The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-06
COULDN'T WORK THE GUN
How the Americans Were Killed
in Samoa.
WERE LED INTO A TRAP
Germans Advised Them to Take the
Main Road, Where the Natives
Were Anbushed-Made
Brave Fight.

San Francisco, May 5-The regular
correspondent of the associated press
writing from Apia. Samoa, under date
of April 20, gives detailed account of
the fight in which Lieutenant Lansdale
and Ensign Monaghan of the American
navy and Lieutenant Freeman of the
British navy lost their lives
On April l a landing party, made up
of so American sailors and marines and
So English sailors and about 100 natives,
proceeded to Vailele TO break up an as
semblage of rebels who had been COM
uniting depredations in the vicinity.
II The party was under command of Lieu
tenant Angel Freeman. first officer of
the Tauranga, and with him We're Lieu
tenants Cave of the Porpoise and
Hickman of the Royalist. The Ameri-
cans We're under command of Leuten-
ant Lansdale. who had with him En-
sign Monaghan and Lieutenant Perkins
of the marine corps.
DR. Lung of the Philadelphia also &C
companied the expedition. When the
party had reached the German planta-
ton Lieutenant Cave asked Captain
Hufnagel. the German manager if
there were any Samoans in the vicinity.
The manager said that none had been
there that day. At that very moment,
and within few hundred yards of the
expedition, was a large body Of rebels.
4 Iufnagel advised that a return home
be made by way Of the main road
4 through the plantation. as everything
was quite safe and no rebels had been
about. Three other Germans We're with
Hufnagel and heard the conversation.
mo one gave any warning of danger.
The march to the beach was COM
f1enced, and no sooner had the men got
out of the plantation premises. when.
4 at bend in the road 400 yards away.
large numbers of rebels We're seen. A
fColt automatic gun, of which the ma
Etives have great dread. was Immediate
lily brought forward. 1t refused to act.
The rebels got off clear and a halt was
smade to fix the gun. This took half an
hour and Lieutenant Lansdale fired a
] few trial shots. The gun worked all
fright and the march was resumed. with
l the friendly natives in the lead. Misled
by the information of Hufnagel, it was
decided to return by the main road.
The open space where the Germans
had been massacred by Mataafa 10
Iyears ago was passed and the troops
marched down the road to a narrow
gully, the sides of which We're covered
with buffalo grass. On the top of the
had begun to march through the gully,
the rebels fired upon them.
The line was about 800 yards in
length. The rebels were lying in long
grass, while some were in the tops of
cocoanut trees. The Colt gun again
refused to act, and While Lieutenant
Lansdale was trying to fix it. he was
wounded in the knee. At the beginning
of the fight Lieutenant Freeman was
shot through the chest and fell dead.
The friendly natives retreated at the
first fire and the whole force was
thrown into confusion. To retreat was
imperative and the automatic gun was
accordingly abandoned after the am
munition had been scattered and the
fbreech taken away, rendering it still
more useless. The allied forces were
surrounded on three sides. Through
1.-THE scrub and grass the sailors retired,
4 Iansdale being assisted by his men.
1.-THE firing of the rebels was severe.
sLansdale, who was being assisted by
tEnsign Monaghan and two men, seeing
THAT he could not get away. urged them
ITO leave him to his fate. One American
sailor was shot dead, and the other
seeing he could not save his officer. re-
'treated and escaped. Monaghan re-
fused to go and stayed by his fellow
officer. The headless body was found
on the battlefield. Monaghan's revol-
yer was empty and also Lansdale's.
Between them lay the dead bodies of
three rebels. Monaghan. before the last
man left him. shot the chief. AionO,
dead as he was advancing on Lansdale.
Doctors from Mataafa's side relate how
Monaghan stood over Lansdale until
that officer was shot dead and then
tried to escape himself, but was unable
= to do so. When the party reached the
beach it was found that four men were
missing besides the officers. They were