The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-05-16
OF THE SLAUGHTER
Krautz Reports on the
Mataafe Fight.

Washington. May i5-Socretary Long Il
IA, made public go mucn Of rscetl
,seft rcin Admiral Eauts upsu sam.
car es,I, as touc les the tiClng cs q
ncmtei Of American sllors by NstaA.s
aaAershte rear Apia "a ire nfst ~ Atr1
The r,r,r is an ela5 O., ilv - the ,.s
cf f..on of he an 'r winch was .sL'ed
at too tus by 'he As-ociatsl i'fess
frsm ,,ti and. No ,nent..1 . uts- q
any point ot the reported plr;iclui ON
I'm the ARRAY of the German, iiufuapel
the manager Of the plantation where the
fight occurred. 1t Is shown that the failure
OF the Colt gun 90 work properly was IN
large meausre the cause o rthc Ame-
rican and British defeat
Admiral Kautz says the expedition was
projected by Captain Sturdee Of the Per
poise. For several nights preceding the
sentries had been fired upon b ythe ma
tives and & became necessary 10 drive
the aFgressors away Admiral Kautz
says that Il was the oploion of al the
officers who had the matter In charge
that the force was ample 10 do the
work without risk. especially as II was
10 move out along the beach and return
the same way. under the protection OF the
guns of H. NJ S. Royalist II IS safe TO
saw. says the admiral that after Lieut.
enants Freeman and Lansdaie had COM
ferred together they did what they deem
ed best under the circumstances, and the
disaster that followed could not be fore
seen
Admiral Kauiz appends tho reports Of
tho surviving officers OF the expedition,
which were transmitted boy Captain White
Of the Philadelphia.
DETAILS or THE FIGHT.
In his letter the captain commcuds In
the strongest terms the work OF past
assistant surgeon G A. Lung. lie says:
"At times, when the fire from the con-
cealel natives thickest, and an times, hy
his example, he encouraged the young
and incNperienced men to the proper per
Torrance of duty. ON the completion of
the work OF his profession, he assumed
command of our blue jackets and march
ed thtm to the United States consulate
Captain White describes at some leustn
the happenings of April as gathered
from a close examination OF the petty Of
ncers and men engaged in the fight lie
says that several excursions lad been
made into the beach back of Apia during
the last ten days Of March Very few ma
tives had been observed and when seen
they always fled when fired upon by the
Colt automatic gun. Lieutenant Lans-
dale set great store by The gun and fre-
quently operated it himself.
Says Captain White
"He appeared to depend greatly upon
the gun when the party was ambushed on
April 1st Twice It did not function and
time was lost In overhaulmg it and great
delay consumed IN trying TO get q through
the wire fence. LleutenCut Lansdale was
loath to aJanuon n, bu. the fire was 80
CALLING that before he was wounded ne
was comp He'd to scatter the important
parts and leave 1t behind. z ,udence led
him to deploy his men IN opeu order The
thicket was so dense that after the order
for retreat was sounded tt was not p0ssi-
bio for the groups TO render each other
mutual support
DIED FOR A FRIEND
Lieutenant Lansdale was wounded be-
law the knee soon after the Con was
abandoned and rendered incapable II mar
ching. He was assisted by his nenNne
OF them, ~ T.. Edsall was "ortally
wounded while so doing. 1t Is MT Il ar
when Lansdale received tne wo una in
his chest 1t IS In evidence most clea- at
when Ensign Monaghan discovered that
Lieutenant Lansdale was wounded, he
used his best endeavors to convey him
TO the rear and, seizing "a rifle from dis
abled man, made a brave defense, but un-
daubtedly he fell very shortly after join
ing him, and the hosties flushed with
success, bore DOWN on our men In this
vicinity. The men were not insufficient
numbers TO hold out any longer and they
were forced along by a fire which t
was impossible TO Withstand. Ensign
Monaghan did stand He stood stead
fast by his wounded superior and friend
one rifle against many-one brave man
against score OF savages lie knew ht
was doomed. He could not yield. IL,
died in heroic performance Of duty
Private Henry l. Hubert, u. S. NJ G.
Informs me that en- saw both Lieutenant
Lausdale and Ensign Monaghan aftel
they were killed, that he had bee nnear q
few moments before ana that he had as
| sisted In covering their retreat. He Is
mentioned by Lieutenant Perkins fol
bravery and goood conduct.
~ have to commend the stesdIness OF .
Fisher, in charge of tue colt automatic
gun for coolness and steadiness IN twice
standing ana nring against the enemy
fire. j.. s. Ranlet assisted Ensign. Mona
CHAN in binding up Lieutenant Lansdale'i
leg with a handkerchief belonging TO B
| Galiaghan, blacksmith, and assisted II
| carrying him when first wounded.
NUMBER OF DEAD SAMOANS.
1.-THE number Of cartridges fired by
each Of the blue jackets averaged hfty
| From what appears TO De reliable author
ny forty OF the assailants were kllle'
and fifty wounded. This Information wa
obtained several days ago after the en-
| gagemsnt. Whenever our men could &c
| cover the yturned and fred
| The British story is briefly told b.
/ Lieutenant C. p Cave, In an enclosed re
/ port made 10 Captain Stuart OF H. NJ. S
/ Touranga, and contains no informaho
beyond that set out by the American OF
hcer He does not say that the friend
lies bOIting through the British and Anne
riean lines rather broke II up, chat Lieut.
enant Freeman ordered the retreat afte
the engagement had been In progress yor
little time, because he men were runnin
short Of ammunition and darkness wa
approaching. lie declares all ranks be
aaved splendidly,'
First Lleutenanlt Perkins United state
corps. In describing the fight says tina
tne enemy approached within fifty yard
left and rear, when the retreat was OF
dered. firing boldly. The marines WEI
compelled to pass into deep ravin
commanded by blum from which th
ensmy fired continuously upon them. say
hei
ALMOST EXTERMINATED