, and that they
would be fired upon. Klein did no.
wheieupon the German boats moved Oh
few miles and made landing OF the
point, where they were soon repulsed BY
Mataafa's men. Klein was on the ground.
but refused to give amy advice to Mat.
aRfa's troops.
On December 10Th. the German consul
went up the coast with two Of the men of.
var to lombard Mataafa's positions,
having previously made inaoleni replies
to the protest OF the American consul and
Captain Mullin, Of the United States gun.
boat Nipsic. Captain Mpllip tsmoyed
the women and children Stom Lady In
one OF his own boats, aud the 0lga and
Adler then shelled and burned the toSR,
including two Catholic churches.
The Gsrmsn oops9l sent word TO
Mataafa that he would ehell Ills pillage
unless the Sanoans should sufrendor
their arms, to which Mataafa replied that
the Ssmoaus would fight for their liberty.
kuappo, the German consul, then threat
ened to lombard the town OF MDtaAfa-
sa'ele, and the American aonsa! NJ.
Blackjack, informed him Tint r u.
Hamilton, an american citizen, aud
formerly Of the uruni States vice conSuI
in Apia, owned three houses in Mataafa-
satele, on which the American flag hal
been placed, and adding that If this
property was damaged the German gov.
ernnent would be held responsible. Tho
German consul made no reply.
On the morning of the Alt the Olga
went to Mataafasatele, and after firing IS
shells the vessel sent three boat loada
ashore aud destroyed the village by fire.
Hamilton won't to the destroyed village
in the afternoon and found his three
houses In ruins. large American hAg,
formerly used for consular purposes,
which had been placed on one OF the
houses, had been burned by the German
man of-war and then torn down. Frag.
ments OF the flag were taken to Apia and
delivered to Consul Blackjack, who for
warded 1t to Secretary Bayard. The
German consul afterwar6 wrote to
Consul Blackjack declaring that he had
been informed that the Americans had
led the Mateafa force on the night of the
18th and fired the first shot. Consul
Blackjack replied that he had Investigated
the rumor and found it to be untrue.
On the 2lst boat from the German
man.of-wR Olga was chasing native
boat IN neutral waters opposite the Amer
lean consulate. Germans fired q number
OF shots Of the boat, which was in direct
range Of the boat containing two British
officers, the latter OF whom narrowly
escaped being shot. The commander Of
the Olga afterwards apologized to the
English officers. Charles Brown, an
American citizen, who was on the shore,
vas requested by the English officers TO
ask the Germans to cease shooting, The
Germans seized Brown. carried him on
board the wsrship Eber and after
handling him roughly released him.
WHAT SECRETARY BAYARD SAYS.
WAshINaToN, Jan. 21.--When the dis
patch WAS abown to Secretary Bayard on
Saturday night, he said:
The disturbance referred to was un-
doubleday the tame as that briefly de-
scribed by Consul Blackjack in his cable
message to the department on the 9th
instant. The coDsul's account, he said,
won NV uehr to bolthhtluunh as tAo oho
just received from San Francisco, but
contained later information, however, "a
ii told that the Americans who were seized
had been released Immediately atterwari.
The secretary added that the department
ia in constant communication with Samoa,
and the latest information received 10
that affairs are quiet in that country, and
that no serious trouble has occurred since
the 9th instant"
THE STORIES CONFIRMED.