The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-01-20
Detailed Account Of the Attacks Of the
Germans Upon the Samoans, De-
spite American Protests.
OUR CONSUL IGNORED.
Shelled and the Property OF
Citizens OF the United States
Destroyed. and the Ameri-
can Flag Burned.


Alamanda arrived this morning fr,m Aus
tralia and New leland via Samoa and
Honolulu. A correspondent al Apin, Sam
oa, under date of Jan. says: "rhe most
serious state OF affairs exists In Samoa On
the night Of December Is sailors from the
German men war Adler, Olsa and Eber
attacked Mataafas soldiers under direction
OF the German Consul and Capt Fritz,
senior German naval officer. AS result
OF the encounter twenty-five German
sailors were killed and thirty-two wounded.
They have also fired upon the American
dag Tamasese men were reported as be-
coming more dissatisfied daily and there
were frequent desertions from his ranks.
Dec. IL the German man-Of war Olga ar
rived from the Marsvall islands, bringing
the dep0sed king Maletoa. On the night
OF Dec. 10 n large parry Of German sailors
went ashore at Apia and entered the stores
| and houses In search of Americans and
Englishmen. They met George Scanlan,
United States marshal at ApIa, and Morris
Snyder, also an American citizen, on the
| streets, and after provoking quarrel,
| stabbed both OF them, infiicting serious in
| Jury. The Germans then ran through the
streets, attacking all persons they met ex
cept Germans and the adherents OF Tama-
sese, injuring, among others, several nv
| tive women and children. Some of Mat
| aafas' soldiers came In from the bush and
were anxious 10 shoot. but refrained on the
| advice OF the United States consul.
Consul Blackjack, Dec. 10, sent a pro-
test 10 the German consul, That night
Tamasese's secretary wrote TO his wife In
| Apia that the Germans would attack a
| town named Mataafasatle during the night
| This town Is two miles above Apla, and
number of MaiaafSs men were there
The woman told one Of her relatives, who
| In turn sent word 10 Mataafa's soldiers,
and before midnight 200 armed men had
assembled on the shore awaiting the ap-
pearance Of the German boat An Ameri-
| can newspaper man named John &.
Klein accompanied Mataafa's men 10
witness the proceedings IN the interest
OF his papers. About 2 O'Clock
In the morning three Germaa boats were
| seen approaching. Mataafas men asked
Klein 10 notify the Germans not 20 land, AS
it would be regarded as an hostile act and
| they would be fired upon. This was done
and two of the boats pulled out towards
village called Nailele, four miles from
Apis. The third boat kept along the
coast and when opposite Mataafasatle
pulled straight into the shore. A number
OF German soldiers arose from the bottom
Of the boat and waded ashore. Some Of
MHtaafa's men came up and the Germans
began shooting at them. The ma
tives did not return the fire.
The Germans were soon landed and took
shelter behind some rising ground and at
once opened fire on Mataafa's men. With
In minute two hundred shots had been
fired by the Germans and black lab0rers
employed on a German plantation. Ma
taafas reinf0rcements began TO arrive from
Mataafasatel. and as they came up heavy
firing was heard from the direction OF
Vailele. In few minutes a chief arrived
and ootd m l..4Vt ana mir ha-
taafa's men there. They were afraid 10
return the fire, although Chief Savay and
his son had already been killed. The
messenger asked Klein II they would be
justified In returning the fire, but he de-
clined TO advise then. The United States
vice consul at Apia also refused 10 advise.
Shortly after the natives came into Apia
from EASEL and Vailele, saying Mataafas'
men had driven the German sailors from
the breast works at the former place. At
Vailele there were about a hundred and
fifty sailors. These were Joined by their
comrades from EASEL and together they
formed hollow square and began firing on
| Mataafas' men.
soon after two OF the latter had been
killed they began 10 return the fire, shoot
ing from behind trees and from bushes.
The sailors became panic stricken and de-
spite the efforts OF their officers threw
away their guns and ran into the German
pldutdtlou uoufts anu lutD tie Dutn.
They were followed by the natives, who
shot them wherever they found them.
Lieut.. Neiger, Of the Olga, was shot and
killed while trying TO rally his men. Two
other officers were wounded. A number OF
sailors managed 70 make their escape by
jumping into the boats and pulling out 10
sea. They were picked up by the Eber
which had come up on hearing the firing.
The bodies of the dead German sailors
were taken of the following day. Ma.
faala's men retired without firing on the
village or doing any further damage.
AIT o'clock, Dec. 10, the German man
of.war Adler left Apia, sending word 10
the commander OF the United States war
ship Neipsc that the German consul was
going TO Saluafata 70 stop the fighting. The
Olga also followed 20 Latoga, where the
Neipsic went and found the German ships
Adler and Eber cleared for action. During
the morning Consul Blackjack received a
note from the German consul saying the
men-of-War were going 10 the coast 10 stop
the lighting aud disarm Mataafa and Tam
asese Blackjack protested In the name OF
the United States against this action. which
would place the lives and property OF
Americans In great danger, and was also
In direct conflict with the powers conferred
upon him. soon after the Neipslc arrived
AT Laioga and Captain Mullen went on
board the Adler 10 demand the German
consufs reason for having declared his in
teDtlOn 10 stop the war without consulting
the c0nsuls and said be would hold no com
municatiOn with an American naval cap
tain and would be responsible only TO has
government.
Soon after Capt Mullen returned TO his
ship the commander notified him he in
tended 10 lombard CacoJs before dark. A
protest was sent and as the captain Of the
Adler showed no inclination 10 notify Ma
taafa 10 remove the women and children,
Capt Mullen sent one OF bis officers
ashore for that purpose. The Adler bonn
barded the town the next morning and then
sent force OF sailors ashore who burned
the village, including two Roman Catholic
churches. On Dec. Is Consul Knopfe sent
word 10 Mstaafa that The German ships