New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-06
TIE SEIZURE or JOHNSON ISLAND.
SAN FRANCISCO SEA CAPTAIN TELLS HOW HE
TOOK POSSESSION OF THE PROPERTY
TWENTY YEARS AGO.

san Francisco Aug. 5.-AccoIding TO the rec"rus
OF the state Department the United states has u''c
10 Johnson Island through Captain r. Perry man, lr
many years master of vessel sailing cut OF tm'
pcrt, but retired from active service. In an NJ
terview regarding the annex alon OF the island ey
the British Government Captain PerryTnaH SAD
This is not the first time that adverse possession
has been had OF the island. The Hawaiian Govern
mcnt claimed possession OF It; but after b1-l
diplomatic correspondence the claim Was w1thd@"h'
and ! think the outcome Will be the same In the
present instance Regarding me claim OF Captain
Parker to the Island, the facts of the are these
ain 1907 the British frigate Corlwalls. Captain
Johnston passed The Island, but none OF the hiS'e
crew landed and took possession. Tho commanaer
jott~d down his chart the approximate position OF
the island and called IL after hi, vessel. bnt the name
was afterwa~l changed to that Of himself. n l-o-
Captain william II. Parker al that unfc in compahd
Of the brig Reindeer, sighted tho Islands while on a
trading expedition 70 the south Sea Islands He ot''o
down is latitude and longitude and four years after
ward. while In Francisco, lie came 10 the c"l''"
sion that the island voald prove valuable, a. he hah
noticed It was covered with guaRo. II" claimed nc
had taken possession and In December, 1870 he sou
fveeigAths Interest In the island Ia mcn who SUD
sequenty formed the PucGc Guano Company. Ihls
company chartered IN" schooner Palestine" Of when
was master and dispatched her 10 the ISLANDS 10 biB
back cargo. When landed there was no evidence
/ raised ths American flag and erected two crosses On
which was painted notice that had taken possession
Of Johnson Island for the owners of the schooner
Palestine. In the name Of tho United satc', James
Buchanan, President and Lewis Cas-. Secretary oi
state
Parker dill not lard on thc island az an during tha'
trip though he was on board the vessel We brought
back a quantity OF gIIano OH that trip and ~"ld IL
here. since that time l have made three othcr trips
10 Johnson Island The last tnP was in the Golden
Fleece, about ten years ago. ON that OCCASION
brought back 200 of guano and di~PoSed VI rho
cargo In th, city. After my first visit on the Pdcs-
tnc sam Allen, nov Of Honolulu, visited the place
and knocking down the croS>es ! had erected. TOOK
po-.es.ion In the name of the Hawaiian Government
After a brief diplomats ,p)ndeHc". however. tho
latter Government rclinquishcd ts calm. The Island
nigh. bc OF u-e the United Stctes coaiins sia
ton"
The s7urc of tho island the main topic ~
conversation on Change yesterday. Captain Nartin
Roberts one Of the claimant, to the island, when
asked what he Intended doing In thc matter. an
syvcrch What can do III" American IsyS-e'Sl'n
~ johnson Island i we'll known to tie world. and II
the case was taken hcfpv Eng-h courts II eqltN, We
~hOuA be- reimbursed for at l>-ist IN" amount we
have spent on the place. But IN spite ~ the fact
that news OF the intended seizure Published In all
tie papers In Francisco. ihe Government la,
tak-n no step, to inquir" into tho matter"