Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-05-05
THE NEWSFR0M SAMOA
Many Inhabitants Sorry That HoStili-
ties Have Ceased.
SAY MATAAFA is BEATEN.
And That He Would BE Given u Out
etus II the Present Advantage
Were Only Followed
Up mt Once.

|
vices received here from Apia, Samoa,
to April ~ state that the rebel loss by
the Smelling of the Mataafan stronghold
at Vailima by the warships of Great
Britain and the United States was quite
heavy. Many of the rebels were wound
ed. The house in which the late Robert
Louis Stevenson lived was riddled with
shot.
A majority of the inhabitants are
| highly dissatisfied with the cessation of
hostilities. They say that Mataafa Is
| beaten now and that the trouble would
| all be ended in q week or ten days were
the advantage pushed. The rebels are
! delighted at the delay, which will give
! them time to refill cartridge shells and
build more forts.
| On April 70 there was skrmish be-
tween rebels and Lieutenant r. A.
Gaunt's brigade near thktown of Vaili-
ma In this engagement one Mataafan
was Killed The lines of the friendlies
| were attacked in the darkness at two
| points, but none of them was killed.
On April 23 there was some bush fight
ing. Lieutenant Gaunt's brigade, num-
bering 300 men, advanced under a hot
fire. The enemy lost several men, the
".
or the friendlies one was killed and
three We're wounded. British Lieuten-
ants Innes, Hickman, Shutter and Heath
cote, under Lieutenant Gaunt, led the
loyalists.
Mataafa's Bluff Called.
Admiral Albert Kautz, U. S. NJ, fndi
Captain Stuart of the British cru ise,,
Tauranga wrote a message and dis.
1n1,
Mataafa ordering him to withdraw, Ills
forces outside of line ten miles long
and six miles broad. Mataafa repli Ell de-
Vanity. refusing to withdraw unless the
German consul and the captain of the
German cruiser Fake agreed
Admiral kautz and CAPTAIN Stuart
thereupon sent an utimatum to Mataa-
Ia threatening to compel the withdraw |
al of his forces. In support of this ulti- I
matuln plan Of action was decided |
upon. Lieutenant Gaunt's brigade was
strengthened. heavy gun was landed
at Mulinu. and war rockets were got.
in readiness
Being informed of these preparations
Mataafa made prompt reply, agreeing
to withdraw Immediately. On April 26 4
an important meeting of the king and i
his chiefs was held. They were inform !
ed of the action that had been taken by \
the British and American naval COM
manders and gave it general approval.
Lieutenant GauntS brigade is now
patrolling the prescribed area
King Tanu visited Admiral Kautz and !
Captain Stuart on board the American
esd English ships respectively and was !
received with the customary salutes osa
his arrival and departure
Hufnagel, the manager of the plan-
tation upon which an attack was made
on British and American sailors, result 4
ing in the death of Lieutenant Freeman
of the British navy, Lieutenant Lans-
dale and Ensign John r. Monaghan Of |
the United States cruiser Philadelphia.
and two others is still detained on |
board the German cruiser Fake The,
gun carriage from the PHILADELPHIA
which was lost at the time of the en- |
gagement has beer recovered. but the !
gun is still in the hands of the rebels. !
Charges OF fnhuHlanity Untrue.
Officials and leadi," residents of Sa-
moa who have been interviewed all
unite In saying that the charges of in
humanity on the part of the British
which were made by a man named La
roch are untrue.
1t is the general opinion that the is
lands will be unnhabitable except for
Germans and Frenchmen unless Me taa
ia and the rebel chiefs are sey ,erely !!
punished.
1t is doubtful if British or Am lercan |
subjects will give much evidence before |
the international commission, o. wing to |
fear that to express Intensely es can
didly would interfere with trs de rela-
tons. For this reason the evil lence be-
fore the commission is likely to be one
sided
The statement by the GerI' nan minis !
ter for foreign affairs. Baro n Won Blu
low, that Mataafa was VI lanimously
elected king of the Samoan islands is
denied in Samoa.
The rebels admit that tt lie result of
the battle at Vailma was the greatest
reverse they have ever experienced. |
They were astonshed by tn manner in |
which Gaunt's brigade ssusti lined its po-
sition in the face of a cp1u tinuous fire. |
They We're also astonlshed at the final !
shelling of Vaiima. BY wfM CHI many of
he rebels were badly wound ed.