Arizona republican., 1921-09-21
A|NE BARGAINS HALT
 SAMOA PLOTS TO. KILL CHIEF I ANS
Arrest and Conviction Of IT Leaders Breaks Up Conspiracy to Kill Chiefs Loyal to U. s.
rRepubIlcan A. p. Leased Wirel

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa, Sept. -OCorrespordence of The Associated Press)-A conspiracy on the part of number of petty chiefs to slay the high chiefs because of their loyalty to the American ad- ministration of the island, has been broken up by the island authorities and IT of the ringleaders have been sentenced to prison for terms rang ing from five to seven and one-haH years.
 Sam Ripley of Richmond, Calif., who with his. brothers and sisters is interested in Samoan property, was denied admission to the island on August Is by Governor Waldo Evans, U. s. N. and departed for Australia on the steamer Sonoma.
 Ripley on his arrival here, pre- sented a letter of introduction to Governor Evans from C. S. Hannum a Richmond, Calif., attorney, which said that Ripley's mission to the American Samoa was on business affairs. Upon examination by Gov ernor Evans, Ripley is said to have political nature. Governor Evans then informed Ripley that under the circumstances, he would not be per mitted to remain in Samoa.
 Several weeks prior to Ripley's ar rival here secret meetings had been held at which seditious speeches were made and resolutions adopted to slay some of the high chiefs who had demonstrated their loyalty to the American administration. Soon af- ter the departure of the steamer Sonoma, reports reached Governor Evans that some of the conspirators were about to put into effect their plans for the murder of the high chiefs. Warrants were immediately issued for the arrest of IT of the petty chiefs on charges of conspiracy l to commit murder. The accused | men were brought here and pleaded guilty before Judge Sydney Hall and 1 two Samoan associate justices. l After sentences had been pro nounced, the prisoners addressed a l letter to their followers advising them to return to their own villages and not to heed further the trouble makers. As result of the breaking up of the conspiracy and the admon- ishing letter of the petty chiefs, a much better feeling now prevails to- ward the government, the authorities said The letter drawn up by the convicted petty chiefs reads as fol- lows:
 August 26 1921.
 .'The Chiefs and Talking Chiefs of Tualauta:
 sWe wish to inform you that our 1 trial was closed yesterday and the result was as follows:
 'No. seven and one-half years in jail. No. ?, five years in jail. Now we are sending this letter to you to be sure and be loyal to the govern
 ment. Therefore e we wish you people that as soon as you get this letter everybody must go to his own yil- lage and do whatever the govern
 ment directs. I wish to say that
 we surely deserve the punishment and accepted with satisfaction. We
 warn you not to listen to other peo-
 pie who may give you further wrong advice.
 Yours truly,
 'Liu and Talking Chiefs,
 "Tualauta.'
 Samuel Ripley is a native O Samoa and is the son of Edward Ripley, a big land owner on the is
 land. Samuel Ripley went to th'
 United States about the year 1905 ' and claims that he is an American citizen. His mother and grand } mother were Samoans-