The Hawaiian Gazette

THE SAMOAN QUESTION
Considerable
Excitement
on the
Pacific Coast.
Vivid Account of Hostilities from Klein
in
the Examiner—American and
British Flags Insulted.

By the U. S. S. Vandalia on Saturday have been received San Francisco papers to January 20th. The Examiner of that date has a page and a half occupied by Mr. Klein's correspondence from Samoa per steamer Alameda.
His letter is dated Apia, Samoa, January 5th, and opens with the following exciting intelligence:
"There can be no question that never before in Samoa has the general situation been more critical than at the present time, and never have American citizens and American property here been in more imminent danger.
"Since my last letter, as the result of the unceasing tyrannical actions of the German Consul, backed up by three men-of-war, twenty-two sailors from those vessels have been killed, thirty-two wounded, many of whom will die, while American and English houses have been destroyed by the Germans and the American and English flags have been fired upon. The American flag was deliberately shot at.
"By the steamer which takes this letter to America United States Consul Blacklock has forwarded to Secretary Bayard the remnants of an American flag formerly used by an American Vice-Consul in Samoa, which was willfully burned by the Germans on December 21st.
"An American citizen has been taken prisoner in the neutral territory of Apia by the Germans and conveyed on board of one of their men-of-war, while another American was assaulted by a German subject and thrown into prison.
"The Captain and the Lieutenant of an English man-of-war have been fired upon by a boat's crew from a German man-of-war, while both American and English subjects have been forced to flee from Apia to the men-of-war now in the harbor belonging to their respective nations for fear of an attack by the Germans and by the Samoans belonging to the rebel Tamasese's party.
"These occurrences have all taken place within four days, and it is very evident that more serious results are bound to follow."
The special correspondent of the Examiner then enters upon a graphic account of events from the day that the U. S. S. Adams sailed. A brief summary of his story is all that space in this paper will afford.

FIGHTING
LIVELY
BUT
AMMUNITION
SCARCE.

Fighting continued between the two parties, Mataafa's forces constantly gaining the advantage. The latter began to suffer seriously for ammunition, while Tamasese's men were well supplied by the Germans. Mataafa, however, secured 20,000 rounds of Snider cartridges, which saved his cause for the time, as he had 2,500 Snider rifles in his army which had been useless three months for want of ammunition. Twenty cents apiece was first asked for the cartridges, but the price was bargained down to eleven cents. The money with which to pay for the cartridges was obtained by the natives mortgaging large tracts of land.
On December 10th a report that was verified reached Apia, that three of Tamasese's villages had deserted him, the men returning to their homes. The natives were finding, the correspondent says, "that the war was being conducted for the ultimate personal gain of the Germans." As an instance of this he says that the German man-of-war Eber, which seized 800 muzzle-loading rifles from the natives of the Marshall and other islands, sold them to Tamasese's men at Saluafata for $7.50 apiece.
A brief account is given of the capture of a fort on Dec. 10th by Mataafa's men. On the evening of that day an old Savaii man of Tamasese's party landed in Apia, on his way to his chief's fort at Lautuanu. He was seized by Mataafa's people who were going to take his head off, but one of the chiefs said he was too old to fight and ordered his release.

A
CHAPTER
OF
DISCOURTESIES
AND
OUTRAGES.

