Jere Krischel at 07:02, 5 February 2006

2006-02-05T07:02:42Z

Ken Conklin at 02:05, 30 January 2006

2006-01-30T02:05:28Z

Jere Krischel at 05:04, 12 December 2005

2005-12-12T05:04:20Z

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1000 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
Mr. COFFMAN Yes. (Indicating on diagram.) There is Nuuana
avenue; that is the legation; it is about here—the house is not down
here.
Senator GRAY. It was a new and unoccupied building?
Mr. COFFMAN. It was a new and unoccupied building.
Senator GRAY. Large enough to have accommodated your force?
Mr. COFFMAN. Yes.
Senator GRAY. Did any one suggest the use of that building?
Mr. COFFMAN. Yes; I did myself.
Senator GRAY. Where and when?
Mr. COFFMAN. When the troops were drawn up; I think first when
they were drawn up in the street, and certainly afterward, when we
were waiting for a place to go.
Senator GRAY. Whom did you suggest it to?
Mr. COFFMAN. TO the officers in general. Mr. Swinburne was present
when I spoke of that place as a good place.
Senator GRAY. What was said, if anything, in reference to that?
Mr. COFFMAN. My impression was that they thought it was not as
good a location as farther down town.
Senator GRAY. YOU have spoken of Mr. Gunn and Mr. Waterhouse.
After you landed did you see any others who were connected with the
committee of safety or afterward with the Provisional Government?
Mr. COFF^tAN. Yes.
Senator GRAY. Who was it?
Mr. COFFMAN. I remember Mr. Carter.
Senator FRYE. Mr. Charles Carter?
Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Charles Carter; yes. I remember Mr. Castle.
I do not know what his first name is; he is a brother to the commissioner,
a tall nervous man with a red beard, I remember. I do not
believe I could call the names, because it is a question of testimony.
Those men I was acquainted with; I knew who they were, and Mr.
Gunn 1 knew pretty well.
Senator GRAY. Was that at the landing place?
Mr. COFFMAN. No, up the street.
Senator GRAY. What part of the street?
Mr. COFFMAN. It was first when we halted, and the second time
while we were waiting to go to Mr. Atherton's when I saw Mr. Gunn,
and later I saw Mr. Carter. I was informed that Mr, Carter bad
obtained Arion Hall for our barracks. I also saw Mr. Carter at Arion
Hall that night, and to my mind he was the moving spirit for providing
for the quarters of the troops and their comfort—little things as
they needed, such as sinks or latrines for the men. And they hauled
in their sand late at night. I am quite sure that Mr. Carter made the
arrangements, or Mr. Swinburne and Mr. Carter spoke about the condition
of the sinks for the men. In fact, there was only one sink.
Senator GRAY. Did that continue until the next day?
Mr. COFFMAN. Yes.
Senator GRAY. Thoughtfulness for your comfort?
Mr. COFFMAN. Yes.
Senator GRAY. By members of the Provisional Government?
Mr. COFFMAN. Yes; they were back and forth into the Government
building. Our officers knew a great many of them, and they used to
talk to a great many. They used to come to the fence and come to
the gate, and I am quite sure that there were some of the officers who,
while they did not allow persons to come into the grounds unless they
were passed in by an officer, all of them were recognized by the officers
and allowed to come and go back and forth.
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 1001
' Senator GRAY. Was anything said in your hearing by any of these
people about expecting you over to the grounds of the Government
building?
Mr. COFFMAN. Yes. The day they took possession was one of the
first intimations, and caused me to commence to think—the fact that
one of their men came over to our house, one of their officers or one of
the sympathizers, and in conversation with other persons expressed
surprise that our troops had not gone into the grounds of the Government
building when they took possession.
Senator FRYE. Who was that?
Mr. COFFMAN. I think it was Mr. Gunn, who commanded one of the
volunteer companies.
Senator GRAY. How long was this after the proclamation of theProvisional
Government, if you can recollect?
Mr. COFFMAN. I do not think it could have been more than two
hours, or perhaps not so long, or a little longer.
Senator GRAY. Where were you when the Provisional Government
was proclaimed from the front of the Government building?
Mr. COFFMAN. I was in the yard of Arion Hall, in command of my
company.
Senator GRAY. Could you see the proceedings from where you were?
Mr. COFFMAN. No.
Senator FRYE. Which front did you understand afterwards was it
that the proclamation was made from?
Mr. COFFMAN. From the front of the building.
Senator FRYE. There is only one front?
Mr. COFFMAN. Yes; only one front.
Senator FRYE. Which way does that face?
Mr. COFFMAN. It faces the palace.
Senator FRYE. And not Arion Hall?
Mr. COFFMAN. NO; the positions of the two buildings are like this
[illustrating]. Arion Hall is there and the Government building
there, with a narrow street between them.
Senator GRAY. The proclamation was proclaimed from the north
front of the Government building?
Mr. COFFMAN. I should say so; yes. That was the main entrance.
Senator GRAY. Where were you when the proclamation was read?
Mr. COFFMAN. In here, at Arion Hall, back of the opera house.
Senator GRAY. SO that you could not see that?
Mr. COFFMAN. NO.
Senator GRAY. Were there any troops in here [indicating]?
Mr. COFFMAN. Yes; and perhaps Mr. Laird; I do not know whether
he was here [indicating]. That is where the artillery were and that
is where Mr. Young was [indicating].
Senator GRAY. Does this recall to your recollection the position of
the troops?
Mr. COFFMAN. Yes; my recollection of the troops is that they were
a little differently arranged from that. I do not know; I may be mistaken
on account of the points of the compass; but I think my company
was drawn like this [indicating]. I think it stood here [indicating]
and Mr. Young's right in here [indicating].
Senator GRAY. That [indicating] would not indicate that the troops
were along here?
Mr. COFFMAN. NO; only here—sentries.
Senator FRYE. The other officers testified that no troops were there
but the sentries.

Template:1000-1001 - Revision history

Jere Krischel at 07:02, 5 February 2006

Ken Conklin at 02:05, 30 January 2006

Jere Krischel at 05:04, 12 December 2005