The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-08
CAPTURE OF TIE IADR0NES
FIRST DETAILS RECEIVED OF
THE BRILLIANT EXPLOIT
Executive Ofacer Of the Charleston
Went ON Shore With a Handful of
Men and Before the Dons Had
Time to Think OF Plot They Were
Made Prisoners - An Excellent
COaling Station.

WHEELING, w. Va, Aug. THE
first. Of the capture Of the prin-
cipal Of the Ladrone islands reached
here today In a letter to Hon. Augustus
Pollack from the naval officer who fig
ured In the leading role Of the exploit,
Lieut.. William Braunersreuther, ex-.
ecutive officer of the cruiser Charles
ton. The letter follows:
AT Sea and One Thousand Miles From Ma
nila June A.-We have just carried out or
ders to capture the Spanish authorities at
the capital Of the Ladrone islands, Agana.
was selected by the captain to undertake this
job, and given 100 men to land with as
starter. went ashore to have talk with
the governor about affairs, and the result was
that did not lose even a single man. The
matter was all settled in one day, and we are
carrying with us fftyfour soldiers (Spanish)
and six officers, besides a lot of Mauser rifles
and nearly 10000 rounds of ammunition. I
had the whole job to handle, and did it up
quickly. The captains instructions were to
wait a half hour for his answer to our ulti-
matum, then use my troops. I 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
five miles off
I knew this was sealed with the sole OBJ
seal and read the contents, the governor pro-
testing and saying that it was letter for
my captain I replied II represent him here.
You are my prisoners, senores, 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 prisoners in
stead
INSTANT SURRENDER.
I replied: II came on shore to hand you
letter and to get your reply; in this reolv
now In my hand you agree to surrender all
under your jurisdiction. If this means any
thing at ALL 1t means that you will aecede to
any demands 1 may deem proper to make.
You will at once write an order to your mil
ftary man at Agana, the capital (this place
was five miles distant, directing him to de-
liver here at this place at p. m. Git WAS
then 1890 a. m., June Ply all arms and am
nutrition and all Spanish flags ON the island.
Each soldier to bring his own rifle and am
munition 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 1t, but 1 said:
"Senores, 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. I
was three miles away from my troops. and
had only four men with me- At D. m. I
disarmed 10S men and two officers. had
forty-six men and three officers 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 pre-
pare any treacherous tricks and / got the
drop on the whole outfit, as they say out
West.
The native troops I released and allowed
to return to their homes unrestricted. They
had manifested great joy in being relieved
from Spanish rule While it was harsh, 1t
was war, and in connection with the Span
ish treachery it was all that could be done.
NO TIME TO PLOT.
Twenty-four hours would have-yes / be-
lieve even four hours with 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 inter-
walls in the dense tropical foliage they could
have almost annihilated any force we could
land. The approaches to the landing over
shallow coral reefs would have made land
ing without terrible loss of life almost an
impossibility-but "all is well that ends well.''
We have Increased by conquest the popu-
lation of the United States by nearly 12,C0O
people. The capital has population Of 5000
people. The harbor in which we are is beau
tiful, easy of access, plenty of deep water,
admitting of the presence of large number
of vessels at the same time, and is an ideal
pace for a coaling station.
II our government decides to hold the
Philippines 1t would then come in so well:
San Francisco to Honolulu, 2,1OO mics: Hon
olu.u to the island Of Guiana. $500, and thence
to Manila, 1000 miles. With chain of sup
ply stations like this we could send troops the
whole year round if necessary and any vessel
with a steaming capacity of $500 miles cou.d
reach a base of supplies.
The details I 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 feel sure, have
been another story to tell and 1 am firmly
convinced this letter would never have been
written.
- this whole affair was transacted in
Spanish. I had an interpreter with me- but
forgot all about using him. did not want
them to get chance to think even before It
was too late.