Mention is made that the officers of the German warship Olga after arrival from the Marshall Islands, where the original Malietoa was left, visited the officers of the U. S. S. Nipsic and H. B. M. S. Royalist, "but, following the custom of the other German officers and the German Consul, failed to pay a visit to the United States Consulate."
About 7 o'clock the same evening two officers from the German warship Adler came on shore wearing their swords according to their invariable custom in Samoa. They accused a Swedish baker named Danielson in a saloon of laughing at a picture of the dead Emperor of Germany. Danielson denied having done so, when one of the officers tried to throw him down. He threw the officer instead, and the second officer then stabbed him once in each arm with his sword. When Danielson went to the German Consulate next morning to complain of the two officers, he was told he was drunk and forced to leave the premises.
On the evening of the 16th about 180 sailors from the Olga and Adler came ashore at Matafele, and becoming somewhat primed announced that they were especially anxious to meet Americans or Englishmen, for the purpose of fighting. They began in particular to look for Mr. Cusack, an English subject who recently began the publication of the Samoan Times. Cusack sought refuge at the British Consulate. The sailors entered several American houses in search of the occupants, but failing to find them returned to the saloons. One dwelling which the German sailors entered was that of George Scanlan, the United States Marshal of Apia. He was not at home, but they found him later in the company of his brother in a saloon. "A German applied a vulgar epithet to George Scanlan, when the latter knocked him down. Several dozen sailors at once jumped on the two Scanlans and stabbed each of them in the back twice. They managed to escape from the place and went to a native church, which is being used as a hospital, where their wounds, which were very serious, were dressed by Dr. Derr of the Nipsic."
The sailors in the meantime began attacking natives, in one of their houses beating a gray-haired woman, who was defending her children, with stones and clubs so savagely that three of her ribs were broken, both arms fractured, her skull severely injured and her back badly hurt. A boy who was looking on was beaten about the head with pickets torn from a fence, and a number of natives were seriously stabbed and also beaten with stones. Several sailors were struck with stones, receiving severe bruises. Several officers who were with the sailors were so drunk that they were brought to the ground by their swords getting tangled about their legs.

AMERICAN AND ENGLISH INTERFERENCE.

A number of Mataafa's men who were in Apia, hearing of the riot, rushed with their guns to that chieftain eager to fire upon the sailors, who were chasing the natives all over the lower end of Apia with knives, clubs and stones. United States Consul Blacklock, who had gone to the scene to allay the outbreak, if possible, was also appealed to by the native warriors, as to whether they had better fire upon the sailors. They were strongly urged by the Consul not to make any attack upon the Germans, but allow the trouble to be settled peacefully. "Luckily," says the correspondent, "they took his advice and went away, thus averting a great loss of life, and for the time being refraining from giving the entire German forces an excuse for attacking them in turn."
"About 10:30 o'clock at night Capt. Hand of the British man-of-war Royalist sent an officer to Capt. Fritz of the Adler, who is the senior German naval officer in port, telling him that unless the German rioters were recalled by their respective ships immediately he would send a boat load of marines on shore at once for the purpose of preserving order, and would not be responsible for any injuries which the German sailors might receive if they did not stop rioting. Capt. Fritz promised to have the men brought off at once, and the larger part of them were returned to their vessels." Some of them were left, however, who distinguished themselves by breaking a red signal lamp used for guiding vessels into the harbor, which was on the grounds of the Catholic Mission. They also assaulted an Englishman named James Mackie with a club, and he struck one of them twice and retreated.
Consul Blacklock on Dec. 17th sent in a protest to the German Consul, Dr. Knappe, saying that the conduct of the German sailors would have been a disgrace to sailors of any nation, and also directing the attention of the Consul to the fact that the actions of the German sailors had placed the lives and property of Americans in serious danger.

PRELIMINARIES OF TROUBLE.

On the morning of the date last mentioned the Olga left for Saluafata, taking with her Consul Knappe and an English printer named Jones, who writes letters to a Sydney newspaper, which the correspondent says are the source of much annoyance to the English and American residents of Samoa. About ten minutes before the Olga left, she sent a boat to the Nipsic to inform Capt. Mullan where she was going and that she would be back at night. This brief notice is characterized as customary with the Germans, in order that the Americans may be embarrassed for want of time in any movements they may make. When the Olga returned she
THE SAMOAN QUESTION.
Continued from page 1.

brought Mamea, the secretary to Tamasese, who had been the deposed King Malietoa's secretary. In the evening Mamea wrote a secret letter to his wife, divulging the whole plan of the Germans. Sailors from their three ships were to make a joint attack with Tamasese's men at night upon the native village of Matafagatele. Neutral territory in Apia was to be no longer recognized, Tamasese's men being told they were at liberty to shoot Mataafa's men within the neutral bounds or wherever they met them. It was the intention to kill as many of the men as possible, and capture the women and children for hostages. If it was found impracticable to attack Matafagatele, the Germans were to continue on to Vailele, the site of a German plantation, where the Germans would erect a fortification. It was calculated that the natives would be afraid to fight "the rebels," because the latter would be under the protection of German troops. Mamea's wife, in pursuance of the Samoan custom of warning friends on the opposing side of an attack, informed some of her friends among the Mataafa people of the contemplated attack on Matafagatele.

