The herald., 1898-08-08
A BLOODLfSS CAPTURE
TAKING OF THE LADRONES BY
THE CHARLESTON
Fearing Spanish Tricks the Governor
Was Taken Without Warning.
The Details Given

WHEELING, w. Va, Aug. 7.-The first
details at first hands of the bloodless cap
ture of the principal of the Ladrone islands
reached Wheeling today in letter to
Hon. Augustus Polack from the naval
officer who figured In the leading role of
the exploit, Lieut.. VIM. Braunersreuther,
executive officer of the cruiser Charleston.
The letter follows
"U. S. S. CHARLESTON, at sea and l0O0
miles from Manila, June "a, 1885, We have
just carried out orders to capture the
Spanish authorities at the capital Of the
Ladrone islands, Agana. l was selected
by the captain to undertake this JOB ana
was given 100 men to land with as start
er. l went ashore to have talk with the
governor about affairs and the result was
that did not lose even single man. Inc
matter was all settled in one DAY anu we
are carrying with us "a soldiers (Spahisn)
and 6 officers, besides a lot of Mauser rifles
and nearly 10000 rounds of ammunition.
had the whole TO handle and did 1t quickly.
The captains instructions were to walt
half hour for an answer to his ultimatum.
then TO use nv troops. waited and In just
twenty-nine minutes the governor handed
me his sealed reply. addressed to the cap
tain of my ship out in the harbor about
four or five miles off.
II knew this was sealed with the sole OBJ
ject of gaining time, and hence l proke
the seal, read the contents, the governor
protesting and saying that was a letter
for my captain. replied:
"I represent him here. You are now my
prisoners, senors, and will have to come
on board ship with me-
"They protested and pleaded, and finally
the governor said: You came on shore to
talk over matters and you make us pris-
oners instead
II replied: 7 came ashore to hand you
letter and to get your reply. In this reply.
now in my hands, you agree to surrender
all under your jurisdiction. II this means
anything at all it means that you Will ac-
cede to any demand may deem proper to
make. You will at once write an order to
your military man at Agana the capital
this place was five miles distanD directing
him to deliver here at this place at p m.
ut was then 1880 q. NJ. June 2D all arms
and ammunition and all Spanish flags on
the island. Each soldier is to bring his
own rife and ammunition and all the SOL
diers, native and Spanish, with their Of
ficers, must witness this
'They protested and demurred. saying
there was not enough Of it but said:
Seniors, 1t must be DONE
The letter was written read by me and
sent. I took all the officers on board with
me in a boat and at p. m. went ashore
again and rounded in the whole outfit.
II was three miles away from my troops
and had only four men with mo. At 4
d. m, when dsermed 10S men and two
officers, had forty-siX men and three Of
ficers with me. The keynote to the whole
business was my breaking the seal of that
letter and acting at once. They had no
time to delay or prepare any treacherous
tricks and I got the drop on the whole
outfit, as they say out west. =
1.-THE native troops 1 released and allowed
to return to their homes unrestricted.
They manifested great JOY In being relieved
from Spanish rule. While 1t was harsh, it
was war, and In connection with the Span
ish treachery 1t was all that could be done.
Twenty-four hours would have-yes, be-
leve even four hours with leader such
as the governor, who was a lieutenant
colonel in the Spanish army-given them a
chance to hide along the road at Agana and
at intervals in the dense tropical foliage
they could have almost annihilated any
force we could land. The approaches to
the landing over the coral reefs would
have made landing without terrible loss
of life almost an impossibility. But, 'Alls
we'll that ends WE'LL
1.-The details 1 have scarcely touched
upon, but had the officials and soldiers
dreamed for one minute that they were to
be torn from their homes they would, I
feel sure have been another story to tell,
and am firmly convinced this letter would
never have been written.
1.-THE captain. in extending TO me his
remarked: Brauners-
you'll never, as long as you live.
have another experience such as this. !
congratulate you upon your work.
"All this whole offair was transacted in
Spanish. had an interpreter with me,
but forgot all about using him. did not
want them to get chance to think even
before 1t was too late"
&b