Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-02-01
STARS AND STRIPES
Inaultsd by German War vessels at Samoa
Property OF Americans Destroyed
Americans sEIurdsred By German
Troops. and Held as Prisoners
On German War VesseIs-Au Despite the
Protests OF the United States Consul
Our Flag Burned with
Property Destroyed.

Tslegraphio dates, originating at Apia.
BamOas as late as Jan uary Is. give details Of
occurrences there toll owing the night which
German troops had with faction Of natives
Of the islands.
Mataafa and Tamasese continued fight .
/ ing, with the odds in favor OF the former.
Meanwhile the German war ships have
burned American houses and flags, tore
down the United States flag, seized AmeFi-
can citizens in neutral waters OF Apia haF-
Dor and taken them prisoners on board Of
the German men-of-War, ana fred upon
the American flag.
On the night Of December Is, a large
party Of German sailors, numbering $50,
came ashore at Apia, and entered the stores,
saloons and native houses In search Of
Americans, Englishmen and half castles.
They entered the residence Of George Scan
Ian, United States marshal in Apia. He
was not In, but the sailors found him and
his brother, Norris Snyder, also an Ameri-
can citizen, further up the street, and start
ing quarrel stabbed both the Americans
in the back.
Another fight was had on December II.
The American newspaper man named John
O.. Klein, accompanied the Mataafa men
to witness the proceedings, IN the interest
of his paper. About 200 Of the mel from
the German men-of-War boats, approached
about half mile above the British consulate.
1t was evidently their intention to land and
proceed on foot. Soldiers OF MaUaaTa gath
cred on shore. and asked Klein to ask
the Germans not to land, as it would be re-
garded as a hostile act, and that they would
be fired upon.
During the attack by the Germans after
landing the natives received several vOlle Us
without returning fire. A chief aske ad-
vice Of Klein but he refused to give it, re-
ferring him to the American CONSUL who
also refused to give advice. The natives at
length commenced shooting, after a number
Of them had been killed: The Germans
were beaten, leaving their killed on the
ground, and retiring to their boats.
The next evening United States Consul
Blackjack received "a note from the Ger
IN an consul saying that 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 Ger
man consul, which would place the lives
and property of the Americans in the great
est danger, and that their action was in di-
rect conflict with powers conferred upon the
representatives Of the three treaty nations.
Soon after the Nipsic arrived at LatOga,
Captain MuIian, with three of the ships Off
GERS, went on board the Adler to reprimand
Consul Knapp and Ransom for having de-
clared their intention to stop the war with
consul replied discourteOusly to Captain
Mullan and SAID he would hold no cOmmu-
nicatiOn with an American naval captain,
and would be responsible Tor ms acts 70 h1s
government. Soon after this the captain Of
the Adler sent word to Captain Mullan, who
had returned to the NipsiC, that ne intended
TO lombard Lady before dark. protest
was sent to the captain of the Adler, md as
the latter had shown no inclination to uOGI-
fy Mataafa to remove the women and chill
dren, Captain Mullan sent one OF his Off
GERS ashore for that purpose. The Adler
did not lombard the town that night, but
returned on the following morning and be-
gan to lombard Lady Thirty-fOur shells
were fred by the Adler, and four bOatloads
Of sailors were landed from the Olga and
the Adler who burned the village, including
two small Roman Catholic churches. The
ships then returned to Apia.
On the following day the German consul
Issued a proclamation ordering the Sa-
means to bring their firearms on board the
Olga during the day, and if this was OF
done the ship would lombard the village Of
Mataafaeela. Consul Blackjack at once re-
turned a protest, and at the same time
said that one Hamilton, an American
citizen and formerly the United States vice
consul in Apia, owned three houses IN Ma
taafageia over which the American flag has
been placed and adding that if this proper
GY was damaged the German government
would be held responsible. The German
consul made no rep y. About O'Clock on
2ist the Olga went to Mataafagela, anchor
ing OLC mis- LEOL1 BnOE6s AT , o CLOCK Bu5
began Smelling, the Samoans not having
come on board with arms. After firing
TWENTY five shells the vessel sent three boat
loads ashore and destroyed the village by
fire. Hamilton went to the destroyed vii
lagos in the afternoon and found his three
houses In ruins. A large American flag,
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. Fragments of the flag
were taken to kpia and delivered to Consul
Blackjack, who hiss forwarded it to Secretary
Bayard. The German consul afterWard
wrote to Consul Blackjack, declaring that he
had been informed that Americans had led
Mataafa's forces on the night of the 18TH
and fired the first shot. Consul Blackjack
replied that he had Investigated the ruznOr
and found it to be untrue.
The United States consul, Blackjack, has
belegraphed ali the facts respecting the stu
alton, informing Secretary Bayard that the
American flag had been shot and tom down
and burned by the Germans; that A lnerican
citizens have been taken prisoners by the
Germans, and stated that the lives and
property of American citizens ara in great
danger.