The San Francisco call., 1897-04-21
A BLOODY
WAR RACED
IN HUAH|NE
Natives Fought Valiantly,
but They Were
Routed.
HUNDREDS BAYONETED
TO DEATH.
The Aftermath Was Wholesale
Deportation to Distant
Is ands.
THE QUEEN AND HER PEOPLE
SEPARATED.
Total Ruin of a Tribe Who Dared
to Face Modern Arms and
Soldiers.
THE QUEEN AND HER PEOPLE
SEPARATED.
Total Ruin of a Tribe Who Dared
to Face Modern Arms and
Soldiers.

Further news OF the suppression OF tne
rebellion in Raiatea by the French reached
here by the parkentine City of Papeete
Yesterday. The soldiers did not spare the
rebels and the slaughter was great at
times. The French loss was very light
and when during the last fight of the war
the soldiers stormed a hastily constructed
barricade and put The garrison OF $50 ma
tives to death in a bayonet charge the
Queen of the island surrendered. She
and the high chiefs took the oath OF
allegiance to France, but it did not do
much good. as they were all placed on q
gunboat and transported to New Gale
donis, the French penal settlement.
Over 800 of the other men who partici-
pated in the war were put aboard trans
port and taken to Christmas Island. When
they were landed there it was discovered
that there was no water, so the natives
had to be taken aboard again. and this
time they were taken to Nouka II iva.
They were KEEP. there for some time and
wer finally taken TO an island leased as q
cattle run by NJ. Litchle, an Alsatian.
a sufficient quantity of food to last them
so many days was given them, and then
the transport steamed away.
When the food gave out the natives be-
gan slaughtering Litchle's cattle and
when he protested they threatened his
life. Then he started for Tahiti on the
City of Papeete and when the barkentine e
left the capital of the French colony he
was vigorously pushing a claim against
the French Government for his herd of
$50 cattle, which he asserted was in danger
of being exterminated.
Among the passengers who came up in
the cabin OF the City OF Papeete were Mrs.
S. J. Hutchinson ana a. Petersen. The
former is the mother of A. H. Hutchinson,
editor OF the Endeavorer, the official organ
of the Young Mems Christian Endeavor.
She came here from Los Angeles as a
missionary from the Holiness Church of
Southern California. Her destination was
Nouka Hiva and she took passage on the
barkentine Tropic Bird. When she
reached her destination the exiled natives
were there.
She admits having heard OF the slaugh-
ter of the bells, but will not discuss tn g
matter. Il had little or no chance to see
anything" said she yesterday. "but the
end of the fighting was the subject of dis
cussion everywhere. When | applied for
permission 10 land and explained TO the
authorities that had Travelled all the way
from California to preach the gospel of
holiness to the natives l was aSked the
question Are you Catholic? l answered
that l was not. Then there was a consul
tation, and l was informed that / could
not land on any OF the groups in the Mar
quesas. My instructions were to remain
in my own quarters and do n teaching.
When the City of Papeete arrived my bag
gage was put aboard and l was politely
told that l was not wanted. / might have
been allowed to labor in Tahiti, but that
ground is thoroughly covered, so l deter
mined to come back home. There is no
branch of the Holiness church in San
Francisco, SO l will at once start for my
home in Southern California."
Tho nf frad
initial, but b. Hermann, who came up in
the steerage. spoke freely about the war.
The natives have made the most stub
born resistance ever encountered bv tn q
French in the southern seas" said he.
"On two other occasions warships and
troops were sent to subdue the rebels, but
after chasing the natives into the bush
had to retire in despair. On this occasion
IL was war OF determination. The
natives were driven into the bush and
then the troops were set to work cutting
roads around and across the islands.
Whenever the natives were cornered thev
were shot down, and the last grand sorlie
ended the unequal conflict.
"The natives had dug a trench and
thrown up barricade of mud anu trunks
of trees. Behind this they made a des-
perate stand. They held the trained SOL
diers at bay as long as their ammunition
held out, but that was not for long The
rItuCuhou oIeW tnelr Ire LlIne ana again
and never made return. Then in a
moment the French column was formed
and the order was fix bayonets. charge.
1t was all over in few minutes, and
there were not q dozen natives left to te II
the tale. They were caught in their own
trap, and before they could make a SEM
biance of defense it was all over The
bodies were buried in the trench, and the
dozen survivors, out of total of 300 war
riors, were marched away as prisoners OF
war. The next day the Queen surren-
oered, and then came the deportations.
"The natives have been constantly spok-
en- of as rebels. Now they were nothing of
the sort. They had rever been subdued.
had never ACKNOWLEDGED the authority of
France until the French gained the last
decisive victory, and why they should be
called insurgents and so treated | cannot
tell. They were fighting for their hearths
and homes, and why the Queen and high
chiefs should be sent into penal servitude
is mystery"
When the barkentine sailed from Pa.
peete everything was very quiet among
the islands. One OF the men, of-war was
stationed at the conquered islands, an.
other was on its way with the Queen and
her high chisfs to New Caledonia, white
the transport was seeking an island on
which to place the other exiles. Business
was very dull, and all the City of Papeete
brought up was cocoanuts and q few bags
of coffee.
A United States Juror Dead.
United States ATTORNEY Fcote announced in