The daily sentinel., 1899-05-29
GOVERNOR OF GUAM.
POST WHICH CAPTAIN LEARY
WILL OCCUPY.
His New Duties at Guam - Captain
Learys Naval Career Dates Back
Forty Years-His Experience In Samoa
and Elsewhere. Il

Captain Richard P. Leary, United
States navy, who was recently appoint
ed by President Mckinley governor OF
the island of Guam, in the Ladrone
group, is about to start for his Pacific
island post In the auxiliary cruiser
Yosemite,
Guam is the principal island of the
Ladrones, which were formerly under
the general government of the Philip
pines. There is but one town in all
the Ladrones, San Ignacio de Agaua,
and that is situated at Guam. The
population of the Ladrones only
amounts to about ten thousand souls.
1t consists of descendants from the
original inhabitants, called by the
Spaniards Chammorros; of Tagal set
tiers from the Philippines, and Of
mixed race formed by the union OF
Spaniards and Chammorros.
In 1888 Captain Leary was placed In
command of the Adams at Samoa dur
ing those troublous times, and per-
formed a deed there that deserves to
live in history.
There were two foreign warships at
the time in Samoan waters-the Adler,
q German vessel, and the Adams, a
small and obsolete man-of-war, COM
manded by Capt. Leary, then bearing
the rank of commander.
The two captains had several inter-
changes of courtesy. On one occasion
tho AdInr s.o~neu past une American
ship, and at her foremast was native
oh wifi n
mast The German saluted as he
passed. but no answer came back from
the American ship. Soon the German
came to a standstill and boat was
dispatched to ascertain why the 4 n ar
lean had not answered the salute. Up
on this Capt. Leary sent back to the
Teuton this characteristic reply: "The
United States does not salute vessels
engaged in the slave carrying trade"
Soon afterward Capt. Leary again
had occasion to pay his respects to the
captain OF the Adler. While the war
was raging between Tamasese and Ma
taafa the German captain made his
war vessel a sort of tow boat for Ia
masese's war canoes, and trained his
guns upon villages occupied only by
were entirely destroyed. Capt. Leary
sent this just as incisive remonstrance
to the Adler's captain: Such action.
especially after the Tamasese party
had been represented as a strong gov
ernment not needing the armed sup
port of a foreign power, appears to be
n violation of the principals of inter-
national law. as well as a violation
of the generally recognized laws of
humanity
Still another vigorous protest was
sent later when the crew of the Adler
fired upon canoe filled with unarmed
natives. But Capt. Leary did more
than protest: he performed gallant
action. which has been but little COM
mented upon. and which has never re-
ceived the recognition that it deserves.
On the morning of November IA. 1888
n messenger came to Capt, Leary from
Mataafa with the information that the
German warshlp was, in the dawn OF
the following day. going to lombard a
stronghold which Mataafa had estab-
lished on land under American protec-
ton.
That night Capt Leary quietly got
steam up without attracting the Ger
mans attention, and had his anchor
chains muftled. All hands were called
to quarters before dawn. At daybreah
the Adler's anchors came up. and she
made for the threatened fort. Silently
the anchors of the Adams came up
also, and to the amazement of the
German the Yankee craft put after
him with full head of steam. and
darted In between him a-d the shore
Capt Leary cleared his ship for &C.
tion and the German followed suit.
A shot from either ship would now
have precipitated war between the
two nations. When opposite the
threatened fort the German dropped
his anchors. and the Yankee did like
wise, taking care to get between the
Adler and the shore. Capt. Leary
then sent this note to the German cap
tAlD.