Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-04
ATTEMPT TO UPSET.
At TUTU|LAFA|LS
American Samoa Restored to
Normal Condition Follow
ing Naval Inquiry.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO. January A.
American Samoa's beetle-inspecting
chief Of police is out of Jail and the
judge who has seven other jobs is
tagain holding court. according to ad
vices from Tutuila. This change back
which resulted in dissipating an at
tempt by naval officer and a former
newspaper reported to control the
naval administration of the American
possession in the south seas.
| In furtherance of this attempt the
naval officer. Creed H. Boucher, lieu
tenant commander, and. the ex-re-
| porter. Arthur A. Greene enlisted the
support of Commander A. c. Kali. sec
ond in rank to Commander Warren J.
| Ierhune, governor of the island. The
three piled charges against Terhune
and his administration and finally
Kali tried to send a wireless message
to the Navy Department at Washing
ton branding his superior as insane.
| Suicide OF Terhune.
| With the message in front of him,
Ierhune, suffering from i'll health,
this tragedy developed W hen the naval
court of inquiry, already en- route to
Tutuila from Hawaii. absolved Ter
hune's administration of all charges,
recommended the deportation of
Greene. the court-martial of Boucher
and the removal Of Kali from his
post.
| Among the charges filed against
Terhune's administration was one that
omcials We're drawing illegal extra
salaries. j. Hurkin Mailo. native chief
OF police. and Judge A. M. Noble were
tespecial targets of Boucher, Greene
and Kali.
| Charges Before the Board.
| After Commander Terhune shot him.
self Kali became acting governor, and
ne Jailed Mailo on charges that the
chief of police had urged the natives
| 70 oppose the activities Of Greene and
Kali. Previously Boucher had alleged
that iregularties of the Terhune ad-
imtntstration included paying Mailo as
beetle inspector as well as head of
the police force. but that no beetles
| were inspected.
Judge Noble, who. besides being
| district judge. was secretary to the
! commandment. registrar of titles, Sec
rotary OF native affairs. Judge, of the
| probate court, superintendent Of edu-
court and vice president of the Amer
| lean Bank of Samoa. was charged
Dy Boucher and Greene with being
| instrumental in alleged misuse of
funds and authority. Kali closed No
ble's court when the former became
! acting governor.
Other charges before the naval in
curry included the following:
That the Terhune administration
l was a close corporation and that
| many OF its acts were illegal
That the governor was physically
| unable to perform. his duties.
That civil and naval officials of the
|! administration were inefficient and
that some were immoral.
/ That there were gross irregula rites
In handling funds
That the administration made>Amer-,
lean Samoa the Laughing stock of,
the south seas and of the United
States Navy.
Eight Days Of Inquiry.
The board Of inquiry sat for eight
cher for twenty-five of his eighty
five days service was under suspen-
sion on three charges-carrying a
pistol. attempting a mutiny and false
hood. Bouchers examination revealed
man without Hs authority pubiicly eriti
cised the Secretary of the Navy and
the President; insubordinateiy COM
fnunicated with authorities at Wash
ington in violation Of regulations. and
committed many other breaches of
naval regulations.
Upon examination he declined to
answer many questions on the ground
that the answers would incriminate
h1mSelf. He acknowledged Lhat all
charges he made were based upon
hearsay and without investigation. It
was revealed that documents were
stolen from naval officers. but an at
tempt to introduce these by Greene.
who acted as Boucher's counsel, was
overruled by the board.
The testimony also revealed that
Greene and Boucher created unrest
among the natives in an effort to
change the government and assume
control for themselves. Their activi-
ties resulted in organization of ma
tives into committee" which
forwarded an appeal to President
Wilson to remove Gov. Terhune. and
the native unrest was manifested
by several fights with the American
sailors.