Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-21
See Here, Bismarck.
This Sort of Thing Won't Do,
Don't You Know.
SOME EXCITING NEWS FROM SAMOA

The Stars and Stripes Blasted by German
Fire. American Citizens Naltreated and
American Property Destroyed
locks Protests Unheeded and the Mis-
chief to Pay Cenerally-Secretary Bay
ard and Other Washington City People
on the Situation London Comment.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 2l--The following
important news from Samoa was received
here Saturday afternoon by the steamer
Alameda, which arrived from Apia: Some
sailors ON the night of Dec. Is, from the Ger
man men-of war Adler, Olga and Eber at
tackled Mataafa's soldiers under the direction
of the German consul and Capt Fritz, the
German naval officer in port In the en-
counter twenty-five German sailors were
killed and thirty two wounded. The German
war ships since then have burned the Amer.
lean houses and torn down the United States
flags besides Selling some of the American
citizens in neutral waters of Apia harbor and
taken them as prisoners on board the German
men-of war. The captain and lieutenant of
an English man-ol war were also shot at by
the boats crew of a German mau-of-war.
On the night of Dec rs, $50 German sailors
came ashore at Apia and entered the stsres
saloons, and native houses in search of
Americans, Englshmen and half castles. They
entered the residence of George Seaman
United 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 stabbed both the
Americans i'll tie back The Americans
escaped to native church, where their
wounds were dres -ed. On Dec IL the United
States COUNSEL sent protest to the German
consul asserting that the conduct of the Ger
mans had been outrageous, and hao placed
American lives and property il great
Jeopardy
On the morning OF Dec 70 the German
man-of-war Adler left Apia, sending word to
the United State; ship Nipsic that the Ger
man consul was on board, going to Saluafata
to stop the fighting. Consul Blackjack pro
tested against the action of the German CON
sui, which would place the wives and proper
ty of the Americans in greatest danger. The
Nipsic put out after the Adler, and at La
tongi Capt. Mullane went on board the
Adler to demand of Consul Knappes the rea-
son for his action. The German consul re
piled discourteously to Mullane, and said he
would hold no communication with an
American naval captain, and would be re
sponslble for his cts to his government. On
the next day the Adler bombarCled Lady,,
which had been evacuated the night previ-
Gus. Thirty-four shells were fired by the
Adler and then four boat loads of sailors
were landed, who burned the villages, in
GLIDING two small Roman Catholic churches
The ships then returned to Apia
On Dec. 10 the German consul ordered the
Samoans to bring their firearms on board the
Olga during the day, and said that if this was
not done the ship would lombard the village
of Mataafagetele Consul Blackjack at once
anita &c
l.. Hamilton, American citizen. owned
three houses in Mataafagatele over which the
American flag hal been placed, and added
that II this property was damaged the Ger
man government would be held responsible
The German consul made no reply About
O'Clock on the morning OF the 2lst the Olga
went to Matafaal atele, anchoring one mile
from shore, and began throwing shells on
shore. After firing twenty-five shells the
vessel sent three boat loads of marines
ashore and de- troyed the village by
fire. Hamilton went to the DESTROYED
village in the afternoon and found his
three houses in ruins. A large American
flag, formerly used for consular puTpos.s
which had been placed on one of the houses,
had been partly burned by the German
men-of-war and then torn down. Frag-
ments of the flag were taken to Apia and de
nVered 10 Cons IL Blackjack, who has for
warded them to Secretary Bavard The
German consul afterward wrote TO Consul
Blackjack that be had been informed that
Americans had led the Mataafa forces on the
night of the 18th and fired the first shot Con-
sui Blackjack replied that he had investigated
the rumor and found it to I've untrue On the
2lst Charles Brown, an American citizen,
who was on shore, was requested by the Eng
lish officers to asl. the Germans to cease shoot
ing. The Germans seized Brown, carried
him on board of the war-ship Eber, and after
handling him roughly released him.
United States Consul Blackjack has tele-
graphed all the facts respecting the situation
here, informing Secretary Bayard that the
American flag had been shot at and torn
down and burr ed by the Germans; that
American citizens have been taken prisoners
by the Germans, and adds that the lives and
property of American citizens are in great
danger.