The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-08
HOW GAUM WAS TAKEN
AND THE SPANISH GOVERNOR OF
THE ISLAND OUTWITTED.
Graphic Story of the Capture of the
Largest of the LadrOne Group by
an Omcer of the Charleston.


details at hand of the bloodless capture of
the principal of the Ladrone islands reached
Wheeling to-day in letter TO Hon.
Augutus Pollack from the naval officer who
figured in the leading role of the exploit,
Lieut.. VIM. Braunersreuther, executive off,
Ger of the cruiser Charleston. The letter
follows:
United States Steamer Charleston, at sea
and 1000 miles from Manila, June 24.-We
have just carried out our orders to capture
the Spanish authorities at the capital of the
Ladrone islands, Agana. / was selected by
the captain to undertake this job and given
160 men to land with as a starter. | went
ashore to have a talk with the governor
about affairs and the results were that l
did not lose even single man. The matter
was all settled in one day and we are car
rying with us fifty-four soldiers (Spansh)
and six officers, besides a lot of Mauser
rifles and nearly ten thousand rounds of
ammunition. 1 had the whole to handle and
did it up quickly.
THE captains instructions were to wait
half hour for his answer to the ultima
tune then use my troops 1 waited and in
just twenty-nine minutes the governor
handed me his sealed reply, addressed to the
captain of my ship, out in the harbor about
four or five miles off. / knew this was
sealed with the sole object of gaining time
and hence 1 broke the seal, read the con-
tents, the governor protesting and saying
that was a letter for my captain. 1 replied
/ represent him here You are now my pris-
oners. 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 mat
ters, and you make us prisoners instead
Il replied: L came shore to hand you
a letter and to get your reply; in this reply
now in my hand you agree to surrender all
under your jurisdiction. If this means any
thing at all it means that you will accede
to any demands 1 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.
Git was then 10:30 a. m., June 2) all arms
and ammunition and all Spanish flags
the island. Each soldier to bring his own
rifle and ammunition, and all the soldiers,
native and Spanish, with their officers, must
witness this
'They protested and demurred, saying
there was not time enough to do it, but,
said. 'Senors, it must be done
THE letter was written, read by me, and
sent. l took all the officers on board with
me in boat, and at 4 p. m. went ashore
again and rounded in the whole outfit. l
was three miles away from my troops and
had only four men with me. At p. m,
when L disarmed 1OS men and two officers,
l had forty-six men and three officers with
me. The keynote to the whole business was
my breaking the seal of that letter and act
ing at once. They had no time to delay or
prepare any treacherous tricks, and l got
the drop on the whole outfit, as they say
out West.
THE native troops L released and allowed
to return to their homes unrestricted; they
had manifested great joy in being relieved
from Spanish rule. While it harsh, it
was war, and in connection with the Span
ish treachery it was all that could be done
Twenty-four hours would have-yes, be-
lieVe even four hours, with a leader such as
the governor was, lieutenant colonel in
the Spanish army-given them a chance to
hide along the road at Agana, and at in
tervals in the dense tropical foliage they
could have almost annhilated any force we
could land. The approaches to the landing.
ever shallow coral reefs, would have made
a landing without a terrible loss of life al
most an impossibility, but all is we'll that
ends WELL
I'VE have increased by conquest the pop
ulation of the United States by nearly
twelve thousand people. The capital has a
population of six thousand people. This
harbor in which we were is beautiful, easy
of access. plenty of deep water, admitting
of the presence of a large number of yes
sells at the same time, and is an ideal place
for coalng station. If our government
decides to hold the Philippines it would
then come in so well; San Francisco to Hon
olulu, 21O0 miles; Honolulu to the Island
of Guam. $500, and thence to Manila 1000
this we could send troops the whole year
round if necessary. and any vessel with
steaming capacity of $500 miles could reach
a base of supplies.
THE details have scarcely touched upon
but had the officials and soldiers dreamed
for one moment that they were to be torn
from their homes there would l feel sure
have been another story to tell. and ! am
firmly convinced this letter would never
have been written.
The captain, in extending TO me his con-
gratulations. remarked: 'Braunersreuther
you'll never as long you live have an
other experience such as this. i congratu-
late you on your work
''All this whole affair was transacted in
Spanish. ! had an interpreter with me, but
forgot all about using him. / did not want
them to get a chance to think. even before
it was too late"