New-York tribune., 1894-01-08
PRICE THREE CENTS.
MORE AND MORE MYSTERY.
THE CORwIN TO REMAIN sECRETED
UNTIL THURSDAY.
MEANWHILE THE ADMINISTRATION is pUMB-A
THEORY THAT HIS PASSPORTS HAVE BEEN
RETURNED TO WILLIS NOT CREDITED.
ICY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUxsl


San Francisco, Jan. 7-Some light is thrown
on the reason for the extraordinary secrecy pre-
served by the captain OF the Corwin by bit
Of news which leaked out to-day. 1t was learned
that the Corwin's commander has received
orders from Secretary Carlisle not to permit any
officer or any member Of the Corwin's crew to
go ashore before next Thursday. Here Is nearly
a whole week that officers are kept on the
Corwn. after a break-neck voyage from Homo
lulu. without even the opportunity OF communi-
eating by letter with their families.
1t was Lieutenant Jacobs. of the Corwn. who
was landed at Fort Point last Friday with tho
cipher dispatches. Instead of going to the tele-
graph Office he proceeded straight to Captain
Mungers home There he told the captains
wife of the orders forbiddng any one to have
shore leave till next Thursday, but he added
that all well on board. trusty mes
senger was secured. and the dispatches were
sent to the telegraph office; the lieutenant
took street car jumped aboard the Sausalita
ferryboat and two hours after he was once
more on board the Corwin. Since the cutter
has been anchored off San Quentin Point no
one has been allowed on board, nor have the
efforts of the most persistent reporters been re-
warded by securing any information from officers
or crew.
man who has studied the Hawaiian question
carefully said to-day, when told Of the Corwin's
orders to preserve close secrecy till next Thurs
day: The only reasonable explanation OF this
singular order is that fighting has occurred, or.
what more probable 10 me. that Minister
Willis has been given his passports AFTER MS
service OF Gresham's orders on the Provisional
Government It would have been perfectly Just
for President Dole to request him to leave the
islands No Minister could play such dis
honorable role at any European court without
receiving his walking papers this should
prove true. Willis Is either on board the Corwln
or he will arrive the steamer Pekin next
Wednesday. In either case the bottling up OK
the news that the Corwin.s people know gives
Cleveland nearly week Of grace.
Washington, Jan. 7.-Nothing has peen given
out to-day TO throw any new light on the Ha-
waiian puzzle. More or less positive statements
that the status quo in Honolulu has been broken
by the action Of Minister Willis, and that news
to that effect was conveyed To the state Depart
ment in the dispatches brought by the Corwln,
are met by equally positive statements tnat no
advices to that effect emanatng from any trust
worthy source are at hand.
The rumor telegraphed from San Fran
cisco that possibly one reason why no COMMUNE
cation is allowed with the Corw!n is that Min
lister Willis may be a passenger on board In the
character of a dismissed American Minister
half jocuarly passed around here yesterday
but there are. Of course. numerous reasons Tor
regarding this story as highly improbable
though the extraordinary precautions taken to
prevent communication with the Corwin renders
the widest rumors difficult of dsproof.
Aside from the extreme unlikehood that the
Provisional Government would attempt such an
extreme measure in the case of Minister whose
course thus far has certainly resulted largely 70
their advantage, and who in his dispatches. ex-
presses so high an opinion OF the members OF
| that Government, and the further unlikelihood
that Mr. Willis, even II dismissed. would take
refuge on a revenue cutter when there were two
United States men-of-war in the harbor and
that he would remain skulking In hiding on board
a revenue cutter In San Francisco Harbor.
Mr.. W Hiss open telegram to Secretary Carlisle
in regard to the Louisville City claim. received
Yesterday clearly shows that he is still In Homo
lulu and expects TO remain there The San
Francisco story is accepted here as an able enort
of the imagination and nothing more.