Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-04-15
AMBUSHED.
mataafa's Warriors Compel Re-
treat Of Allied Forces.
KILLED WERE DECAPI IATED.
Mataafa bound to Fight to the Death
-(:ermany Believes That Proposed
Americana English Alliance Prevents
Settlement OF Diliculty-Gravc Ap.
rehension Among United S.ntts
Officials


prehension Among United S'"its
Officials.
Apia, April .. via Auckland. \. H.,
April ia accommodating party made
up of American and British sailors was
ambushed yesterday by Il large body of
Mataafa's warriors, and, after making
most heroic stand, they were compelled
to retreat, leaving three olficefs and
four men dead on the field.
The allied forces We're in charge of
Lieutenant Freeman of the British
cruiser Tauranga. With him Were
Lieutenant p. V. Lansdale and Ensign
j. X. Monaghan Of the United states
cruiser Philadelphia All three officers
We're killed. Two American ana Two
British marines We're also killed.
The allied forces numbered about 2ll.
and with them We're about 80 "friend
lies They had got into the outskirts
OF -Apia, and We're passing through II
German plantation. when suddenly they
We're fired on from the rear, left and
front.
Several were wounded at the first vol
ley, and the firing was so heavy that a
ICsS SolidIl bdIlN Noult nav
been demoralized The "fricndlies'
were utterly panic-strickcn. and they
bolted and fled.
The same night the fiiendles found
the bodies of all the officers headless.
The bodies We're buried with all honors
at Nlulinuu on Easter Sunday. Their
heads were subsequently brought in by
some French priests, and the graves
We're reopened and the heads buried
with the bodies.
Iieutenants Freeman and Lansdale
were capable and popular officers. The
former was single, and the latter was
married in June. The officers who re-
turned are Lieutenant George f.. Cave
of the Porpose and Lieutenant c. NJ.
Perkins of the Philadelphia.
All behaved splendidly. Lieutenant
Cave took command of the retreat. Cap
tain Sturdne of the Porpoise was away
on an expedition with his cruiser. and
Gamt's brigade was also absent on
duty.
The loss of the enemy is not known,
but piobabl 80 of the rebels were killed
and many We're wounded. The bodies
of three rebels were found near the
spot where Lieutenant Lansdale and
Ensian Monaghan of the Philadelphia
We're killed. The priests buried IS
other rebels, and much blood was seen
on the road over which the Mataafans
had been dragging away their dead and
wounded. There We're also pools of
blood behind the cocoanut trees. the
bullets from the American and British
rifles going right through the thick
trees and killing men hiding behind
them. Some of the rebels fired from
the tops Of cocoanut palms. The rebels
opened fire near the town yesterday
evening.
1t is now proposed to summon another
warship, 10 distribute more arms among
the friendles and To import additional
friendlies from Tutulea. II is also
suggested that troops might he obtained
from New Zealand or Sy dn"y. New South
Wales.
If sufficient quantity of arms could
be obtained, about 2O0O friendlies could
be used against the Matuafans. But
they are not brave. and have not shown
fighting qualities excepting those with
Gaunt's brigade. and that force may not
accomplish much.
Admiral KautZ, Captain White of the
Philadelphia and the American men and
officers generally have earned golden
opinions, as have Captains Stuart and
Sturdee of the British navy. They are
doing everything possible. and every one
recognizes better men could not be han
ding the situation.
The SamoanS say Mataafa, on three
occasions, had resolved to surrender, but
Consul Rose advised him not to do so,
and he now says he will never give in,
but will fight to the death.
Lieutenant Philip Lanhorn Lansdale
was born in the District of Columbia.
Feb. Is, 1875. and entered the naval acad-
emy June 6. 1873 He graduated in 1879
ard was promoted ensign in 1881, and
after duty a the Washington navy yard
was transferred to the, Philadelphia in
June, 1890. He was made lieutenant
Junior grade in 1893. He was in charge
of the caravels at the Worlds fair in
Chicago, and after receiving his full lieu
tenancy, was short time on the bat
tleship Massachusetts. In June. 1896.
he was ordered To the Philadelphia.
Ensign John X. MOnahan was appoint
ed to the Naval academy as il ca det from
the state Of Washington. entering An
napolis on Sept. /, 1891. He graduated
and was made an ensign i'm July. 1897.
being assigned to the Philadelphia to
which vessel he was attached up to the
time of his death.
Washington. April 13.--Both the Brit
ish and German embassies here last
night received long cablegrams from
their foreign offices. reporting on the
developments in Samoa. That from
London was from the British consul at
Apia. and said that the casualties We're
one British officer killed and two o"
three American officers killed and five
American sailors wounded. with two
English sailors wounded. The purport
of the German dispatch is not known.
1t reached here about O'Clock. and took
an hour and IL half to decipher.
The dispatch to the British embassy
was in the main IA confirmation of the
facts given in the Associated Press DIS
patches. 1t was conservative in tone.
One point of significance to tho embassy
Was the fact that II apparently cor
tradicted Il published report of Il large
number of casualties on the side of the
joint American English forces. An
other Important point was that it an
nounced only one British officer killed
The action Of Great Britain in ordering
two more warships to Samoa attracted
considerable attention. and it was stated
that If the British ships are 50 rein
forced. Germany would take similar
steps and augment her naval repre-
sentation in those waters To meet any
possible contingency. So far, however
Practice Must BE Discontinued.
Washington. April 12.--After mature
consideration of the position assumed
10y the Nicaraguan government in the
matter of the recollection of taxes al