Template:902-903

-p902-

Mr. Stevens. I think they had one on the palace grounds the same afternoon.

The Chairman. You do not know?

Mr. Stevens. I think so; I cannot swear to it. I know they had one there the same afternoon, or preceding afternoon, and my impression is, the same afternoon.

The Chairman. Did you know that before you went on board the ship?

Mr. Stevens. I think so, because there were handbills posted in the street, handbills on both sides nearly all through the city, as well as I remember.

Senator Frye. Mr Chairman, if you can hold in your mind just where you want to start, I would like to ask a few questions at this point.

The Chairman. Yes.

Senator Frye. Mr. Stevens stated that he requested certain of the troops to be sent to the consulate, and certain of them to be sent to the legation; but he did not give any account of the disposition of the balance of the troops. Now, Mr. Stevens, answer my questions, and answer them only. You say you thought when the troops came ashore they would bring their tents with them?

Mr. Stevens. When I made my request?

Senator Frye. Yes.

Mr. Stevens. I stated that.

Senator Frye. When the troops came to the shore, you found they had no tents?

Mr. Stevens. And they had to have a hall.

Senator Frye. Up to that time did you ever know that there was such a hall in Honolulu as Arion Hall?

Mr. Stevens. Never, until the time the Opera House was refused.

Senator Frye. Did you call upon them for a place to have the troops?

Mr. Stevens. The officers said they would have to have a place to stay during the night.

Senator Frye. Did you send a man for a place?

Mr. Stevens. Yes.

Senator Frye. What did you send him after?

Mr. Stevens. The Opera House.

Senator Frye. Is the Opera House a place that was before occupied by United States troops?

Mr. Stevens. I could not say as to that.

Senator Frye. Do you know it by report?

Mr. Stevens. I think it had been occupied before by a military force.

Senator Frye. Why did you send for the Opera House.

Mr. Stevens. Because I knew of that hall, and I knew of its capacity.

Senator Frye. And the only one that you knew of in the city as suitable for the purpose you wished to use it for?

Mr. Stevens. Yes.

Senator Frye. Your man returned?

Mr. Stevens. He had to go 3 miles to find the man in charge, and returned with a negative—that the owner of the hall was not on the island and he would not like to have the hall used for that purpose. I found out that he was an Englishman and against the Americans.

Senator Frye. Then you heard of Arion Hall?

Mr. Stevens. I sent the same messenger, the same man.

Senator Frye. How far did you send him?

-p903-

Mr. Stevens. About a mile, to a man known to be a royalist—Kalakaua's minister. Mr. Walker had been a minister, and had been all through these troubles. He said he would be very glad to let us have the hall. He gave me the name of the manager. I sent a third man to the one who had the management of the hall, and he granted the right to use it. It was then well on to 10 o'clock. Consequently the men had to stay in the street that night to that hour.

Senator Frye. At Mr. Atherton's house?

Mr. Stevens. Yes; he had extensive grounds---

Senator Frye. In selecting Arion Hall for the use of those troops, did you have any reference whatever to their location as regards the Provisional Government or the Queen's Government?

Mr. Stevens. Not the slightest; it never entered into my head.

Senator Frye. Had anyone made any suggestion to you on behalf of the Queen or the Provisional Government that Arion Hall should be selected on account of its location near the Government building?

Mr. Stevens. Never.

Senator Frye. When you selected Arion Hall for the troops did you have any reference whatever to its being near the palace and the Government building?

Mr. Stevens. Not the slightest.

Senator Frye. Did you have any reference whatever in your selection to the location of the troops being effective to prevent the Queen's troops attacking the Provisional Government's troops?

Mr. Stevens. Not the slightest.

Senator Frye. As a matter of fact, is Arion Hall, so far as American property is concerned—and I mean by that, of course, residences as well as anything else—a reasonably central location?

Mr. Stevens. A reasonably central location.

Senator Frye. DO you know of any place large enough, other than that, for quartering those troops in the city of Honolulu?

Mr. Stevens. Not obtainable. I had thought of another on my own street. If Arion Hall had not been gotten we would have tried another hall, which was nearer me, but the owner was not there.

Senator Frye. The only purpose you had was to place the troops where they could be protected during the night?

Mr. Stevens. Yes; and where they would be useful in case of fire.

Senator Gray. You said that this was arranged on the Boston in a conference with Captain Wiltse. What was to be the route the troops were to take?

Mr. Stevens. No; I do not remember any arrangement as to the route; the arrangement was as to where they were to land.

Senator Gray. And where they were to go?

Mr. Stevens. No; we had not found this hall.

Senator Gray. How was it they came to go to Mr. Atherton's?

M. Stevens. Simply because he had extensive grounds, and he was an American.

Senator Gray. That was a matter of arrangement before you left the ship?

Mr. Stevens. I could not say that; I presume so. It was arranged where they would land, because they were going up the principal streets.

Senator Gray. You knew they were going to Mr. Atherton's?

Mr. Stevens. I can not say positively.

The Chairman. Did you know that before you left the ship?

Mr. Stevens. I can not say positively, for I do not remember it.