It was a banded conspiracy, from the king and the vice-king downward, to evade the law and deprive the Germans of their profits.

In 1883, accordingly, the consul, Dr.Stuebel, extorted a convention on the subject, in terms of which Samoans convicted of offences against German subjects were to be confined in a private gaol belonging to the German firm.

To Dr.Stuebel it seemed simple enough: the offenders were to be effectually punished, the sufferers partially indemnified.

To the Samoans, the thing appeared no less simple, but quite different: "Malietoa was selling Samoans to Misi Ueba." What else could be expected?
Here was a private corporation engaged in making money; to it was delegated, upon a question of profit and loss, one of the functions of the Samoan crown; and those who make anomalies must look for comments.

Public feeling ran unanimous and high.
Prisoners who escaped from the private gaol were not recaptured or not returned and Malietoa hastened to build a new prison of his own, whither he conveyed, or pretended to convey, the fugitives.