Template:814-815 - Revision history

Jere Krischel at 05:28, 24 January 2006

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Ken Conklin at 05:44, 22 January 2006

2006-01-22T05:44:44Z

Jere Krischel at 04:47, 12 December 2005

2005-12-12T04:47:54Z

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814 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
ment was made to me, nor was I aware that either Minister Stevens or
Capt.Wiltse would assist or did assist the citizens of Honolulu in establishing
the Provisional Government, or in overthrowing the monarchy.
It was evident to me that the overthrow of the monarchy was due to its
own inherent rottenness.
G, N. WILCOX.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 4th day of December, A. D.
1898.
[SEAL.] CHARLES F. PETERSON,
Notary Fublic.
AFFIDAVIT OF JOHN EMMELTJTH.
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, Honolulu, Oahu, ss:
JOHN EMMELUTH, being duly sworn, deposes and says as follows, towit:
I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and came to this country in
February, 1878, and have been here since that time engaged in my
business of tinsmith and plumber. I have accumulated some property
and am married to a resident of the islands. I was nominated a member
of the committee of public safety and was appointed one of the
advisory council of the Provisional Government.
I know James H. Blount from seeing him once when I called with
other members of the advisory council. The visit was never returned.
He never said anything to me about the country, its resources, or
history, or asked me any questions about the revolution. I tendered
my statement through Mr. S. M. Damon, and understood that I would
be notified when Mr. Blount was ready, but never heard anything
from him.
Prior to the 14th of January I had become aware that a new constitution
was to be promulgated and of the tenor of it by reason of a conversation
between Arthur Peterson and John F. Colburn that I accidentally
overheard in the office of John F. Colburn while I was waiting
for his brother, the drayman. I stepped to the rear entrance of the
warehouse, which is immediately adjoining his little private office, and
while standing there I overheard Arthur Peterson remark to Colburn
that the Queen had decided to promulgate a new constitution and that
she would have no minister that would uot agree to signing it and assisting
in its promulgation, and that if he, Colburn, were agreeable to that
that under the circumstances he could have the portfolio of minister
of the interior.
This was on the Thursday previous to the announcement of that
Colburn-Peterson cabinet. Colburn asked Peterson who the other
members of the cabinet would be, and he told him Sam Parker and
Billy Cornwell. Colburn agreed to go into that cabinet under those
circumstances, and Peterson told him to go to the Queen with as little
delay as possible and tell her that he was willing to go under that
arrangement. I went back to my store, and standing in the front door
within three minutes after Colburn came out in his brake, drove up
along Nuuana to Merchant and up Merchant street, which leads to the
palace. That was the last I saw of hiin that day. On the afternoon
of the 14th, after the prorogation, it was noised about the town that the
constitution would be promulgated. During the early part of the day
I saw the members of the committee of the Hui Kalaaina that were to
carry the constitution to the Queen to be signed.
Among the supposed members of that committee of the Hui Kalaaina
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 815
I recognized at least twelve of the Queen's personal retainers, and the
rest of them were men so old and decrepit that they would not know
what they were doing in a matter so important, and there was not a
solitary member of that committee that could have stated any ten good
reasons why he wanted a new constitution, and I felt in my mind at
the time that it was a crime to permit anything of that kind to go on.
I was very busy that day m my line of work, and about 2 o'clock, in
going out to Waikiki, I saw the crowd gathering and heard that they
were discussing the matter of promulgating the constitution, and on my
way back I came in on horseback. Just as I got to the palace gate the
Queen stepped out on the balcony upstairs and addressed the natives
that were gathered in the grounds there.
They came together, and I rode on horseback about half way into
the yard, sufficiently far in to hear what she had to say, and in
Hawaiian she addressed them and told thein that owing to the perfidy
of her ministers she was unable to give what they and she so much
cherished, but that she would guarantee them that within the following
week they should have the constitution. I was not aware at that
time that there had been any meeting of citizens. Not until I was on
my way home 1 met Judge Hartwell and he told me of it. The following
morning I was told that there was to be a meeting at the house of
W. R. Castle, and that I was expected to be there. I went over and
had a conversation with Mr. Thurston at the time, and spoke of the situation.
At a meeting later in the day I attended, and from that time
on became an active participant.
The committee of public safety had as a basis for organization the
different companies of the old Honolulu Kifies. Taking them as a basis
they worked up the membership by taking the old lists and finding as
many as were in town of the old members and getting their consent to
work for the cause. Company A is the only one I can speak of; every
member of the old company under Capt. Ziegler that was at hand signified
his willingness to stand by this movement. The membership, if
I recollect Capt. Ziegler's conversation, was 63 at the time of disbanding,
and of the 63, 60 reported for duty. There never was at any time
any anticipation on the part of the committee as a whole or of myself
or any of the other members, to my knowledge, that the forces of the
Boston were to land for the purpose of assisting the committee.
After we had seized the Government building and while the proclamation
was being read, Company A drew up in line on each side of the
building. Members of Company B, if I recollect right, came up in
front and a third company in the rear of building; in all, 1 should say,
about 180 men arrived within the five minutes. Of Company A everyone
had his arms, his Springfield rifle, and the other companies were
armed with private weapons and such as they could gather together,
but they were all armed, all of those 180 men. A little after the reading
of the proclamation tlie committee retired into the office of the minister
of the interior and there congregated around the large table. I
don't remember in what order they came, but among the business
transacted was the sending out of notices to the different representatives
of the foreign powers of the establishment of a government de
facto.
There was an order issued to close the saloons. I forget what time
martial law was declared. 1 doubt if I could give the events in the
succession in which they occurred. I remember the individual instances.
I distinctly recollect young Pringle coming in there and
taking observations. I remember Lieut. Lucien Young coming in there,

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 was made to me, nor was I aware that either Minister Stevens or Capt. Wiltse would assist or did assist the citizens of Honolulu in establishing the Provisional Government, or in overthrowing the monarchy. It was evident to me that the overthrow of the monarchy was due to its own inherent rottenness.
-G.N. WILCOX.
+G.N. {{sc|Wilcox}}.
 Subscribed and sworn to before me this 4th day of December, A. D. 1893.
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 [SEAL.]
-CHARLES F. PETERSON, ''Notary Public''.
+{{sc|Charles F. Peterson}}, <br/>
-AFFIDAVIT OF JOHN EMMELUTH.
+{{sc|John Emmeluth}}, being duly sworn, deposes and says as follows, to wit: I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and came to this country in February, 1878, and have been here since that time engaged in my business of tinsmith and plumber. I have accumulated some property and am married to a resident of the islands. I was nominated a member of the committee of public safety and was appointed one of the advisory council of the Provisional Government.
 I know James H. Blount from seeing him once when I called with other members of the advisory council. The visit was never returned. He never said anything to me about the country, its resources, or history, or asked me any questions about the revolution. I tendered my statement through Mr. S.M. Damon, and understood that I would be notified when Mr. Blount was ready, but never heard anything from him.