Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-05-04

some IorlS were attacked IN the rea
by some Tamasese friendlies. VIII,
killed three of them and woundet
others. One friendly native was killet
in the fight.
Frightful weather has been prevail
! ing at Apia. the sailors being com
| PEELED 10 sleep four nights in the we
| trenches.
| The friendly natives under the com
mand of Lieut.. RIA. Gaunt of the Brit
ish third-class cruiser Porpoise, wer,
attacked on April II from the French
mission station at Falita. One of hi:
| men was wounded. The rebels or,
eventually routed with the loss of fou,
| men killed. The Tamasese lines were
extended on April IS to Vailele battle
field
Mataafa attacked the friendlies anG
Gaunt's brigade joined in the engage.
ment and fought we'll Four bodies OF
slain rebels were recovered. The
others were dragged away One friend
~ was killed and beheaded and one
was wounded. The rebels had a Ger
man flag flying from their forts
About 1000 women and children have
sought refuge at the Maluit station OF
the London Missionary society.
The rebels are seizing the traders
rifles, cartridges and stores, and the
traders are fleeing to Apia.
Business is at standstill and a
strong land force is urgently needed.
Won Buelow, formerly lieutenant in
the German army and the man who
organized the forces of Mataafa here,
armed with a sword, gun and cart
ridges, proceeded to Savaii with thir-
teen boats and 400 rebels, and the Ger
man warship Fake sailed on a secret
mission with Herr Rose, the German
consul, on board. Capt Leslie c..
Stuart, commander of the British
cruiser Tauranga, in the absence of
Admiral Kautz, who was coaling the
Philadelphia at Page Page, wrote to
the German consul, urging him to Sc
cure Won Buelow and the next day the
Fake returned with Won Buelow on
board.
The offer of New Zealand to send
troops to Samoa caused enthusiasm at
Apia. The inhabitants are almost
in the belief that the treaty
is failure and there is strong feel
ing in favor of annexation. Promi-
nent American citizens and British
subjects say annexation is preferable
to the triple control and that unless
M q r. - f. ic
evitable within year.
The British third class cruiser Por-
poise is still engaged in punitive
cruises.
On April Is a battle was fought at
Mangia, fifteen miles eastward of Apia,
About 1000 rebels attacked a Gaunt
landing party, consisting of about 100
men. The latter were subjected to
hot fire and retreated to the shelving
beach, where they defended them
selves bravely for time and after
wards swan back to their boats
under heavy fire. Chief Muliango
with twelve friendly natives re-
fused to retire and charged into
the burning village, driving the rebels
before them with splendid, reckless
bravery. Gaunt's party then returned
to the assistance of the "friendlies"
and the whole party retired with four
men wounded. The rebels had eight
killed and many wounded.
In the fight Oh the 18th, the friend
lies" advanced to attack with Falio-
alele ana Dana on the left, Gaunt in
the center with 120 men and Fauna
sanga on the right. Gaunt's party de-
livered such a heavy fire the rebels re-
treated to a second stronger fort $50
yards back. Faumasanga's friend
lies" bolted, but Gaunt crawled out to
the firing line and drove them back at
the point of a revolver. They then adj
vanced to attack the second fort, but
found the position too strong and lost
several killed and wounded. Guant
again returned TO the attack and
heavy, continuous firing on both sides
followed, during which the attackers
suffered further losses. Guant sue
ceeded in crawling to within so yards
of the fort, but found it too strong to
capture, as the "friendlies' " support
was unreliable. The party then re-
tired in good order with four killed
and Is wounded, three mortally. The
rebel loss was probably small. The
and POrpoise shelled the po-
sition, but the result is not known.
Gaunt succeeded in capturing German
flag flying over the first fort. A
further attack was to have been made
the next day. On the return Of the
landing party Capt Stuart of the
Tauranga, signalled well done,
Gaunt's brigade"
Message from Kautz.
Washington, April 2S.-The follow
ing cablegram has been received at the
navy department from Admiral Kautz:
Auckland, April 27. Apia, April Is.
of the Navy, Washington:
The receipt of kilograms of March
u and April is acknowledged. Coal
cannot be obtained at Apia; must be
ordered from Auckland. Everything
is quiet at Apia. I am not aggressive
on Mataafa rebels but I am protect
ing United States consulate, United
States property, and the Samoan gov
eminent as established by the decision
of the chief justice of the supreme
court. -Kautz"
A German Dispatch.
Berlin, April 27.-An official dis
patch, dated Apia, Samoa, April Is,
has been received. 1t says the cruiser
Philadelphia proceeded to Pango-Pan-
go, while the British warships con-
tinued the bombardment Of the coast
villages on the northern coast of