GOING FORTH TO MEET THE FOE.

The correspondent describes the summoning to arms at 11 o'clock at night, to defend the threatened village. Concerning himself the following statement is interesting after the celebrity he has attained on both hemispheres for his presence in the conflict: "I dressed hastily and, taking weapons with me, started with the natives up the main road toward Matafagatele, solely in my capacity as special correspondent of the Examiner."

Shortly before 2 o'clock in the morning word was given that boats had left the German ships. The correspondent ran back to the British Consulate to give information of what was going on, and found that Consul Coetlogon had hoisted a red signal lamp on the flag staff, the understood warning of danger to Capt. Hand of the Royalist. From the Consulate three boats were plainly seen in the moonlight pulling past in the direction of Matafagatele.

HOW THE BATTLE BEGAN.

The boats kept pulling up the coast, getting nearer the beach all the time. Mataafa's men were following them up in ambush on shore. Two of the boats were seen to be filled with men in naval suits, but the longest boat only showed five or six dark figures paddling. Klein, at the request of one of the chiefs, hailed the boats to tell them that Mataafa's men were present and desired no trouble, but if the Germans persisted in trying to land they would be fired upon. He called "Boat ahoy!" three times, and after the first hail the boats ceased rowing, while conversation in low tones was heard from the Germans. Klein sung out the chief's message a second time, as the boats were still coming nearer. At this second warning two of the boats pulled away directly off land, but the largest went on up the coast about one hundred yards from shore. It was afterward learned that the two boats went to Vailele to await the arrival of the third. Ten men with one chief and the correspondent ran round the shore of the bay for a mile and a half, for the purpose of being present when the large boat landed so as to ascertain, if possible, the intentions of its occupants. They had approached within four hundred yards of the boat, which was 150 yards from the shore, when three men came out of the bush on horseback and signaled with lanterns to the boats. Immediately upon the signal being given a number of men in white and dark suits sprang up from the bottom of the boat and waded ashore when the boat had come closer to the beach.

"Several of the natives approached nearer to the boat and were watching the movements of it closely, when they were fired at by the sailors in the boat. Immediately a fire was opened on the Mataafa men from a rock and brush breastwork, which had been constructed on the beach just opposite to where the boat landed."

The correspondent here tells of the South Sea Island plantation laborers who assisted the Germans in the fight, and proceeds: "The latter [Mataafa men] returned the fire, when the sailors to the number of forty or fifty, who had in the meantime all landed, began to shoot at them. Within one minute the Germans had fired probably 200 shots at the few Mataafa soldiers in the vicinity, and bullets flew about us in a most unpleasant way. Refuge was taken behind cocoanut trees until the shots decreased. The Tumaga men, finding themselves heavily handicapped, naturally retreated for reinforcements, and together we drew back about one-quarter of a mile." Klein continues with an account of the arrival of reinforcements, which enabled Mataafa's party to dislodge the German sailors, civilians and their laborers in about fifteen minutes. One civilian had shot a Mataafa man dead and fatally wounded another.

CAUTION OF THE CORRESPONDENT

About this time a messenger came running with the information that a force of German sailors, who had landed during the night from the Eber, had made a stand in a hollow square covering Tamasese men, near the Vailele plantation houses a mile away. They were firing on the Mataafa men, but what were supposed to be Tamasese men proved later to be black laborers. The native soldier and a chief asked for Klein's opinion as to whether the Mataafa men would be justified in shooting back at the German sailors. He writes: "While I had a decided opinion of my own upon the subject, I declined to take the responsibility of advising them any way upon the subject." He, however, agreed to accompany them back to Apia to take the advice of the United States Consul. They had not gone far in hastening to Apia when they heard heavy volleys of musketry, interspersed with irregular shots, coming from the direction of Vailele. They saw Consul Blacklock, who gave the advice anticipated by the correspondent, viz., that he could give the chief no advice whatever upon the subject, and that whatever his people did in the matter they would have to do entirely without advice from him.

KLEIN NOT PRESENT AT THE MAIN FIGHT.

