The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-25
Once Reigning Monarch Over tho
Samoan Islands.
RIVALS KIPLING' 5 CREATION.
lie Is Now IN New York PennilcSs and
In notwithstanding "Reminiscences
by tho Able and YcnturcsomC Nun
who Gave tho Navigator Group II
Govcrnmcnt-..Samon Must Perish
rs n Nation.

Was King in reality.
lie came 10 town few days ago, and
although his clothes are secdy and he
hasn'ta cent in his pocket, and hotel
clerks look askancc ut him as he PAGES
the corridors, he is Il discrowned king
nevertheless, and the history of his rise
and fall is MS wild u story rs that which
kipling conjurel up through The witch.
cry Of his pen.
Colonel Albert b. stcinbcrgcr is "tlc
man who was' in reality. lie is the
man who ruled the Samoan Islands, who
gave them tho name Samoan ii you
please, and changed geography. and
who was hon hearted enough to have
given battle with his one llowitzcr yacht
Peerless to tho British man-Ui-war Bar
rancouta ii the English had only chow
ed him 4 chance Proud as !.uciier,
courteous rs Chrs.crielu interesting as
Sir Walter Raleigh must have been
when he spun stories oil adventures
Westward lio," tho marches OF this
soldier OF fortune have been through
proii,less fields OF late.
Strange are the meetings which now
and then take place. None was stranger
than that i'll tho Gilscy House q night
or two ago. Robert iuliord was talk
ing TO some gentlemen, when little
man with worn attire, swart!iy skin
and brilliant eyes came up. He spoke
with one OF the group, who turned and
said
Gentlemen, this is the man whO WAS
King OF the Samoan Islands,"
In an instant Mr.. Fuliord and the
new conner recognized each other and
looked back fifteen years and across
hall rs many thousand mics OF land and
sea, Mr.. Fuliord had seen him while
Stopping nj the Navigator Islands OF his
way 20 Australia i'll 1876. The little
man then was between guards armed
with muskcts loaded with ball cart
rcdgcs Oh the deck OF one OF Her Maj
cstv's mcn-oi-war. The guard We're
under instructions 10 shoot TO kill ut
the first attempt ut rescue or escape.
They would have done it, although they
would have killed . king.
WILL NEVER ne KING AGAIN.
Colonel Stcinbcrgcr is probably the
only American citizen who ever became
king. When he told me his story yes
terday he said that lie never expected
TO become king again, but he does OK
poet to get OH his feet again financially
and stand where he did once before in
the business world OF this city, when he
lived i'll Fifth avenue and figured that
his wealth was well up toward the mill
ion mark.
All the world remembers the scnsa-
ton when it became known that the
cX-paymastcr in the United States army
who had been sent to the Navigator Is
lands by President Grant had set up i
government there. For = year or more
the newspapers tecmcd with his stormy
reign, and the question became an in
ternational one Colonel Steinbergcr
had gone to the islands, making half
the trip in the United States man.oi.war
Pensacola, and the other half in the
Tuscarora. These islanders, unpro-
tccteu and Il prey to every nation on the
earth, welcomed him as their deliverer
Il gave them" said Colonel Stein
berger, "the only government they ever
had. | take no special credit to N.Y.
sell, but was the absolute head. !
organized the parliament which exists
to-day, consisting OF tho Taimoua. or
upper house, and the Taipuli, or lower
house. LETT them happy and | have
been tho sufferer"
Turmoil over religion, which has cost
many king his crown. and his head rs
we'll, brought about the downfall OF
this American king. The native Catho-
lies and the native Protestants went to
war. There WAS bitter conflict in Tu,illi
island, where the Catholic missionaries
held sway. The village OF Assua was
destroyed, together with the Catholic
church and schools. To the king went
Mgr. Alloy, the head OF the Catholic
mission, and told his story. ''What
will you do 2" no asked.
REpRIsAIs nY sAMoA'S NAVY.
In reply Colonel stcinberger mounted
howitzcr in the bow OF his yacht and
steamed 10 where Assua had stood.
The town was rebuilt, but tho mischief
had been done. Enemies went to the
Fiji Islands and asked the British
governor to send his mcn-of-war TO
Samoa. They came, tho Barracuda
and Sapphire.
At night Colonel Stcinbergcr's house
was surrounded. He was captured and
carried OF board the Barracuda. The
little Kingdom OF tho temporary king
rang with call 10 arms. Natives
swarmed down on the British. At the
capitol, milo below Aspia, there was
fight.
"And tho islanders whipped them,
too said Colonel Stcinbergcr, with
chucl;lc.
Then of 10 Fiji steamed the Barra.
couta When the islands were reached
the king asked where he wGs TO be
taken.
ITO Auckland, New Zealand, ior
trial" was tho answer OF Captain
Stephens, OF the Barracuda
Then Captain Stephens rowcd ashore
to sec Sir Arthur Gordon, the governor.
He came back ut 10 o'clock, and King
Steinbergcr was asleep i'll his statcroom.
Tho captain Knocked. The prisoner
looked out, and the armed guard which
had been with him day and night had
been withdrawn.
"Arc YOU ready to so ashore" asked
tho captain, indicating that the king
was free.
81 insist on going either back to Sa-
moa or to New Zealand Tor trial." was
tho answer.
He was taken ashore by force. His
reign was ended. He mover saw Samoa
again, and Maliatca and Mataaia later
warrcd it out. BY way OF Australia the
cx-kinS went TO England, where lie say.