The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-04-18
BEHEADED BY SAMOANS
BRITISH AND AMERICANS ARE
KILLED IN AMBUSH.
Mataafa Warriors Attack the United
Force on a German Plantation-Very
Great Friction in Samoa.

AUCKLAND, N. a., April 12-On APP
ril 1st 800 of Mataafa's men ambuscad-
ed 100 blue jackets near Apia.
The fighting was terrific, the Ameri-
can and British tars repeatedly beating
back their assailants, who sought to
| overwhelm them by force of numbers
Lieutenant Lansdale and Ensign
Monaghan of the United States cruis-
! er Philadelphia and Lieutenant Free
man of the British gunboat Tauraga,
| were killed.
After the rebels had been driven off
| the bodies of the three officers were
| recovered. They had been decapitated
| by the savage Samoan warriors.
Four marines were killed. Mataa-
| fas loss was forty killed and a num-
ber wounded, these being carried off
| the field by the rebels when they re-
| tired.
The bodies of Lansdale, Monaghan
| and Freeman, as well as those of the
! unfortunate marines, were buried with
| military honors at Mulinuu.
There is constant fighting with the
natives around Apia, and the life of
no European in the islands is safe.
| AUCKLAND, April 12.-Dispatches
! from Samoa give further particulars of
the late tragical collision in Samoa as
| follows:
On April 1st a force of PA British
| and Americans and $50 friendlies were
| surprised in ambush at the German
| plantation of Vaslao. The rebel force
| opened fire on the rear, left flank and
! front of the Anglo-American force.
rhe friendlies bolted, but the marines
| and bluejackets stood their ground in
splendid shape, Americans and Brit
| ish firing shoulder to shoulder. The
! Colt automatic gun with the landing
party became jammed and the Ameri-
cans and British were practically at
the mercy of the rebels But retreat
was sounded three times before the
marines and bluejackets retired
Lieutenant Angel H. Freeman, first
! lieutenant of the Tauranga, who was
in command of the allied forces, was
| shot through the heart Lieutenant
| Philip Van Horn, L. S. N, had his leg
shattered while endeavoring to fix the
jammed gun. Seaman Hunt of the
| British ship Porpoise remained with
| Lieutenant Lansdale until dubbed ov-
er the head and knocked senseless. The
| bluejacket revived as the natives were
cutting. off his right ear, and We're tur-
ming him over in order to cut off his
left ear. At this juncture a shell from
the British cruiser Royalist burst on
the battlefield, soaring the rebels, and
Hunt succeeded in escaping to the
beach, although severely stabbed in
one foot. The same night the friend
lies found the bodies of all the officers,
headless. The bodies were buried with
all honors at Mulinuu on Easter Sun
day. Their heads were subsequently
brought in by some French priests and
the graves We're reopened and the
heads buried with the bodies.
AUCKLAND, N. H., April 1.-THE
natives engaged We're some of Mataa-
fa's warriors. They severed the heads
of the British and American officers
killed from the bodies. Priests of the
Hpannh mi Of dc ba
heads into Apia.
The manager of the German planJa-
tion has been arrested and detained on
board the Tauanga on afIidavits de-
claring that he was seen urging the
rebels to fight
In a previous engagement twenty
seven of Mataafa's warriors were kill
ed and there were two casualties
among the European forces.
NEGOTIATIONS.
WASHINGTON, April lin spite
of rumors to the contrary from Berlin,
negotiations for the settlement of the
Samoan crisis are proceeding satisfac-
torily. AS a result of conferences held
today at the state department and at
the British embassy, efforts will be
made to have the Samoan high COM
mission make quick trip across the
country, reaching San Francisco in
/,
moa one week from tomorrow. This
is regarded as distinctly favorable
turn in the negotiations, as indicating
that the three governments are very
near to complete accord on all points
of the commission. 1t does away also
with the reports that Germany was
Withholding appointment of her COM
missioner and makes it practically
certain that Baron Speck Won Stern
berg, the first secretary of the German
embassy will be the German high
commissioner.
If it becomes impossible to catch the
boat on the 18th arrangements may be
made for special steamer from Hon
olulu, and there is every chance that
the United States may assign a naval
vessel to carry the high commission &c
Samoa. This country would undoubt-
edly extend this courtesy if the war
ships We're not so actively engaged al
! the present time
WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE gov
ernment is determined to maintain a
strong force at Samoa. The collier
Brutus will go to Apia and remain
until the collier Scindia arrives, and
the collier Abarenda will soon leave fol
Pago Pago, where she will act as q
guaT7 ship. The collers will all be
armed and carry good forces of men.
CHICAGO, April 11.-Dr. Solf, the
new German president of the munici.
pal council of Apia, Samoan Islands
passed through Chicago last night II
private car, en- route to San Fran.
cisco.
WASHINGTON, April 1O-The pres
ident has selected Bartlett Tripp OF
South Dakota, formerly minister tC
Austria, as the United States represen
tative on the Samoan joint commits.
sion.
Mr.. Elliot, the British commissioner
is already i'm this ETY..
NJECcEhJCEp cEpUTc,u