The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-04-12
COMM0TION AT THE BARRACKS.
Members of Both the Regular
Forces and Company "a"
Knocked Ont in a Mys-
teri0us Manner.

a scene of much animation last
evening. The reason for the COM
motion was due to the fact that
several men were suddenly taken
with vomiting spells, and it looked
as though an attempt was made
to poison every member of the
Governments forces.
About s As O'clock DR.. Rodgers,
the surgeon of the Barracks, was
informed that his services were
required at once. He hastily re-
paired there, and on his arrival he
found that three of the men were
in a bad state. They showed
symptoms of irritant poisoning.
He prescribed for the men and had
them taken to the hospital in the
Barracks. Shortly afterwards other
men were taken sick, and at mid
night there were about thirty of
them confined to their cots.
In the meantime report came
from the Government Building,
where Company ga" of the Nation
al Guard is stationed, to the effect
that several men were suffering
with severe fits of vomiting, and
the supposition was that they were
poisoned. DR.. Day was summoned
and he did everything that medi-
cal skill could do to relieve the
men.
When the ADVERTISER reporter
reached the Barracks DR.. Rodgers
was found busily engaged making
mustard poultices, to be laid on the
stomachs of the sick men and at
intervals he would mix some medi-
cine and send it to the men by an
orderly. He said it was case of
irritant poisoning.
Captain Good said that the men
had their dinner about 6 o'clock
The bill of fare was roast beef,
boiled tongue, canned peas, canned
beans and fresh vegetables with
tea and coffee. He could not
account for the trouble. He
had eaten his dinner at the bar
racks but he. did feel i'll in any
way.
When the men were questioned
they laid the blame on the boiled
tongue, and thought that it had
been poisoned by some one in the
employ of the Royalists, but when
questioned further, most of them
admitted that they had eaten some
of the canned green peas. Others
thought that the poison had been
placed in the tea and coffee, but
several men who had partaken o.
the liquids mentioned, and who
had not eaten anything but cake Of
bread, said that they felt all right
| When the matter was sifted dowr
but one conclusion could be arrived
at, and that was that the canned
peas were the cause of the trouble
1t is a we'll known fact that peas
are artificially colored with some
poisonous substance. One man sale
that while he was eating his dinner
he noticed that the peas had /;
peculiar taste. He was one of tn,
men who were taken i'll.
The men at the Government
Building had their dinner at tn
Barracks, and the symptoms of tn
SICK ones We're the same as shown
by the Barracks men.
At II o'clock last night abou
thirty men belonging to Compan,
GA" were unfit for duty.
Two regulars named respective
ly Knntsen and Brandham suffer
ed the most. The first name,
towards midnight became cold an,
Brandham had severe retchin
spells. Neither one was consid
cred in any great danger.
Some of the others were sick fo
a short time only and aided by
stimulant they walked about an
seemed to be all right.
The men all claim that the
were poisoned by some one, but b
whom, they could not say.
TI,o,o