849-851
| Previous Page | Next Page |
|
Mr. Swinburne. Unquestionably. I think Mr. Dole, for instance, a man who was doing in the matter what he considered to be solely his duty.
The Chairman. Now, as to character.
Mr. Swinburne. I think that is correctly stated as to the character of the prominent men in the Provisional Government.
The Chairman. I notice on page 57 of Ex. Doc. No. 47 this communication from yourself to Mr. Blount. It is as follows:
- "Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, May 3,1893.
- "Hon. J. H. Blount,
- "Special Commissioner of United States:
- "Sir: In response to your verbal request for a written communication from me regarding certain facts connected with the recognition of the Provisional Government of the Hawaiian Islands by the United States minister to that country on the afternoon of January 17,1893, I have to state as follows:
- "On the afternoon in question I was present at an interview between Capt. Wiltse, commanding the Boston, who was at that time present in his official capacity with the battalion then landed in Honolulu, and Mr. Dole and other gentlemen representing the present Provisional Government, in the executive chamber of the Government building. During the interview we were informed that the party represented by the men there present was in complete possession of the Government building, the archives, and the treasury, and that a Provisional Government had been established by them.
- "In answer Capt. Wiltse asked if their Government had possession of the police station and barracks. To this the reply was made that they had not possession then, but expected to hear of it in a few minutes, or very soon. To this Capt. Wiltse replied, 'Very well, gentlemen, I can not recognize you as a de facto Government until you have possession of the police station and are prepared to guarantee protection to life and property,' or words to that effect. Here our interview was interrupted by other visitors, and we withdrew and returned to the camp at Arion Hall. As far as I can recollect this must have been about 5 o'clock p. m. About half past 6 Capt. Wiltse left the camp, and as he did so he informed me that the U.S. minister to the Hawaiian Islands had recognized the Provisional Government established by the party in charge of the Government building as the de facto Government of the Hawaiian Islands. About half past 7 p.m. I was informed by telephone by Lieut. Draper, who was then in charge of a squad of marines at the U.S. consulate, that the citizen troops had taken possession of the police station, and that everything was quiet.
- Very respectfully,
- "Wm. Swinburne,
- "Lieutenant-Commander, U. S. Navy."
You knew that?
Mr. Swinburne. Yes; that is practically the same as my testimony already given.
The Chairman. Have you any explanation to make in regard to that?
Mr. Swinburne. No; I think that is exactly the same as I have already given. Is it stated that I wrote that? I had forgotten. I thought I just gave that verbally. I wrote another communication, in which I gave distances. I would suggest that the replacing of the word "and" after "police station" and before "are prepared to guarantee
|
protection to life and property" by the conjunction "or," would more nearly convey the captain's idea as I then understood him.
SWORN STATEMENT OF LIEUT. DE WITT COFFMAN.
Senator Gray. You were an officer on board the U.S.S. Boston in Honolulu on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of January, 1893?
Mr. Coffman. I joined the Boston on the 14th; I was on her on the 15th, and landed on the 16th.
Senator Gray. You were connected with the Boston?
Mr. Coffman. Yes.
Senator Gray. What was your position?
Mr. Coffman. Lieutenant and division officer on the Boston.
Senator Gray. Had you command of one of the companies of the battalion which landed on the 16th?
Mr. Coffman. Yes.
Senator Gray. Mr. Coffman, with whom I have had a conversation, agrees with all that has been said by Mr. Swinburne and the other gentlemen who preceded him in regard to the landing of the troops and the instructions of Capt. Wiltse. I only called him here for one purpose and one fact. You were captain of one of the companies of the battalion which landed?
Mr. Coffman. Yes.
Senator Gray. As such captain were you summoned to the cabin of Capt. Wiltse on Monday the 16th, before you landed?
Mr. Coffman. Yes.
Senator Gray. Who were present?
Mr. Coffman. Capt. Wiltse, Minister Stevens, Mr. Swinburne, Lieut. Laird, Lieut. Young, Lieut. Draper, of the Marine Corps, and I think those were all, unless there were some of the junior officers, whom I do not remember—some of the midshipmen.
Senator Gray. While you were there was there any communication received from shore and communicated by anyone to Capt. Wiltse?
Mr. Coffman. Yes.
Senator Gray. State what you know about it.
Mr. Coffman. While in the office, or rather in the captain's cabin, after the consultation, or rather after the instructions were given to the officers, and about the time we were about to leave the cabin----
The Chairman. This was on Monday?
Mr. Coffman. On Monday—Cadet Pringle came to the cabin----
Senator Gray. Who was Cadet Pringle?
Mr. Coffman. He was a cadet on the Boston, and was serving as an aid to Minister Stevens at the time. He came into the cabin and handed to Minister Stevens a communication, which Mr. Stevens afterward read. It was from Mr. Thurston. It stated that they were holding a mass meeting; that it was a success; that there was a great crowd present; that the natives had held a mass meeting, had ratified the proclamation, and had gone home quietly; and it stated if the troops are to be landed, "I advise that they be landed at once." We went ashore about an hour afterward.
Senator Frye. Have you read the testimony of Lieut. Young or Lieut. Laird?
