Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-24
THE WILCOX REVOLUTION.
The Account OF IL Given by One of
Mr.. BIounrs Witnesses.

The Account OF IL Given by One of
Mr.. BIounrs Witnesses.
Volney V. Ashford of Honolulu. who has
contributed much to the documents ana
testimony accompanying Mr. Blounts re-
port, gives in that connection the following
account OF Liliuokalanis effort to displace
Kalakaua:
Ever since the year 1887 the political
record OF r. w. Wilcox has been SO closely
interviewer with Hawaiian events that Il is
proper to make a passing reference TO him
at this point native OF the island OF
Maui. OF mixed Hawaiian and American
parentage, his father came from the state
OF Connecticut, and still follows the occu-
patton Of a rancher on Maui. The young
man taught school In his youth. and at
twenty years of age (Which is legal age in
HawaiD represented his native district In
the legislature. He was subsequently Sc
iected by the government as one Of the
young Hawaiians to be sent abroad to be
scientifically educated at the public expense,
according to the line of policy then in
vogue and had been seven years in the best
military and engineering schools of the
I.anan government, and was serving in the
itaIlan artillery as a subalte-n when the
revolution occurred. Thereupon our govern
rnent issued an order of recall to a number
OF their students abroad, and with Others
wilcox returned to Honolulu in November
1850. Being refused employment by the
government and boycotted by the mission
airy party. he readily fell In with the IDEAS
OF the Princes Liliuokalani, as above stated.
AFTER going TO California, on the failure
OF the n-st or 'Domins' conspiracy, he
sought employment as engineer IA the
Spring Valley water works TIL April lSsg
when Liliuokalani called him back to again
assist her to restore the rights Of the ma
va oh of II
irving at Honolulu in April. 1882 took up
mis- abode at the princess Palama residence
where she herself then lived apart from her
| husband. Here he organized the movement
heia revolutionary meetings. gathered arms
and munitions. collected men for the expe-
dition and moved out in regular military
order on the early morning of July 80 1885,
with about 100 armed men to the govern
ment headquarters. After taking possess
| sion OF the parliament buildings and palace
grounds. recruits were collected by messen-
gers hastily sent out, and by daylight
| (Which was the first the authorities knew
OF the movemenD he had possession OF
everything, with an armed force OF 400 to
800 raen.
In addition to this the royal guard were
| all 90 his side, although their captain held
\ immediate possession of the palace itself
| with thirty men, and with orders from the
king to allow none to enter till further in
structed. kalakaua was in the conspiracy.
He had Joined issues with his sister Cthe
princess). the plan being to restore. by
| force, the constitution of 1854. His sus-
picions as to his sisters bona ides had been
| strongly aroused however, and on the pre-
| ceding evening they had been confirmed by
some native friends. who persuaded him
| that Liliuokalanis real object was to COM
pei his abdication as soon as the act OF
promulgating the proposed constitution
| should be carried out. He thereupon. at
| midnight, moved from the palace 70 Honua-
kaka, his queens private residence. taking
1 tue Of ha fu-nr fnxr Of
| guard leaving thirty men at the palace as
| above stated and when the report came
| that Wilcox was on the move. he took
| refuge in his boathouse in the harbor. but q
| stones throw from the L. s. s. Adams. In
| this position he could avoid all chances OF
1 capture as the only access TO the boathouse
| was over wooden causeways Of consider
| able length. giving him time to escape 70
| the Adams on the least alarm. There he
| remained till the battle was over and the
| insurgents dispersed or captured.
| Two days previously the king himself
had taken Wilcox through the palace and
barracks. and showed him the position OF
| the cannon, reserve small arms. ammuni-
| ton, etc. and on the afternoon OF the 18th
| of July he sent word to Wilcox TO move at
| once as. for certain reasons connected with
| a quarrel which happened the day previous
between the king and cabinet, in regard to
the transfer OF Calling gun carriages from
the royal guard TO the police authorities.
| and which the king refused, he considered
| immediate action necessary. When there
| fore the expedition arrived at the palace.
| and wilcox found the king had gone. leav-
| ing instructions for the guard to hold the
palace subject to his further orders. he was
paralyzed. However he seized every point
| OF vantage. posted cannon. and sent a
| message 10 the king thus: Your Majesty:
We a:e here at the palace. according to the
plans agreed upon to which kalakaua re-
piled: Remain there and complete your part
Of the undertaking. / will be there when
the proper moment arrives The above
was developed at the subsequent trial OF
| Ioomens. a Belgian ex-artille-yman, for
treason for participation i'm the Instruction.
He was convicted, sentenced TO death, had
his sentence COMMITTED 10 life Imprisonment
and was subsequently turned loose on con-
dition he should leave the kingdom At
the same trial the letter mentioned above
| from Liliuokalani to Wilcox calling him
home TO restore the chiefs etc, came TO
| light. 1t was discovered in a pocket of his
| clothing in Liliuokalanis house. upon
| search being made on the night of the Both
July, after the defeat of the movement and
Wilcoxs capture. Afte- this the princess
deserted Wilcox. denied all knowledge OF
his plans and Of the conspiracy, and showed
her entire willingness that the men who
had taken their lives in their hands at her
| solicitation should now hang. This treach-
| erous conduct OF the woman was the begin
ming OF Wilcox's conversion from chief
rule to the rule of the people. His disgust
| for her was also heightened by her treach-
cry TO her brother, whose place she was
/ ready at any moment TO occupy by any
| means necessary to replace him. In fact.
| her conduct succeeding the failure OF the
Wilcox Instruction alienated many of her
| old-time friends. and was the beginning OF
/ he- downfall in the affections of the ma
| tives Naturally Wilcox has ever since been
| an advocate of annexation TO the United
States. although his idea was 10 accom-
plish this end by first establishing an in
| dependent republic, and proceeding as In the
case of Texas"