The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1873-09-17
FULL ACCOUNT
OF THE
Mutiny at the Barracks.

On the dtn OF september, 1915, the House
hold Troops" consisted of ffty-four privates moi
including the Band, having over them Capt. Jajc.
gay, one Lieutenant, besides the usual compile
ment of Sergeants aud Corporals. The Commits
sion of W. L. Moehonua as Major was at that
time in suspension.
By the Goth Article Of the Constitution, His
Majesty " the King is the Commander-in-C Chief oil
the Army and Navy, and of oil other military
forces of the Kingdom, by sea and land and has
full power by HIMSELF or by any officer or officers
BE may appoint, to train and govern such forces,
as He may Judge best for the defense and safety
of the Kingdom"
In the Appendix to the Civil Code, compris-
ing laws not expressly repealed or expressly re-
enacted on pages 372, 1913 and 374 the Gov
errors are the Comm ANDERSEN Chief of the mill.
tary power in their respective islands with the
military title of General" The question wheth-
er the military power referred to in this law in
cludes the Household Troops" or whether it is
any other than the militia, 1. e., male subjects
between the ages of eighteen and forty, when
called out for service we will not here discuss, as
former administrations have considered the Gov
ernor as the COMMANDMENT. Chief of all the forces
on the Island of Oahu. including the " House
hold Troops" subject OF course, TO the King.
By An Act found on page All of the Civil
Code, it is declared that +" His Majesty may by
special commission coufer the duties of Secretary
at War upon one Of His Cabinet Ministers or
upon any person." The Minister of Foreign AT
fairs now holds this commission. We deem this
explanation necessary in order TO the better un-
Outstanding of the events of last week, which we
propose to give detailed account Of.
On Saturday night, Capt. Jajczay found the
Treasury nearly deserted of its guard of soldiers
Having discovered these men in q remote and
disreputabIe neighbOrhood he sent them to the
barracks aud placed them in confinement as pun
ishmeut for deserving their posts. On Sunday
the Captain went as usual to church with such of
| the soldiers as wished TO attend, say twenty in
number. On his return he found that those who
had been confined had broken out from the room
where they we're confined, having used ball and
chau to break the door down with. Their ex-
cuse was that they had personal wants to attend
to. He ordered them back into arrest, and on
their refusing, struck one with the fat Of his
bre. One or two of the men seized him by the
throat and choked him down, but by the assist
ance of some of the officers he made his escape,
and Immediately reported 10 Governor DOmiDls,
The Governor arrived at the barracks first, fol-
lowed soon after by the Adjutant-Iienerali irons
were procured from the Jail, tie men drawn up
in line, aud Keoni" who was considered the
worst-disposed of the prisoners was ordered alone
into the officers room to be put in lrous. The
whole eight OF the prisoners came to the door Of
the officers and all refused to be put in irons.
These eight then rushed to the mess-room and
seized their Chassepot rifles with fixed bayonets
and menaeed the Governor and Adjutant-G General,
who had followed them into the room. After
some persuasion they put up the rifles and came
out of the room. Then four men were called
from the line to make the arrest of Keoni as re-
peated by the Governor. A number of the line
refusing to obey, at length four men consented
and stepped forward to arrest Keoni. On their
seiziug him. Keoni threw them of. and the other
seven came to his aid aud Keoni and Niauhoe
both struck the Adjutant-G General. The order
was given to break ranks" which was obeyed
and the arms placed in the racks. The eight
men then being called came into the officers room
in body and agreed to remain there all night
and keep quiet. Had there been any Statute
law by which these men could have been coerced
into their duty, now would have been the time to
have carried it out but it is doubtful if the law
would have sustained the use Of force in securing
military subordipation.
On Monday afternoon the 9Th inst, the Gov
ernor and the Adjntant-GeDeral went TO the bar
racks and found that the men had brought over
from the Palace Yard all the field pieces and
placed them in the court of the barracks. They |
were ordered 10 return them. which they refused !
to do. few men attempting to obey the Gov
errors order were prevented by the-prisoners of
Saturday night. They now demanded the Cap |
tains removal as a condition of their obedience.
AT the suggestion of some of the Cabinet, Alex.
McDuff. Police officer was then sent with /
small force of Police to guard the Powder Maya
zine, which was afterwards supplemented by a
guard of the Rifles. The Governor then sent
Mahuka. o retired Captain. to the barracks to
take charge. hoping that bis well known decision
of character would bring matters to order again
but it is doubtful if he did any good.
Up to this time there was no powder in the
barracks except 10 loads for the CbassepOts, and
that night four of the soldiers went mp to the
Magazine for supply, bat were halted and dis
armed BIZ Mr. McDuf who, however, had not
sufficient force to detain them as prisoners, even
if this orders had admitted Of it. Only two Of
these soldiers had rifles.
On Tuesday, the 9th inst. after consultation by
the Cabinet, and it being nseertained that the mil
itary code, which. though having been acted under
since 1855. had never been properly published
and proclaimed. so as to have the force Of law as
required by Section of the Military Act above
cited, it was thought best to procure an order
from His Msjesty as the Commander-,n-C Chief