Template:574-575
|
Mr. Jones. No; Queen street is below Merchant street.
Senator Frye. Were any of you armed?
Mr. Jones. I was not. I think some of them had arms.
Senator Gray. Did you see any arms where you went that day?
Mr. Jones. In the Government building ?
Senator Gray. No; Mr. Smith's office.
Mr. Jones. No.
Senator Gray. You say that you went to the Government building. Did you and Mr. Dole arrive first? Did you find anybody at the Government building?
Mr. Jones. I think there were eight persons in the Government building when we got there. None of the ministers were there.
Senator Gray. What did you do when you got in?
Mr. Jones. Mr. Cooper immediately read the proclamation.
Senator Gray. Immediately?
Mr. Jones. Within two or three minutes of our assembling.
Senator Gray. Who was Mr. Cooper—one of the committee?
Mr. Jones. Mr. Cooper was one of the committee, and also one of the advisory council. He read the proclamation.
Senator Gray. His name is what?
Mr. Jones. H. E. Cooper.
Senator Gray. One of the committee of safety, you mean?
Mr. Jones. One of the committee of safety, and afterward he was one of the advisory council.
Senator Gray. Those who went up there, then—Mr. Dole, Mr. King, Mr. Smith, and yourself—were afterward the executive council and members of the committee?
Mr. Jones. And the advisory council, yes.
Senator Gray. How long did. it take to complete the reading of the proclamation?
Mr. Jones. I should say it took just about ten minutes, and in that time our forces, our men, were coming in from the armory. We were ahead of time.
Senator Gray. Was anybody there when the reading commenced outside? Let me ask, first, where was the proclamation read from?
Mr. Jones. From the steps of the Government building.
Senator Gray. What street?
Mr. Jones. Facing the palace or Palace Square. Here [indicating] is Palace Square, and it was read from that part [indicating].
Senator Gray. Facing the palace?
Mr. Jones. Yes.
Senator Gray. Who were in front of the steps when they commenced to read the proclamation—how many?
Mr. Jones. Very few. I do not think there were more than a half dozen persons.
Senator Gray. You spoke of "our men" coming up. How many had come up?
Mr. Jones. I should say there were fifty or sixty when we got through reading the proclamation.
Senator Gray. Were they organized as a military organization?
Mr. Jones. As they marched down the street there was very little time for organization.
Senator Gray. Were they in fact organized?
Mr. Jones. They marched down in squads.
Senator Frye. Armed?
|
Mr. Jones. They had rifles; yes.
The Chairman. Under the command of officers?
Mr. Jones. Under the command of their different captains.
Senator Gray. How long after the close of the reading of the proclamation was it that they arrived?
Mr. Jones. Some of them arrived before the reading of the proclamation was finished.
Senator Gray. How many do you suppose?
Mr. Jones. Well, I should say 40 or 50.
Senator Gray. Before the reading had been finished?
Mr. Jones. Yes.
Senator Gray. And the balance were a little while afterwards?
Mr. Jones. Yes; they kept coming in.
Senator Gray. How many men in that organization, such as it was, were armed with rifles, and were there at the close or directly after the close of the reading of the proclamation?
Mr. Jones. Oh, a short time after, a half hour after, there must have been 150 or 200,1 should say.
Senator Frye. Armed?
Mr. Jones. Yes; all the men were armed at that time.
The Chairman. How did the information get out in the community that the proclamation was to be read there at that time?
Mr. Jones. It was spread abroad by the people all over the town Of course there was a good deal of excitement in the city that day, and people knew that something was going to be done in the way of dethroning the Queen, and they were watching for things; and this shot having been fired just as we started out, diverted a great many of the crowd up there to see what that was. It was very soon noised abroad, and the people came up.
Senator Gray. At the meeting the day before, at the Rifles' armory, of which you spoke, and which you attended, I believe?
Mr. Jones. Yes.
Senator Gray. The resolutions which were read there, and which we have, did not proclaim this intention of dethroning the Queen?
Mr. Jones. They did not in so many words, but everybody understood what they meant.
Senator Gray. You say the resolutions did not proclaim that intention?
Mr. Jones. No.
Senator Gray. If you know accurately, state it; if you can not be accurate, give your best judgment. At what time was the reading of the proclamation through—what hour in the day?
Mr. Jones. It was a quarter of 3. It was a peculiar thing. When I went into the finance office, just as the reading of the proclamation was finished, the clock had stopped at a quarter to 3.
Senator Gray. Had it stopped just as you went in?
Mr. Jones. It was stopped just at that time.
Senator Gray. It was not stopped just as you went in?
Mr. Jones. No—it had not been stopped more than a minute or two.
Senator Gray. How did you kuow that?
Mr. Jones. The clock had been going before that.
Senator Gray. But getting at the hour—I want to call your attention to it. It would not be much of a guide to look at a clock that had stopped, unless you saw it stop.
Mr. Jones. I know it from looking at my watch. We arrived there