Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-20
IN SAMOA.
A Conflict OF German and Ameri-
can Interests.
German War Vessels Take Hand in
the Local Disturbance. and the
American Consul Objects.
Full Particulars of the Latest Trouble-A Vii
lage BOmbarded-Ameriean Rights Disre-
garded-Ameriean Citizens Maltreated.


APIA, SAMOA, Jan IA most Sc
rious state of affairs exists at Samoa. On
the night of December Is, sailors from
the German men-of-war Adler, Olga and
Eber attacked Nataafa : soldiers under
the direction of the German consul and
Capt Fritz, French naval officer in the
/ port. As result of the encounter,
twenty-five Germans were killed and
thirty-two wounded. Since then the
German war ships have burned American
! houses and flags. torn down the United
States flag, seized American citizens in
neutral waters in Apia harbor, and taken
! them prisoners on board German men-Of-
/ war. and
FIRED UPON THE AMERICAN FLAG.
! King Mataafa 5 party, who had been
! fighting almost constantly since the battle
! of LaOUtanaw, killing and wOunding
/ many of Tamasese 5 men, began to fail
/ in ammunition but were able to obtain
/ 20, 900 Snyder cartridges. The Tamasese
men were reported becoming more dis
/ satisfied daily, and assertions from his
ranks became very frequent, several VIII
! lagos leaving his body in party and 60
ing to their homes.
A detachment of Mataafa s men sue
ceeded in carrying the upper end of
| Tamasese's big fort, SantuaudO, on De-
cember -. On the same day the Ger
man man of-war olga arrived from the
| Marshall islands. The boat had ON board
the depOSed king, MaIletoa, whom the
/ Germans had decided to bring back from
Africa, where he had been taken
Malletoa had been left at Marshall is
! lands. not having been brought back to
Samoa.
On the night of December 16 large
party of German sailors numbering $50
came ashore at Apia. and entered the
stores, saloons and native houses
IN SEARCH or AMERICANS,
Englishmen and half-castes. The resi-
dence of George Seaman, United States
marshal in Apia was entered bur he was
not in, but the sailors found him and his
brother Morris Snyder, ALSO an Ameri-
can citizen up the street, and starting a
quarrel stabbed both of the Americans IL
the back. The Scanlans escaped to
native church where their wounds were
dressed and found not to be fatal Ger
man sailors ran through the streets at
lacking all persons they met except Ger
mans and injured adhereuts OF TanaSese,
and among the number were native
women and children. Some of Mataafa s
soldiers came in from the Bush and were
ANXIOUS TO BEGIN sHoOTING,
but were urged by United States consul
Blackjack not to fire.
At o 'clock on the morning of Decem-
Der 10 the German man of-war Adler left
Apia, sending word to the commander of
the United States war ship Nipsic that
the German consul was on board and he
..
ing The notice was only
FIVE minutes before the Adler sailed
and the Nipsic was unable to
follow for some time. When she did the
Olga also followed to Latoga, where the
Adler and Eber were found Both ships
cleared for action. During the morning
Consul Blackjack received a note from
the German consul saying the German
men-of-war were going up the coast to
stop the fighting in behalf of an effective
protection of German interests, and also
to disarm the Mataafa and Tamasese
forces.
Blackjack protested in the name of the
United States against the action of the
German consul, which would place the
lives and property of Americans
IN THE GREATEST DANGER,
and that their action was in direct con-
HltI Will ilAc pow CTS CDIAttItu Oll TIE rep
resentatives of the three treaty nations.
Soon after the Nipsic arrived at Latongo,
Capt. Mullin with three of the ships Off
GERS went on board the Adler to demand
Consul Knapp's reason for having
declared his intention to stop
the war without consulting the consuls.
The German consul replied diScourte-
ously to Capt MuIlin, and said he
would hold no communication with an
American naval captain, and would be
responsible for his acts to his government
Soon after this the captain of the Adler
sent word to Capt. MulIin, who had re-
turned to the Nipsic, that he intended TO
lombard Lady before dark.
\ PROTEST WAS SENT
to the captain of the Adler. and
as the latter had shown no inclination 10
notify Mataafa to remove the women and |
children, Capt. MulIin sent one of his |
officers ashore for that purpose
The Adler did not lombard the town
that night, but returned ON the following
morning, intending TO bonn
bard the city, which had been !
evacuated the night previous Thirty |
four shells were fired by the Adler. and |
then four boat loads of sailors were |
landed from the Olga and Adler, who |
burned the village, including two small !
Roman Catholic churches. The ships |
then returned to Apia.
On December Is Consul knappe had /
sent letter to Mataafa, telling him the |
German ships would shell his villages I'M |
less ne came on board the German man /
,of-war before noon on December 20 and |
cause his people to give up all their guns |
Mataafa did not reply To this letter, but /
sent back word after the battle he was /
sorry to kill the German sailors, but that /
the Samoans intended to
FIGHT FOR THEIs LIBERTY,
and would fight whoever attacked them |
On the afternoon of December 90 the |
consuls met TO arrive at some settlement /
of the trouble Mataafa 5 presence was
desired by the United States and British /
eonsuls, but the GeTman consul refused to |
meet him, and the meeting had 30 re-
suit On the following day the German 4
consul issued proclamation ordering the
Samoans 10 bring their fire arms on
board the following day, and that Il
that was not done a fight wonld
result Blackjack at once returned a