It was while Klein was at Apia with the chief that fleet runners came in with news of a pitched battle in which the Germans were routed with a loss of twenty-one killed, including one officer, and thirty-two wounded including one officer. They had been assailed on all sides by the Mataafa men, and simply overwhelmed by numbers. Three of the German slain were decapitated according to the war custom of Samoa. The accoutrements of many of the dead sailors were appropriated by the natives, including the sword of Lieut. Sieger, and also the swords of wounded lieutenants. Klein's report of the battle is very graphic, but space will not permit its reproduction here.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS.

The note of the Captain of the Adler to Capt. Mullan of the Nipsic, mentioned in our own Samoan news by the Alameda, stating that he was going to Saluafata to "stop the fighting," the correspondent says, "was regarded with much indignation both by United States Vice-Consul Blacklock and British Consul de Coetlogon." The Captain of the Adler did not notify the American or English Consuls or Captains of the ship's intended movements until a few minutes before her departure.

Consul Blacklock replied to the German note by referring the German Consul to propositions made at a Consular meeting on November 19th by the American and British Consuls, which, if carried out, would have placed not only German but all other property in perfect security.

In the name of the United States Consul Blacklock protested against the German Consul's action in attacking the Samoans, thereby offering them cause for revenge and placing citizens of the United States and their property, as well as others, in the gravest danger. This action he regarded as most dangerous and entirely in opposition to the understanding between the three treaty making Powers.

About 6:15 o'clock the Adler left Apia, but the Nipsic having no steam up did not get away till 12:15 o'clock. Klein accompanied the American ship. They found the Adler and Eber lying near Laulii, both vessels cleared for action, all the guns in position and ports down. The shelling of the native settlements began as the Nipsic came to anchor, the results of which have been previously reported in this paper.

Half an hour after the Nipsic arrived, Captain Mullan, with three officers, went on board of the Adler for the purpose of demanding from Consul Knappe his reasons for having assumed the right to stop the war. Consul Knappe replied that he would hold no communication with an American naval Captain. He added a statement about a letter he had prepared that morning to Mataafa concerning a settlement. After further parleying Captain Mullan asked Knappe:

"Why do you, the German Consul representing but one of the three nations that made the treaty with Samoa, take it upon yourself to stop the fighting here without consulting the American and English Consuls?"

"I will answer to my government, sir," was the reply. "Our men were fired upon first," the Consul added.

In further conversation the German Consul claimed that the sailors were landed to protect German property. Captain Mullan conceded their right in that regard, but asked why the German forces had gone there at the dead hour of night, and why one German boat had landed over one mile from German property when it could have landed perfectly well upon that property. To this query the correspondent says neither Consul Knappe nor Capt. Fritz made any reply.

At 4 o'clock the Eber left for Apia with the dead and wounded, and half an hour later an officer from the Adler came on board the Nipsic with the information that the German ships intended to bombard Laulii within an hour or two. Foreigners would be given time to leave the village, but there were no foreigners there. Captain Mullan sent an officer ashore to tell Mataafa of the intention of the Germans. This enabled the people to get out of danger, the village being deserted in twenty minutes.

Laulii was situated on land belonging to British subjects, and two English flags were flying thereon. These, says the correspondent, were fired on by the Germans during the bombardment. Captain Mullan protested to the Captain of the Adler against the bombardment, which in consequence was delayed till next morning. The United States Consul tried to find the German Consul on board the Adler in the morning, but the latter was not there to receive any protest. While the Adler did the bombarding the Olga lay by quiescent. Before the Adler began firing Tamasese's people were allowed to come down and loot the village.

EXCITEMENT IN APIA.

The correspondent speaks at length of the rumors that the Germans were going to fire over the town of Apia into the bush. Consul Blacklock was informed by Consul Knappe in reply to a note that the latter was not aware of such intention. At this stage of the proceedings, it is asserted, Capt. Hand of the British warship Royalist "showed the first signs of awakening to the slightest realization of the actual condition of affairs since his arrival." Capt. Hand is charged by the correspondent with having scoffed at Americans and Englishmen who suggested his intervention for the protection of his countrymen, with having refused sails and oars for the hospital tent, with regarding the Samoans as worthy of no more respect than the negroes on the West Coast of Africa, and with ungracious demeanor toward his country's Consul and people. It is also remarked, "neither had Capt. Hand made the slightest move when the two English flags were fired upon at Laulii by the German ship." The Captain now, however, sent a guard of four marines under Lieut. Plumer to the British Consulate, and "on the same night the Royalist put her electric search light in operation, much to the disgust of the officers of the German men-of-war."

