 He was appointed Chief Justice of Samoa c.1897, where the English, Germans and Americans were sharing political influence under a tripartite agreement.He was soon forced to adjudicate between rival local claimants to the kingship of Samoa, ruling on a legal technicality in favour of Chief Tanu.A civil war ensued, which had to put down by British naval intervention, severely worsening relations between England and Germany, who had favoured the other claimant.