Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-05-05

FROM THE AMERICAN AND
BRITISH NAVAL. COMMANDERS.
|. BUT QUICKLY FOUND REASON
TO CHANGE HIS MIND SPLEEN
DID WORK OF GAUegTS BRIG
AIDE.
Auckland, May 4.-Advices from
Apia, Samoa. to April q, state that
the rebel loss by the Smelling of the
Mataafan stronghold at Vailima by the
waryhips Of Great Britain and the
United States was quite heavy. Many
| of the rebels wire wounded. The
Stevenson lived was riddled with shot.
On April % there was sharp skir-
| mish between lNlels and Lieut. A. R.
Gaunt's brigade near the town of VAIL
| ina. In this engagement one Mataa-
| fan was killed. The lines of the friend
| lies were attacked in the darkness at
two points, but none of them were
! killed.
On April % there was some brush
fighting. Lieut.. Gaunt's brigade, num-
| bering 900 men, advanced under hot
fire. The enemy lost several men, the
bodies of the dead being dragged away.
OF the friendlies, one was killed and
three were wounded. The British
Lieuts. Inner, Hickman, Shutter and
Hathcote, under Lieut.. Gaunt, led the
loyalists.
The New Zealand government steam
| er Tutanekai had arrived at Apia with
| dispatches announcing the request of
| the international peace commissioners
that the inhabitants peacefully await
their arrival from San Francisco.
| meeting of the three consuls, in view
Of this message, was held, but without
| result, the German consul dissenting
from the propositions of the other two
consuls.
! Admiral Kautz, U. S. N, and Capt.
! Stuart, of the British cruiser Tauranga
| wrote and dispatched through a French
priest to Mataafa a note ordering him
to withdraw his forces outside of
line ten miles long and six miles broad
| Mataafa replied defiantly, refusing to
withdraw unless the German consul
and the captain of the German cruiser
| Fake agreed. Admiral Kautz and Capt
Stuart thereupon sent an ultima tum to
Mataafa, threatening to compel the
withdrawal Of his forces. In support
| OF this ultimatum plan of action was
decided upon. Lieut.. Gaunt's brigade
was strengthened, and heavy gun was
landed at Mulinu, and war rockets were
| gotten in readiness. Being informed
of these preparations, Mataafa made
| prompt reply, agreeing to withdraw
Immediately. On April 25 an import
| ant meeting of the king and his chiefs
was held. They were informed Of the
action that had been taken by the
British and American naval command
ers, and gave it general approval.
Lieut.. Gaunt's brigade is now patrol
| ling the prescribed area.
King Tanu visited Admiral Kautz
and Capt. Stuart on board the Ameri-
can and English ships respectively, and
was received with the customary sa-
lutes on his arrival and departure.
Hufnagel, the manager of the planta-
ton upon which the attack was made
on British and American sailors, result
! ing in the death of Lieut.. Freeman, of
the British navy; Lieut.. Landslide and
Ensign John r. Monaghan, of the
United States cruiser Philadelphia, and
two others. is still detained on board
the German cruiser Fake.
Officials and leading residents of Sa-
moa who have been interviewed all
unite in saying that the charges of in
humanity on the part of the British
which were made by a man named
Laroch, were untrue.
majority of the inhabitants are
highly dissatisfied with the cessation
of hostilities. They say that Mataafa
is beaten now and that the trouble
would all be ended in a week or ten
days were the advantages pushed. The
rebels are delighted at the delay, which
will give them time to refill cartridge
shells and build more forts. 1t is the
general opinion that the islands will be
uninhabatable except for Germans and
Frenchmen unless Mataafa and the
rebel chiefs are severely punished.
1t is doubtful if British or American
subjects will give more evidence be-
fore the international commission ow-
ing to fear that to express themselves
candidly would interfere with trade re-
lations. For this reason the evidence
before the commission is likely to be
one-sided.
The rebels admit that the result of
the battle at Vailima was the greatest
reverse they have ever experienced
They were astonished by the manner in
which Gaunt's brigade sustained its po-
sition in the face of continuous fire.
They were also astonished at the final