The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-04-15
MASSACRE In SAMOA.
Natives Ambush American and
British Marines.
Four OF the Former and Three of the
Latter Are Killed = The Dead
Are Behended by Matanfa's
warriors.


Auckland, N. H.. April 13.--Dispatches re-
/ ceived here from Apia. Samoa, April !. say
| that party OF l05 American and British
sailors We're forced TO retreat 10 the beach,
after having been caught in an ambush on
German plantation that date. The ex-
/ petition was led by Lieut.. A. IL Freeman
! OF the British thIrd-class cruiser Tauranga.
Lieut.. Freeman and Lieut., T.. b. Iansdale.
/ OF the United States cruiser Philadelphia
We're left dead on the field. Ensign Mona
CHAN remained TO assist Lieut.. Lansdale
and was shot In retiring.
Two British and two American sailors
were also killed.
Hends Cut on.
The natives engaged were some OF
/ Mataafa's warriors. They severed the
( heads or the British and American officers
/ killed. Priests of the French mission aft
erwards brought the heads into Apia. The
manager Of the German plantation has
! been arrested and detained on board the
| Tauranga on afdavits declaring that he
was seen urging the rebels 10 fight.
In a previous engagement n OF Mataafa's
warriors were killed and there were no
| casualties among the European forces.
IL Is estimated that about 500 warriors at
tackled the Anglo American party from
ambush.
Mntnafn Given Last Chance.
Auckland, N. r.. April 13.--Further ad-
| vices from Apla, Samoa. say that on tho
arrival OF the British cruiser Tauranga az
Apia the British and American consus is
sued proclamation 10 give Mataafa a last
chance and that the French priests also
used their influence, but all efforts failed
and the rebels continued their depreda-
! tions Property was destroyed and bridges
and roads were barricaded. on March y
the enemy was sighted at Maguigi and ma
| chine guns and a seven FOUNDER were used
| The frendlies also attacked the enemy dur
| ing the latter's retreat and several rebels
| were killed or wounded. The friendlics car
| ried one head through Apia, which made
Capt Stuart so furious that he went to the
| king and threatened 70 shoot any man
found taking heads. The king then issued
| a proclamation forbidding the practice.
The German consul wrote 10 Admiral
Kautz asking II two great Christian ma
tons approved Of this inhuman and bar
| barous practice against the laws OF Chris
tianity and the decree OF the supreme court.
The admiral replied, agreeing with the con-
! sui as 10 the inhumanity OF the practice,
and pointed out that had the German con-
sui upheld the decree OF the supreme court
OF January. there would have been no blood
shed. that the custom was an old Samoan
one but first made known TO the world ten
years ago. when the heads OF honest Ger
man soldiers were cut Off by the bar
! barous chief Mataafa, whom the repre-
| sentative of the great Christian nation,
Germany Is now supporting.
| Expeditions in armed cutters belonging
20 the Tauranga and Porpoise are doing
considerable execution against Mataafa's
! stronRholds along the coast. The British
forces are being assisted by 100 Samoans.
I About 46 Of Mataafa's boats and several
| villages have been destroyed In the mean
time, flying columns are being sent daily
along the roads and through the bush near
Apia.
on April a force Of PA British and Amer
leans and 1850 friendlies were surprised IN
ambush at the German plantation OF Vas
! lelo. The rebel force opened fire on the
/ rear. left flank and front OF the Anglo
American force. The frlendies bottled. but
the marines and bluejackets stood their
ground splendidy, Americans and British
I firing shoulder to shoulder.
The Colt automatic gun with the land
ing party became damned. and the Amer
leans and British were practically at the
/ mercy OF the rebels. But retreat was
sounded three times before the marines
and bluejackets retired.
| Lieut.. Angel III. Freeman, first lieutenant
OF the Tauranga who was i'm command
OF the allied forces. was shot through the
heart.
Lieut.. Phillip Van Horn Lansdale OF the
United States cruiser Philadelphia. had his
leg shattered while endeavoring TO fix the
damned gun.
Extraordinary Escape.
Seaman Hunt, or the British cruiser Por-
poise, had an extraordinary escape. He
remained with Lieut. Lansdale until
less. The bluejacket revived as the ma
lives were cutting off his right ear and
were turning him over In order TO cut OFT
his Jeff ear At this juncture shell from
the British cruiser Royalst burst on the
battlefield, soaring the rebels. and Hunt
succeeded In escaping TO the beach, al
though severely stabbed In one foot.
The same night the friendlies found the
| bodies OF all the officers. headless. The
bodies were buried with all honors al Null
nuu on Easter Sunday. Their heads were
subsequently brought In by some French
| priests, and the graves were reopened and
the heads buried with the bodies
Lieuts Freeman and Lansdale were capa-
BILE and popular officers. The former was
single and the latter was married I'm June.
The Samoans say Mataafa. on three oc-
casions. had resolved to surrender, but the
German consul. Herr Rose. advised him
not 20 do so. and he now says he will never
give I'm. but will fight TO the death.
Dispatch from kautz.
washington. April 13.--The following dis
patch from Admiral Kautz has been re-
ceived;
auckland. N. a. April 12--secretary OF
Navy, Washington on April /. while the
! combined forces OF the British and United
States under Lieut.. Freeman. British navy,
were accommodating near Apia, they were
ambushed.
Deeply regret 10 announce the death OF
Lieut.. Philip r. Lansdale Ensign John II.
Monaghan. Cockswain James Butler. Or
binary Seaman Norman Edsail, and FIVE
men wounded belonging 20 the Philadel
phia. The British loss IN killed two men
I and Lieut.. Freeman"
FEELING IN WASHINGTON.
|