The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-06-17
SAMOAN GIRL
MORMON CONVERT
Three Missionaries Arrive in San
Francisco With Native
Ward.
AVOID DISCUSSION OF CASE.
Admit German Authorities Had Them
Sign a Contract to Re
turn the Girl.
AVOID DISCUSSION OF CASE

professed to be taking to Utah to
educate in the Mormon school at Salt
Lake. They said that they had OBJ
tanned permission to do this unique
PROSECUTING from the German author
tiles at Samoa, and claimed to have
a contract with the German Vice
Governor DR.. Schultz, whereby they
should have the guardianship of the
girl for six years.
Should the German authorities de-
sire to have the damsel returned to
the islands before the expiration of
that time, they said that, under the
terms of the contract, they would be
forced to send her back.
Alice Aipata is the name of the
girl. She is handsome, well-devel-
oped native Samoan, and her guard
ians" say that she is 10 years of age,
mature enough to know her own
mind and decide her own problems.
Captain Downie of the steamer Aeon,
who picked up this missionary party
at Samoa, doubts that the young girl
is as old as IS, and declares fatty
that she is not more than 16 years of
age The Mormon apostles with whom
she is travelling, are all men. The
party is led by Rev. Thomas S. Cort
and the other two missionaries with
him are Robert E. Dimond and Will
| fred Porter.
APOSTLE CORT TELLS STORY.
Rev. T. S. Cort showed reluctance
about discussing his work yesterday
afternoon while the steamer was com
ing into the harbor, and he went to
some lengths to keep the girl from
being interviewed, although, prior to
warning her to keep still and avoid
photographers, he had said that he
had no objections to her giving her
own story in her own way Thus it
came about that the only account of
the girls trip to this country had to
come through the mouth of the man
who is sponsor for her safe-keeping
"Alice Aipata is one of 800 con.
verts which we have made in Samoa,
said Mr. Cort yesterday. she is on
her way to Utah, where we shall
educate her during the next six years
in our mission school. Whether she
will stay longer in this country is
problematical. That depe ds.
"In order to bring her m Samoa
I had to make contrad with the
German authorities guaranteeing her
return at any time that the German
Governor, DR.. Solf, sees fit to stipu
late No, | give no bonds to satisfy
the Samoan authorities that 1 would
live up to the terms of that contract
1T was expressly stipulated thai
the girl would be nobody's plura
wife. In fact, it was understood thai
she would be nobody's wife. She is
however, of age, and she can do a.
she wants, suppose"
Rev. Mr. Cort then became taciturr
and showed a disposition to change
the subject.
THE MILITANT MISSIONARY.
\ The missionary is a blue-eyed man
\ tall and muscular of build. He show
in his tanned face traces of his lif
in the tropics. He shows, too, in hi
manner, something of the logged dc
termination of his church, which ha
: sent it's apostles to all heather lands
as we'll as Christian. industriously
. preaching and recruiting convert
= from all castles and conditions.
: When he had the conversation turf
, ed from the subject of the silent 81
moan girl, who was his fellow pas
: senger, Rev. Mr.. Cort talked fluent
8 on his experiences on the islands II
a described interestingly the eruptio
Of the Mu (Fire), small but violen
, volcano on the German island of 81
vail He said that a new cone ha
burst out on the mountain, whic
first became active in August, 1870
From this cone a vast river of Law
I poured over the district of Matatut
and the deserted town of Saleault
devastating the fields of the native
c and spreading ruin for a radius {
seven or eight miles No lives WEI
lost, but incalculable damage wa
= done.
PASSENGERS SHIP AS WATERS
The three Mormon missionaries an
b their ward shipped on the steamC
Aeon at Samoa, registering as cool
and walters, as the vessel is a freigl
carrier and is not supposed to tai
passengers. With them came J.
Speeding, agent for the New Zealar
and Australian mail line, who mad
] the journey to this port with h
wife, Both are on their way to En-
land, They also shipped as membe
of the crew,
The Aeon carried $500 tons
Z freight, most OF which Is railroad tie