Mr. Coffman. No; I have not seen Mr. Laird's testimony at all.
The Chairman. Do you mean before this committee?
S. Doc. 231, pt 6—---54
|
Senator Frye. Yes. Or the testimony of Mr. Swinburne?
Mr. Coffman. I read Lieut. Commander Swinburne's testimony; yes. I spoke about it to Mr. Swinburne, and he said he was probably not in the cabin at the time, as he had so much to do.
Senator Frye. Whom was the note from?
Mr. Coffman. Mr. Thurston.
The Chairman. And addressed to Mr. Stevens?
Mr. Coffman. Cadet Pringle brought the note.
Senator Frye. And he was a messenger from Mr. Thurston?
Mr. Coffman. Yes. He had been at the legation most of the time.
Senator Frye. Which company were you with; where did your troops go?
Mr. Coffman. With the main battalion—the blue jackets.
Senator Frye. To Arion hall?
Mr. Coffman. Yes.
Senator Frye. Was it not for the protection of life and property, when you took into consideration the state of the city, the situation of the houses, etc., as central a place for their protection as any you could find—I mean Arion Hall?
Mr. Coffman. I do not know what you would call a central location.
Senator Frye. Were not the houses of American citizens on one side as well as on the other side of Arion Hall?
Mr. Coffman. I think there was more American property on Nuuanu avenue, not in the immediate vicinity of Arion Hall.
The Chairman. By American property, do you mean business houses?
Mr. Coffman. Business houses and private residences.
Senator Frye. Private residences, I mean. They are more likely to be burned up?
Mr. Coffman. Yes. I really do not know much about the ownership of property in Honolulu, with the exception of that which is the property of those who claim to be Hawaiians, who, to a certain extent, are of American parentage, and a few Americans.
Senator Frye. Were maps left with the captain?
Mr. Coffman. That I do not know.
Senator Frye. And the instructions were, as you understood them, to protect American life and property?
Mr. Coffman. Yes.
Senator Frye. That you were not to be connected with either government, the establishment of one or the overthrow of the other.
Mr. Coffman. That I do not understand. I went as an officer simply to obey the instructions as I received them.
Senator Frye. And having read Capt. Swinburne's statement, you concur otherwise in what he said?
Mr. Coffman. I have only seen what he said as published in the papers. The Evening Star has a different account from that in the Baltimore Sun. I tried to get something out of it, but it was somewhat mixed.
Senator Gray. When you said you read Capt. Swinburne's testimony you meant that you read the newspaper accounts?
Mr. Coffman. I have not read the testimony before the committee; I have not seen it.
Senator Gray. You have talked it over with Lieut. Swinburne?
Mr. Coffman. Yes; the general situation.
Senator Gray. Do you differ?
Mr. Coffman. We do in some minor points.
Senator Gray. State the minor points in which you differ.
|
Mr. Coffman. I thought that the battalion was badly placed, if they were there for the sole purpose of protecting American life and property.
Senator Gray. Do you differ in any other respect?
Mr. Coffman. Lieut. Swinburne differs with me as to where was a central place. I will give my reason: If there was to be trouble, that was the place where the trouble would be; and I did not see why we should go to the point where the trouble would occur if persons who were engaged in this trouble should go to that place and claim to be Americans and ask for protection. That is my point. That is the only thing we differed about at all—the mere fact of statements as to where we went and what was done. Mr. Swinburne has, I know, from talking to him time and again, given the facts. We agree on those things.
SWORN STATEMENT OF WILLIAM BREWSTER OLESON.
Senator Frye. What is your age?
Mr. Oleson. I am 43.
Senator Frye. How long have you been living in the Hawaiian Islands?
Mr. Oleson. I have been living there fifteen years.
Senator Frye. What fifteen years?
Mr. Oleson. From August, 1878, until June, 1893.
Senator Frye. Were you in Honolulu through the entire revolution— the recent revolution?
Mr. Oleson. I was.
Senator Frye. And through the revolution of 1887?
Mr. Oleson. Through the revolution of 1887; yes.
Senator Frye. What has been your business in the Hawaiian Islands?
Mr. Oleson. I have been a school-teacher during my residence there.
Senator Frye. What charge have you had?
Mr. Oleson. Two schools. I was appointed to one before I left this country on the large island of Hawaii, and of the Kamehameha Manual- Labor School at Honolulu in 1886. Mrs. Bishop, the last of the Kamehameha royal line, known as Princess Pauahi, left a large sum of money, some half million of dollars, to establish a manual-training school at Honolulu.
The Chairman. Mr. Bishop seems to have been a man of great wealth?
Mr. Oleson. Yes.
The Chairman. Do you know whether he accumulated his wealth in Hawaii?
Mr. Oleson. Yes.
The Chairman. In what business was he employed?
Mr. Oleson. Commission business at first, and most of the time in the banking business. I think he got the most of his money, or at least he got the large nucleus of his capital, during the whaling days.
The Chairman. He was not connected with planting?
Mr. Oleson. Not planting; but he is a stockholder.
The Chairman. In sugar companies, you mean?
Mr. Oleson. Yes.
The Chairman. What companies?
| Previous Page | Next Page |