Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-20
DEGRADED THE CHEF,
Took the Law Into His Own Hands Mt
Page Page.

From the Hawaiian Star.
Because of one little fish, Letuli, one
of the county chiefs Of Page Pago in the
district of Tutuila under the American pro-
tcctorate, was degraded in rank and dis
graced in the eyes of his countrymen. The
ex-cheftan and his friends consider
him a martyr to the honor of a chief, while
the whole crowd must now sit awake at
nights abusing the new government Lee
till might have been technically right but
that he was dead wrong from a practical
point of view was the unanimous opinion
of the high court, which degraded him in
rank. The conduct on the part of Letuli
which led TO his trial and conviction arose
over his trying to maintain one of the
earlier customs Of the Samoan race. Fa-
gaima, another native and a lesser light in
the Samoan community than the mighty
chief, was the object of LetulTs hatred.
One of the customs of the Samoans has
been based upon due and proper rever-
ence and respect for the chiefs. A certain
fish indigenous to the waters of the island
was reserved exclusively as food Of the
high men of the community. 1t was re-
garded as too good for the palate of a COM
mon herd which risked the hunger of
sharks by fishing for the red delicacies. In
addition to this custom further rule of
the natives requires the people to take
presents of food to the chiefs, who gave
much of their time to attending to the
transaction of public affairs.
Whether Fagaima was tired of the Gus
toms of his forefathers and hungered for
liberty well as red fish was not brought
out at the trial, but in any event Fagaima
failed to make his obeisance to the chief
Whether il was Friday and Letuli had no
fish that day and was depending upon Fa-
gama to fill the tinny void was another
matter which the trial failed to develop,
but the evidence went to show that Fagai-
ma had Toasted while the chief had hun
gered. When Letuli heard of the disre-
spect he called upon the bones of his ances-
tors to help him be revenged.
For two days he prayed that the bones
of that fish might stick in the dastardly
throat of Fagaima, that scales be lifted
from the eyes of blind justice and cause her
to visit retribution upon the insolent fisher
man. But the throat of Fagama continued
uEclogged by fish bones and ne was heard
abroad in the land singing the praises of
the red fish. Then the chief resolved to
take the law into his own hands for
in the singing of the fisherman, he saw
treason Those loudly-sung praises of
the red fish would whet the appetites of
the other natives and soon the chiefly food
would become common and finally extinct.
The policy which he pursued is told in the |
following finding Of the court which tried
Letull: ------
.Letuli had taken the oath Of allegiance
to the United States and knew the law |
which had been explained to him. Notwith- |
standing this he deliberately ignored the |
Fagaima. without referring the matter to |
the proper court; third, with apparent ami |
mus against Fagaima the accused permitted |
the people Of his own village, Ilili. to COM |
NIT acts of violence against him for what |
he thought to be an offense against himself. |
1t is evident that he knew the law. but |
tried to evade the consequences of violating