The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-09-13
THE MUTINY AT THE BARRACKS.

The excitement Of The week, beginning on sunday
and ending on Wednesday afternoon, was the uusny
Of some thirty OF forty oi the Household Iryops, a
company CT native soldiers who constitute Cur stand
inc army, and whose duties cousis; of standing guard
IT the Palace, the Prison and the Tro4sury- The
feeling Of dissatisfaction among the troops mas Ho'o-
riously been growing FOR some tine past Complaints
have been heard by outsiders from the soldiers not
only against Captain J~ajczay, the drill master, on
account Of his strict discipline, but they asserted
that they were not fairly treated in the matter OF
clothes and provisions By the Adjutant General
Whatever foundation they may have had Tor these
complaints will eventually appear when the proper
inquiry is made, but it is nevertheless true that they
had become quite common : month ago. The Imme-
date cause Of the mutiny on Sunday, however, was
the breaking out Of the guard house by some seven
or eight men who were confined there For neglect Of
duty and other breaches Of discipline. On finding
the men at large, the Captain ordered them again
into the guard house, and they not obeying, he
struck one Of the men with the fat Of his sword.
The man responded by knocking the officer down,
and then choking him. while others assisted in the
punishment, until he was released by the interior
ence Of the more moderately disposed among the sol
diers, and went Of to report to the Adjutant Gen
eraI. That officer on his arrival, attempting to ar
z AAC AbAAS~A ANN H-
ance as had the Captain, and was obliged to retire
without ~efecting his object. Neither would the men
obey the commands of Gov. Dominis, who endeavored
in vain to restore discipline, and the mutinous spirit
had evidently affected the whole of the troops.
Nothing further was done on Sunday towards
queling the mutiny, and during that night the
troops brought over from the Palace grounds three
6-pounder cannon, and planted tkem in front of the
barracks and in the principal door way. To all
approaches made with 4 view TO getting them TO
return to duty, they declared emphatically that they
would not, until their Captain and the Adiutant
General were removed from Office. Throughout Mon
day the men were quiet, relieving the guards regu-
larly at the Prison and at the Treasury, but still
declaring that they would not again obey the orders
of the above mentioned officers.
On Tuesday, an informal Court of Enquiry was
held at the barracks, but the soldiers, while listening
stolidly to the advice and persuasions of those who
attempted to induce them to return to duty, persisted
in their demand for the removal of the obnoxious
officers as 4 sine qua non of submission. In the
afternoon, u message was received from the King
and read to the mutineers, in which they were COM
manded, on their allegiance, to return to their duty.
with q promise Of pardon, or in the event of their
disobedience to be disbanded and regarded as rebels.
{ At once, thirteen of the soldiers marched out and
D surrendered to Governor Dominis. These were sent
4 off to the Armory, leaving twenty-four who still held
t out in their demand for the dismissal of the two
. officers. They declared moreover, that they did not
/, believe the message read to them was from the King,
but was q trick of the officers to entrap them.
1t appearing thus that the mutineers were fixed in
their determination not to return to their duty except
ON their own terms, and they being therefore no
longer soldiers, by virtue of the alternative offered
J -, tbo E;prso q ,porropt mos obtoinol fr,,,
the Police Magistrate for the arrest of the whole
d twenty-fOur, and placed in the hands of Marshal
u Parke. The Rifles and Cavalry we're called out to
c support the police in making the proposed arrests
n These volunteer troops, who numbered all told about
4 forty men, were drawn up in front and rear of the
d barracks, on Palace Walk and Beretania street
is Marshal Parke and Deputy Marshal Dayton entered
Is the barracks and read the warrants of arrest, which
were listened to by the men in a sort of scornfu'
silence, and when this formal matter was gone
o through with the intimation was plainly given thai
10 those officers were at liberty to retire, which done
the door was slammed to behind them, and the gar
rison was in an apparent state of seige.
This was a critical time. The mutineers were
excited and defiant in view of the threatening atti
tude assumed by the authorities. Had a shot beer
fired at this juncture and any of the soldiers injured
. the consequences would undoubtedly have been seri
u Gus, for it was quite evident that the large majority
70 of the populace were friends, not of the authorities
but of the mutineers. For the fact that there wa
no overt act of hostility committed, the nation i
re indebted to the conservative care and watchfulnes
of Gov. Dominis.
During Tuesday night the volunteer companie
were withdrawn from the neighborhood of the bar
ID racks, the authorities having apparently abandoned
the intention of a~rresting the mutineers by force o
$ arms,-if indeed it had been intended to do NOR,
N than try the effect Of q show of force.
a. On Wednesday morning everything about the bar
racks remained in statu quo, and it really seemed a
ID though the authorities were powerless to bring abou
ne the submission of a handful little over a score-o
rebelious soldiers. But during the forenoon, tire
s. of the principal men of their number were inducel
to to leave the barracks and proceed to Waikiki to sc
OF His Majesty the King. His Majesty addressed a fey
RI words to the men, telling them plainly that the
ri must submit to law and order, and trust to Hi
he clemency. This they promised to do, and on return
v ing to the barracks the whole body of mutineer
stacked their arms and submitted to the orders 0
m Major Moehonua, who was temporarily placed il
b. charge Of the barracks.
ct During Thursday, although by the terms of tn
~ Kings verbal message the men were no longer sol
ID diers, they still remained at the barracks, apparentl
I'd in a state of uncertainty as to what to do. They ha
re not yet given up the idea of resistance, for they oc
= cupied the time in preparing ammunition and run
ed ming bullets, and they appear to have had no lack G
T. powder, obtained it is said from the Palace.
OF Yesterday morning came the final act in this sin
y gular comedy, which so narrowly escaped being
of tragedy. A written message was sent to the mel
IN from His Majesty, over His own sign manual, an
IL countersigned by the Minister of War, repeating il
ie substance the words of moderation and kindnes
which he had used to the delegates On Wednesday
be and firmly and clearly ordering all the soldiers i
he the barracks to Immediately give up all and ever
., descrintion Of government property. and to 90 pesc