The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-12
HE rrDDLED FOR MALIEroA.
The Jolly King OF Samoa Wanted Henry
DieId0rf as Son-in-Law.

The Jolly King OF Samoa Wanted Henry
Dierdorf as Son-in-Law.
Port Townsend Leader
Among the vessels which arrived in port
yesterday was the American schooner
Laura Sweazy. She left Apia May 81. Her
crew reports everything at Samoa quiet.
The United States man-of-war Mohican
and the German gunboat Alexandria were
in the harbor of Apia when the Laura
Sweazy left that port
The schooner brought over as work
along" one Henry Dierdorf, German.
The latter accom- panied King Malietoa to
the Marshall islands when that monarch
was sent into exile by the minions of the
Fatherland opposed to American suprenl-
acy in the islands.
THE Samoan people are very grateful to
the government of the United States" said
he, in speaking of his life to Leader re-
porter yesterday. when first went to
the islands it was as q clerk for the Ham
burg Trading Company, which own thou
sands of miles of plantations in Samoa.
That was in 1886. Malietoa was then king.
The German consul was Colonel Knappe,
and he virtually ruled the whole country. l
play the violin, and when the old king first
saw me fiddle, he made up his mind to at
iach me to him. He used to come into the
store dressed in the fashionable summer
costume in vogue in that country. His
dress consisted of high hat worn by Ger
man naval officers. q pair of white cotton
drawers and blanket. Thus attired, and
smoking a brown-wrsppered cigarette. he
would sit on Geese box for hours, while
played The Watch on the Rhine and The
Arkansaw Traveller
THE old man finally became infatuated
with my instrument of torture. / can't
play little bit, but he and Laurie Capo-
lima, his daughter, thought was the
greatest artist On errth. They invited
me to call at the palace, hut with no
windows and matched roof. Laurie
was handsome girl, tall, and staaight as
an oak. She had large coal-black eyes
and brown skin. which glistened like
polished brownstone. The old king
wanted us to marry. but she objected, for
which / will thank her with my diving
breath. He finally persuaded me to resign
my position with the Commercial company.
and twas made one of the kings tax col
lectors, and also kept all of the accounts of
the kingdom. For the latter purpose I
bought day book and ledger.
when Tamaese was first put forward by
the Germans as pretender to the throne,
| wrote Malietoa's letter to Colonel Knapp.
He wanted the German support and was
t. i'd it would be extended to him, provided
he permitted the Germans to assume O pro-
tectorate over the islands. If not he would
be depcsed and Tamaese proclaimed the
king in his place. advised HIM to resist
and to call on Mr.. Blakelock, the United
States vice-consul, for aid. Pending nego,sa-
tons, Malietoa was one night seized and car
ried aboard German gunboat. The next
day he was taken to the Marshall Islands
and Tamaese proclaimed king. The Ger
mans had no use for me, and soon found
it out, so when l had chance to Join the
old man as escort to his daughter gladly
accepted the opportunity.
We were constantly informed as to how
things were going at Apia. / was acting
as Malietoa's private secretary. He, of
course, hated Tamaese and wanted, if he
could not reign himself, that Mataafa
should do so. Mataafa is in the straight
line of succession, while Tamaese comes
from bastard branch of the house. The
Germans favored the latter and were
secretly favored by the English both r
ing jealous OF the growing power of the
United States. Ii Maiietoa had not been
honest he would have been released long
before he was. He was, howeqer too
much of man to accept liberty at the ex-
psnse of his country's good. and repeat
eddy spurned Knapp's offers.e
1.-The Germans had no use for me, and
when Malietoa came back to reign they
insisted that leave the country. | could
have stayed mad l consented to marry
Laura Capolina but there is a little blue
eyed. iaxen-naired German lassie waiting
for me in New York. In q letter /
have just opened / find she
arrived there two months ago and is wait
ing for me. l have enough capital to
buy farm. and we will live near Nankato.
Mipn., where / have an uncle I could
easily have paid my passage here. but l
wanted the experience only to be gained
before the mast"
Dierdorf is tall, misunderstanding Cor
man. with broad shoulders and the blonde
hair and complexion of the pure Saxon.
He Is about % years old and speaks En-
gllsh with slight accent which betrays
his thorough acquaintance of unter den