Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-04-29

Honolulu, via San Francisco, April T.
Two companies Of volunteers were
called out this morning at l O'Clock.
They were told TO at once hasten to the
barracks, for sixty men Of the pro
yisionm guard had been poisoned and
they were needed TO take the places OF
the sick Inside the fortified wall men
were lying about on the ground goan
ing with pain and DR.. Rogers was at
tending them, Hot mustard poultices
were applied to the mems stomachs
and feet Some of them We're SO cold
that the physician feared they were
in cxtremis, and for an hour it required
sharp work on his part to pull them
through. There were at least thirty
men thus poisoned in The barracks
and as many more at the government
building several hundred yards away.
At o'clock, Just before the arrival
of the volunteer relief, u message was
received that a number of Kanakas ON
the outskirts of the town were forming
in n body Lieut. Coync, who was
on guard at the time, caused the long
roll to be sounded, and every man
who was able seized his rifle and was
stationed at the different posts and
portfolios In the building
1t was found there were not more
than twenty available men within the
structure. For half an hour there was
much alarm, as it was feared an at
tack would follow, and within that time
Lieut. Coyne, with fifteen voluteers,
was sent TO two-story frame house
that was vacant in the rear of the build
ing He was instructed in case of an
attack to hold the house as long as he
could. then to set fire to it and retreat
10 the barracks. Fortunately these pre-
cautions were unnecessary. The night
passed without a shot being fired
Meanwhile the matter Of the poison
ing was being investigated Attorney
| General W. O., Smith had been sum
moned and came with Marshal Hitch
cock Samples Of the food the men had
partaken Of for their dinner last night
were sealed up in bottles. the contents
/ So be examined this afternoon or to-
morrow by experts. Then the men
were questioned regarding this food ard
( 'hir statements ta,.r At iIst It
was l,li"'e,! some peas had caused
/ the trouble but investigation ..sproved
this
The investigation was continued after
daylight this morning, and ii IS now
known that the poison, Whatever It
might have been. was I'm the milk
The troops at the government building
and the troops at The barracks mess
together, but in two different squads.
one can of milk was served TO one
squad last night and then another can
TO the second Those who partook of
the second can We're the ones affected
The belief is general that tn milk was
dOctored by enemies Of the provisional
government but it is thought most
probable that 'kahunas," or medicine
men, were ut the bottom Of it.
l have referred in previous dispatches
to the methods these "kahunas and
THEN act Of praying men to death. Ha-
waiian history shows that in order to
have their prayers successful these "ka-
hunaS" generally resorted TO poisoning
SO it is thought that one OF the many
medicine men who have been Offering
ncantatiOnS against the provisional
government and the soldiers, endcavor-
ed last night to bring his prayers and
wishes to completion. Whatever was
in the milk the does was not heavy
enough TO cause any fatalities, and the
worst that viii happen will be q few
dayS in the hospital for the sick men,
business is going to the dogs in Hon
olulu This uncertainty has caused a
great financial strain, and it is feared
several houses win be forced to the
wan unless the pressure soon ceases.
Chief Justice Judd of the supreme
court, said yesterday: The uncertainty
is worse than any fate that might
befall the islands President Cleveland
is dcing us graf injustic, and
many Of us are liable to suffer before
Il is over"
The attitude of Commissioner Blount
is unchanged
The secrecy which has characterized
all of Mr. BlountS uttcrances is what
diSSatsdcs the people here, Not only
docs it apply to the comm iSsioner, hut
to the people who are accorded the
privilege Of an interview. One instance
win do to illustrate the taciurniN
with which Mr.. Blount is mp~eguated
ana how quickly he lymph takes effect
in his callers once he makes an abra-
sion
From one prominent mnexationist
who had two-hour interview with
Blouni e IS learned he came here with
the yagur>t Idea II this country aud
its inhabitants OH, Of the first ques
lions he asked when the Rush anchored
i'm the stream was whether there were
ANY Polyuesians living here The im-
preston he made on this man was not
Sllch rs would warrant laying any
mony on annexation rs the result Of
his visit Blount would venture neither
opinion nor suggestion, but having lived
tn district where people Of q dark
color are not mentally capable Of hand