Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-08-12
EASY VICTORY
HOW THE LADRoNE ISLANDS WERE
CAPTURED
BRAUNERSREUTHER'S TALE.
Man Who Accomplished Seizure Tel!
OF T.

Wheeling, ". Va, Aug The
iirst details a. first hand of the blood
less capture II the principal Of the
Ladrone islands reached Wheeling to-
dey in letters to Hon Augustus Pol
lack, from the naval officer who figured
in the leading role Of the exploit, Lieut..
William Braunersreuther, executive
officer of the cruiser Charleston. The
letter follows:
81. :. ). Charleston, az sea and 600
miles from Manila, June ~. 1898.
1--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 100
men to land as starter. | went
ashore to have a talk with the governor
about affairs and the results were that
did not lose even single man The
matter was all settled in one day aud
wee are carrying with Us 81 soldiers
Spanish and six officers. besides a lot
If Mauser rifles and nearly 10000
p rounds Of ammunition. had the whole
affair to handle and did il up quickly.
The captains Instructions were To wal,
a malt hour tor his answer 70 the ulti
matum, then use my troops. waited
and in iu,t % minutes the governor
. handed me his sealed reply, addres .ed
20 the captain Of my ship, out in the
$ harbor about four or five miles off.
e II knew this was sealed with the sole
object of gaining time. and hence ]
a broke the seal, read the contents, the
It governor protesting and saving that
= wa, a letter from my captain re-
n piled: i represent HIM here You ar,
l.. my prisoners, ,euors, and will have t.
come on board ship wlth me
They protested and pleded and i'm
ally the governor said: 'You came
ashore to talk matters over and yol
: make Us prisoners instead.
- so CHANCE FOR DELAY
Il replied: came on shore TO hanC
You letter and 20 get your reply; il
-. this reply now in my hand You agre,
to surrender all deryour jurisdiction
" Ii This means anything at all, 1t mean.
that You will aceed TO any demand.
Ut | may deem proper to make. You vii
u at once write an older to your military
ID man at Agaua. the capital Ohis plac,
"a was five miles distauD, directing him
D. TO deliver here at this place at p. IA
T. Git was then 1910 a. m, June ID al
ID arms and ammunition and all Spanish
II flag, ON the island. Each soldier to
e bring his own rifles and ammunition
z and all The soldiers, native and Spanish
e must witness this.
Re They protested and demmred, say.
At inc there was not time enough to ito it,
II bat said: Seniors, it must be done
e The letter was written, read by me
~ and sent. took all the officers on
boad with me IN boat and at 4 p. IN.
e Went ashore again and rounded in the
whole outfit. was three miles away
p from my troops and had only four men
with me. AT p. m, when disarmed
- los men and two officers. had IS men
and three officers with me.
"The keynote to the whole business,
L was my breaking the seal Of that letter
and acting at once. They had no time
: TO delay or prepare any ueacherou,
tricks, and | got the drop on the whole
outfit As they say out west.
The native troops | released and
allowed to return to their homes un-
! restricted; they had manifested great
JOY in being relieved from Spanish rule
While it was harsh il was war, and in
connection with the Spanish treachery
it was all that could be done Twenty
-four hours would haye-yes, believe
even four hours with a leader such as
the governor was; a Northumberland in
Tho Spanish army given them chance
20 hide along the road at Agana and al
intervals 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 landing without a
! terrible los, almost an impos,ibilty-
I but, all Is well that ends we'll.