STARTLING PROCEEDINGS.

Many American and English residents, as previously reported in this paper, had taken alarm and gone aboard their respective national vessels for protection. It is no news here, either, about the German demand on Mataafa and his warriors to surrender themselves on board the German warships. But much more serious developments are related in Klein's letter.

Consul Knappe issued a proclamation in Samoan, German and English, dated December 21st, and saying that, unless Mataafa's forces submitted, the German man-of-war would fire into the village of Matafagatele.

Upon Consul Blacklock receiving a copy of this proclamation, he immediately wrote to the German Consul, protesting in the name of the United States against the German Consul's action, at the same time notifying him that Captain E. L. Hamilton, an American citizen who has lived for many years in Samoa, owned three houses in the village of Matafagatele, and that the American flag was flying over them, and, further, that if this property was damaged by the German forces, the latter Government would be held responsible for the act. These houses were built in the American style, the cost of one being $1,000.

Notwithstanding the American Consul's protest, the vessel threw shells into the town at 9:15 o'clock the same morning. Twenty-five shells were fired, after several boat loads were landed and two-thirds of the village burned, including the three houses belonging to Capt. Hamilton and a house which was the property of an English subject.

Capt. Hamilton went to Matafagatele and found his houses destroyed. Part of the large American flag was found partly burned near one of the houses. The remnant of the flag was secured and Consul Blacklock sent it by last mail to Washington.

During the day another meeting of Consuls was held at the invitation of the German, when the United States Consul stated distinctly that he could not consent to any basis of settlement that included establishing Tamasese's rule, as such would be contrary to his instructions. He further stated, in reference to a report that Mataafa's troops in the recent battles had been under the command of an American, that he had investigated the matter and had discovered that the reports were utterly groundless.

About 5 o'clock in the evening of the same day, firing was heard on the water front. Captain Hand and Lieut. Plumer of the Royalist, Lieut. Fillette of the United States Marine Corps, Consul Blacklock and Mr. Klein were at the United States Consulate and all ran to see what the trouble was. Sailors in a boat from the Eber were pursuing and firing at a boatload of Mataafa men. Several shots were fired at the latter as they jumped ashore. Thirty native women and children were bathing near the spot, and Europeans were being ferried across the river. The ferry was operated by Charles Brown, a Belgian by birth, who was naturalized in New York city in 1875 and who served for many years in the United States Navy. Shots were endangering everybody, some of them flying close to Brown's head. Captain Hand requested Brown to go out to the German boat and ask the officer in charge to come ashore and explain his conduct. The Germans took Brown a prisoner and held him on board the Olga until Captain Wallis arrived. Some communications took place between Capt. Hand and Capt. Fritz of the Adler, and in the morning a boat was sent on board the Royalist to apologize to Captain Hand and the other English officers.

Brown complained to his Consul, but, having lost his naturalization papers, could not prove citizenship.

Other instances of Americans being endangered similarly are given. Robert Wright, a colored citizen of the United States, was flying an American flag in a boat, when he was taken a prisoner to a German vessel and questioned as to his right to fly the flag before being released.

SUNDRY ITEMS.

Friendly overtures had been received from Tamasese's side by the Mataafa party.

An indignation meeting of British subjects condemned Capt. Hand's conduct, and directed that a complaint should be forwarded to Admiral Fairfax.

Klein's correspondence in the Examiner is illustrated. He reported himself seriously ill in closing his letter.

Interviews of the Examiner with German citizens of San Francisco show them to be "loyal Americans all."

The Examiner has a strong editorial, wishing that the Trenton and Vandalia had been at Samoa, clearing Klein of the blame attributed to him by German reports, and charging that "the present horrible condition of anarchy and butchery in Samoa is entirely due to the wanton interference of Bismarck's emissaries."