The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-08-06
FAVE OF A SAMOAN HERO.


stunding Dead, Tsttooed and EDbslmed,
IN an SnderthKerss sn6R
Coroner valley and his partner. Nh
1UlrAs poe@aO6vo Shef4spdhcc Of husi-
aess J @s@1aky now, weird and
ghasAt advertisement In The corner
Of ttcir bacfsroom stands AN ordinary
looking pfrc box, such q ono as Is
used to place around caslsets IN the
grave. n stands ,raponr one end. and
ffnsesms KaR sd6S A rsd Is opened
and a startling sight Is revealed. ..
Standing dsecAf'wlkM hands foldad tn
front and drces60 N no raiment except
1antshss1smAkS~ tho CO used BY
the Yume fndians twhen they use ons)
stands the dead body of o Samoan tat
tooed warrior, who was known during
life as Letungaifo, and who died Of oon-
sumption al st. Lutrc's hospital. The
body, says the Dcnver Republican, was
taken 10 Coroner Valleys on the day of
death, and he had 1t embalmed The
eyes ~s open and the black hair and
slight mustsche bristle out with peculiar
fierceness Prom the waist to the knees
It has been tattooed with blue Ink, so as
10 resemble pair Of knee pants, 1t be-
ing one OF the peculiar customs Of the
country from whence he came to 80 dec-
crate tho body Of every male as soon a.
he arrives at mans estate.
From tho peculiar history Of this lone
ly Pacific islander, who, 1t seems, risked
his ife and assisted in saving the lives
Of many United States man-of-wars-
men during the terrible cyclone that
swept over the island in March, 1889, IL
would seem that Tho government alone
owed = debt Of gratitude to him to ct
least put him In proper resting place.
Letungaifo was one Of Ave Samo-
ans brought to this country by R. A.
Cunningham, August 10, 1889, and was
to have exhibited with them In this city,
but owing to his health ho was sent to
the hospital, and few weeks after the
departure Of his countrymen he died
In obtaining these five Samoans Mr..
Cunningham had great difficulty, as
Mataafa Maietoa, the king Of the
Islands, will not allow any Of his sub
jects to leave, claiming It contrary to
their law and custom.
In the terrible Cyclone IN March,
1889, when the American men Of war
Trenton and Vandalia were wrecked In
the harbor Of PaGo-Pago In the island
of Tutslila, the natives rescued the sail
ors by malsinga human line out to reach
them, thus enabling them to get to the
shore. On this occasion Letungaifo par
ticularly distinguished himself for feats
of bravery in saving the lives Of several
of the crew. ...
It was after this Cunningham at
tempted to get tho men away. They
sailed from the island Of Upolu In an
open boat, intending to intercept the
Oceanic, steamer from Sidney 70 'Fris-
CO, but terrible storm arose, and
after nearly being capsized and suffer-
ing all manner of hardships they were
compelled to put back In the harbor of
Pago-Pago.
This was ON Saturday, and the next
day being Sunday all were released TO
attend church, as the authorities did not
think anything would sail on that day.
Cunningham, however,, learned the
United States ship Alameda was short
ly togrsau with the sailors who were
wrecked during the hurricane, and hast
lily getting the men together, who were
anxious to come On board, they were
secreted and thus escaped to America,
being the first Of their race to leave
their native corntrv