Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-02

hand and Captain Stevens. of her British
majesty's man-of-war Barracuda on the other
With the aid of force of marines
and blue-jackets from the British vessel
United States Consul Foster seized the Peerless
and confscated her, she being afterward sold
at Auckland, New Zealand. Then there was
war indeed. The premier and the captain-gen-
eral poured their griefs into one of King Malie-
toa's ears while Capt. Stevens, United States
Consul Foster, and British Consul Williams
talked into the other. Capt. Stevens claimed
to have been insulted by Latrobe, and so had
the two consuls. The hearing of testimony
continued for some time. and 40 long as Stein
berger remained with his majesty all was COM
paratively well with his cause, but one day the
premier was absent and Malietoa took advan-
tage of that fact and went back on him. fired
him out of his official position. and would not
even give him letters of recommendation. The
ex-premier, however, remained on the island.
and had he been undisturbed for a little while
longer would undoubtedly have made a strong
effort to reach the throne. He knew his power
with the people. and was only waiting the OPP
portunity to let slip his coup d'etat when Con-
sui Foster, aided and abetted by Capt Stevens
and Consul Williams. wiped out his plans and
removed him from Samoa ON board Ii. NJ. S.
Barracuda.
EXILED.
The hapless ex-premier was placed in irons
and kept closely confined until the man -of-war
reached one of the Fiji Islands. Here he was put
ashore and left to shift for himself as best he
could, having as a companion in misery Mr..
Coe, who was some sort of a special agent of
the United States. The Fijians were Just as
much delighted to see Steinberger as their
cannibal ancestors would have been. To them
he was good man, great statesman and
when they saw how pOverty-strcken he was
they lookup popular subscription for him,
and thus gave him the means to return to this
country.
TEMPORARY DETHRONEMENT.
The high-handed proceedings of the consuls
and the captain at Apia had produced an I'M
looked-for result. Steinberger was gone and
there was no man to take his place. The Tai
mua and the Faipule convened themselves in
special jOict session, passed resolutions of the
most rabid description, deposed the king. and
then adjourned and went out and saw to it
personally that Malietoa vacated the premises
heretofore sacred to Samoan royalty and Stein
berger. The unhappy monarch was execrated
by the populace for having been the instru-
ment of others in the Punishment of the man
who was regarded as national benefactor.
Malietoa, with few followers, boarded canoe
late at night and managed to reach the island
of Savaii. where he was found next day by the
captain of the British man-ofwar. He was at
once taken back to Apia and reinstated as king.
Just then Captain-GeneralLa trobe concluded
that as there was to be war he might as well
move out. The grateful islanders were sorry to
lose their hired warrior, but they took up a
collection and made him a number of valuable
presents. As soon as the ex-captain-general
was safely out of the way the Samoans started
in to fighting, and they kept it up merrily and
pertinaciously. There were one or two SQUAD
bles with British sailors. and several men were
killed on each side. The legislature did its
best to preserve order, but it failed Then it
sent delegation of chiefs to Fiji to ask pro-
lection of the British authorities. Their re-
quest would undoubtedly have been granted
had it not been for the action of the United
States consul. He talked the matter over with
the German consul, and they decided that there
would not be, with their consent British pro-
tectorate over Samoa, so the Stars and Stripes
were hoisted over the Samoan flag at Apia.
That stopped the protectorate idea at once