Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1895-04-06

The Treatment Accorded Hawairs Po-
litical Prisoners is Declared by the
Aged Poet to BE Barbarous In the
Extreme-ShouId Be Released.
SAN Francisco, March 29.-The Ha-
waiian minister of finance, Damon, and
Joaquin Miller, the poet, were among
the Australians passengers. Mr.. Damon
has come upon private business of his
own, and goes back on the next steamer.
The poet left Honolulu suddenly with
no other baggage than copy of his
poems. His intended departure was
kept q secret, for he was afraid the Of
Gals of the government would put him
in prison. Miller is very bitter against
the men in control in Hawaii. He de-
nounces the treatment accorded the po-
litical prisoners as barbarous in the ex-
IRENE, and says that men are dying in
prison for want of air and proper food.
He predicts that tilibustering expedi-
ton will be organized to go to Honolulu
and rescue the political prisoners. When
asked If he were done with Hawaii the
poet said:
II have not begun. | am going to
wait and see who goes down there to
liberate those men. Possibly they may
be set at liberty when their captors are
badly scared, Tor they are awful towards.
But if they do not liberate them, the
very last and lowest of the political
prisoners, and then return the lands APP
propriated from the natives and the
= no. Of lnT, dc
snail 60 to Japan. | am no stranger at
the japanese court. | think | shall only
have to state the case and promise po-
litical rights to the oppressed 10000
contract-slaves of Japan down there to
get an iron clad. There are hundreds of
good men down there kept In the yilest
prisons by man who betrayed a woman
and robbed her. and there is plenty OF
gold and kingdom waiting for whoever
will liberare those good men. The SOL
diers down there will not fight for Dole.
They won't fight to keep those men III
prison. 1t is not human. In TACT, they
are all falling out. | doubt if Dole has
any friends at all who are not under pay
as civil or military officers or in some
way selfshly interested in his Ollgarchy.
There has been nothing SO monstrous
since the reign of terror. The yard in
front of the penitentiary is crowded with
poor native women, waiting turns to see
father, husband, son. | have often gone
through without yenturing to intercede.
! had to be very careful for fear | might
do harm instead of good. | am in pos
session OF Fearful facts. | call the at
tention of the world to these after wait
ing too long. There are too many per-
sons in Jail down there. If that prison
were here the women of California
would not let it stand two days"
Miller makes an appeal for books to
be sent to the political prisoners as they
have nothing to do and nothing to read,
and unless they have something to divert
their minds they may go mad. Speak
ing OF President Dole, Miller said:
''He is perhaps the noblest-looking
man to be found at the head of any gov
eminent, but how he can go to church
regularly as he does, breathing the
fresh, sweet Sunday air of Honolulu
with those hundreds of hollow eyes
peering through the bars, and those liv-
ing lips gasping for breath, is something
| don't know"
OF the ex-queen Miller says: "Of all
those who participated in her arrest and
trial, and of all that was said and done,
the only Christian was that poor, dusky
woman in the midst of those cruel men.
The only Christian act or utterance came
from her."
He says that Major Seward, Colonel
Ashford, T. w. Walker and other white
traitors are confined in cells only five by
eight feet. Two men are in each cell.
They are allowed an airing two hours
during the day. The average tempera-
ture in the cells is about 81 degrees.