Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-02-09
GERMANS THEMSELVES DEMANDED
1T ORIGINALLY.
Insisted That He He Made Forever In
eligible to the KinRship-Now
They Are Trying Illegally
to Install Him in That
Position.

hearing the claims Of the rival candidates
for the kingship, the Mataafa natives. who
were numerically stronger, were openly
supported by the German officials. The
entire German population began to talk
of immediate war in case the decision went
against him and the life Of the chief JUS
tice was openly threatened by one Of the
chiefs. The three consuls agreed to issue
a proclamation. putting the chief justice
and his residence under the protection OF
the treaty powers. For some reason the
German consul broke his word and declin-
ed to do so. The British and American
consuls thereupon issued proclamation
and hoisted their national flags over the
residence Of the chief justice.
On December 81, the chief justice decided
Mataafa was ineligible for election and
that Malietoa Tanus was king. The Amer
lean and British consuls Immediately rec
ognized the new king.
The decision was received with ominous
silence by the natives. Within an hour the
consuls. the president and the German and
British captains. held a meeting. The Ger
man consul and president declined to rec
ognize Malietoa and went over to Mataafa.
who was waiting at Mulinu. the western
province of Apia, with 5000 men under
arms. until he had surrounded the loyal
troops, 1900 in number, who occupied the
central portion of the town.
The Malietoas lacked arms and ammuni-
tion. In few hours the rebel forces had
surrounded the residence of the chief JUS
tice who was guarded by 200 loyal natives,
and Captain Sturdy. of her majesty's ship
Porpoise. landed twenty-five sailors under
Lieutenant Gaunt.
The residence was barricaded, and the
men stood to arms all night, when the
chief justice and family were taken to
the beach. Fighting was expected to COM
mence at any moment. and the British and
vent hostilities.
II the two rebel parties had effected
Junction the loyalists might have been
slaughtered. but darkness came and the
fighting ceased. During the night Malietoa
PEOPLE Pddisd sought refuge IN boats, and were
Porpoise. After the retreat from the Tivoii
70 the mission. 1t was found that King
maies1a ian stMrdw had been left at the Tvol Cap.
hotel and brought the king safely back.
1t was brave deed. Although the res
caess caers were e. nred upon repeatedly they es-
The British sailors under Lieutenant
Gaunt behaved splendidly. They held their
fire for direct attack which never came
American Consul Osborne and family took
refuge in the British consulate, which was
CLOSELY lose k guarded by British sailors.
Porpoise, the rebels were left in absolute
possession of the town. All Samoan houses
were looted and burned. White mems
houses were invaded and searched for
Samoan property. Trees were cut down.
crops were spoiled, dogs and horses taken
away and boats either stolen or DESTROYED.
dent and the leading Mataafaian Chiefs
came to an agreement to preserve life and
property, and 20 keep order.
,dant IA provisional government. with the pres
loent as executive head, was approved by
an consuls, pending the settlement Of the
wnoie question by their respective govern-
The British and American cousuIs agreed
to this provisional arrangement, with the
understanding that 1t was in no wise to
anect the Berlin treaty or any oficial Of
the Malietoa people who had been taken
on On 6 board the Porpoise should be allowed
tatned on the Porpoise.
Ihe nrst act Of the provisional govern
ment' however. showed the fixed determine
snanGa asion or the German officials to assume an
ascenoency IN Samoan affairs BY public
notice the provisional government aboI-
isned the supreme court. and then decided
Inc the president was the acting chief
no longer held Office. They seized the an.
preme court and placed new locks on all
Chief Justice Chambers and tb. p-,.,.,
and american consuls issued a proclama
tlon that the court would be opened by him
a as usual su j. In the morning. Captain Sturdy.
Justice Chambers was offered the pa:y
pos pose ed.e would open fire on the town. Cap
tam sturdy also appealed to the German
captain for assistance without avail. Mata-
IA, upon receiving Sturdy's uitimatum
MhnnareW ha,aa & mis- armed guard from the court
mouse ana on January the chief Justice
with a guard of twenty-five men. LANDED
me chief justice and the two consuls walk.
Ing &C colIooGy u,s Wt house fse and after an e1cit
Chambers ordered the door broken in wifi,
a s sledge hammer The session Of the court
tice and the British and American eons,is
and the crowd dispersed.
is concerned. is so up to date ~ Tbe bmsn5,hg nhiaz
justice has sent his family to Aucsland
and and he himself is on the Porpoise. The
justice. % Sniei
On January 19 the wealthiest German
mere mderehant IN samoa smashed all the win
was hned 800 and sentenced to 100 days'
I'M Imprisonment; In the court he insuited
the. the Judge e, and gloried in his deed. He was
claiming to be chief justice, ordered the
5aiikeeper, a Swiss with German sympa-
eonsn, eo 10 as Take the prisoner to the German
the merchant was fined ESQ by the German
Everybody in ApIa is anxiously awaiting
news OF action by the three powers. The
action OF the provisional government in de-
porting the Malietoa chiefs is claimed to
agreement
made with the consuis. Sixty chiefs We're
sent 10 Mauua. but owing to bad weather
could noe reach that island. They were
taken to Tutuila by the Pago-Pago peopIe
who have declared their allegiance To
Malietoa. They tried to capture the guard
way too quickly. Everything points to an
other fight among the natives at no distant
time Part of the Mataafa people are dis
satisfied with the looting and deportation of
the chiefs. and are now talking of uniting
with the MaltetOa faction,
During the fighting between the natives
Mataafa's party lost thirteen killed and
fourteen wounded and the kings party lost
four killed and eight wounded.
Chief Justice Chambers decision that
Mataafa was not eligible to the kingship.
which decision caused the outbreak. was
based on the protocols of the Berlin treaty
which specifically barred Mataafa from
eligibility on account Of the outrages COM
mitted by his people and under his author |
ity on dead and wounded German sailors |
lying on the field of action. Prince Bis |
marck himself asked that Mataafa be |
barred. The other plenipotentiaries agreed |
that the exception made by Bismarck was |
fair and reasonable, stating that his gov /
ernment would probably have entertained |
a similar objection had like outrages been |
committed on British sailors.
We have but to refer to the protocol to |
ascertain the undeubted and unequivocal |
says Justice Chambers. mot only is the in
tention without doubt and unequivocal. but !
the Interpreter: AZ the judicial onfcer
nominated by the three signatory powers, |
agreed to and commissioned by the govern
ment OF Samoa and thus designated Dy
them the n, all to decide this question and ap.
throw or the obligation TO obey the plain |
and emphatic declaration OF the framera