The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-09-26
Lieutenant LaDSdale's Watch and
Chain Returned
MATAAFA WRITES TO M'KIKLEY
Good Offices of London Times
Correspondents In the Matter
Monaghan's Trinkets.


President received in audience at the
White House yesterday afternoon Mr..
John George Leigh, who has spent sew
eral months in Samoa as special cor
respondent of the London Times, and
is now on. his return journey to Eng
land While in one of the ''black viii
lagos of Upolo Mr.. Leigh learned
that a watch, believed to have be-
longed to either Lieutenant Lansdale
or Ensign Monaghan, the two officers
of the cruiser Philadelphia, who were
killed during the recent war against
Mataafa, had been found in the pos
session of a native. He at once COM
municated with Mataafa, whom he had
promptly received a reply from the
high chief assuring him that no effort
will be spared to recover the relic, and
begging him, should the search prove
successful, to restore the watch to
the rightful owner with my heartfelt
condolences" He added:
You know what 1 feel about the
Americans and the late unhappy war"
At the same time he placed at Mr..
Leigh's command his grandson and
boats crew, who were instructed to
carry in every necessary direction Ma
taafa's order to his adherents.
While these messengers were in the
Island of Savaii, watch and chain,
with locket and other articles at
tached, were handed to Mr.. Leigh and
identified as the property of the late
Lieutenant Lansdale.
A few days later the correspondent
left Samoa for San Francisco, where
he met the young widow of the la
mented officer and placed the trinkets
in her possession. Long ago, at the
lnstlgatlon of his family and of Lans-
dale's comrades in the navy, unsuccess-
full efforts had been made to trace the
articles, so hope that they ever would
be found had been practically aban-
doned
Mr.. Leigh this afternoon handed to
the President letter from Mataafa. of
which the following is a translation:
ITO His Excellency, William McKin-
w, l. iOoioC1C VI luc OhllSu OIdlSS OI
America.-YOur Excellency: have to-
day been informed that a watch has
been found by one of my people which
is believed to have belonged to Lieu
tenant Lansdale or Ensign Monaghan,
who were unhappily killed in battle at
Valiele, on April l. l have learned
that Mr.. Leigh is about to leave Sa-
moa for America, and | have asked
him to convey the watch to your EX-
cellency in the hope that you will
cause it to be restored to the bereaved
mother or nearest relative of the brave |
and much-lamented officer. Mr.. Leigh |
will tell you that 1 have sincerely de-
plored the sad, untimely death Of the |
brave officers and men who came from |
and perished in the late un-
happy and useless war. My sorrow is |
the more because of the great friend |
ship which your great country has in |
the past extended to Samoa. L am es-
pecially anxious that this should be |
made known to the sadly stricken |
mothers and relatives. May it be the |
will of God that there may never again
be strife between America and the Sa
means, and that the three powers will
recognize my submission to their will
and desire for good government.
pray God may give you long life.
II. j. MATAAFA. |
Mr.. Mckinley, in the course of con-
verSatiOn with Mr.. Leigh, expressed
himself much gratified at this proof of
thoughtful humanity, and
said that it would afford him more
-han ordinary pleasure to personally
respond to the letter. He very warm
Y thanked Mr.. Leigh for his action in
he matter and for having personally
the relics to Mrs. Lansdale.
When Mr.. Leigh left Samoa active en-
ieavors were being made to recover
Ensign Monaghan's watch, and Mr..
leigh believes that it will follow him
% Washington by the mail due in a
week or So In that event it will, of
course be at once forwarded TO the rel