Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-02-21
HAWAIIAN INQUlSITION.
Strung Up by the Thumbs
Officers Torture Suspects.

San Francisco, Cal, Feb. 16.-The Call
prints the following from Honolulu.
'Tbe success of the government of Ha-
wall In conducting it's treason cases was
due to the discriminating evidence given by
Cant. William Davies, of the steamer
Waimanalo.
The manner in which The sworn state
ment was wrung from. davies is interest
ing as showing ene peculiar process at
present ex,Isung In The Hawaiian islands.
DAVIS and his mate, knudson, were
arrested on the morning OF January u
knudson made a confession, telling what
little he knew. Davies, who is IN Amerl-
pcan citizen, refused any information and,
an interview with United States Minister
Willis. This was refused. Davies was
then taken into the prison yard where
he was shown two ring bolts in the wall
above his head. The uniformed inqulsl-
tor of the government then gave the cap
tain to understand that if complete CON
fession was not forthcoming he would be
strung up by the thumbs.
Davies did not finch, but determined
that if the American minister could not
come the onsul-general should be in
formed that he was an American citi-
zen and wished to see him. Ills protest
was in vain. His legs were bound below
the knees and his thumbs were dashed
with whipcord to the bolts A cord was
placed below him so that the unfortunate
mans toes just touched it. Davies Was
str;.s;,el 10 the waist while Marshal
Hitchcock, Attorney General Smith and
Surgeon Cooper, with a stenographer'
awaited the statement When tney ne-
lieved would be forthcoming. Ihey We're
Sweat oozed from every pore. Inc strong
man in his agony begged for drop of
water to cool the thirst that cGdsumed
him. The tendons of the Victims limbs
stood out like strands of rope, blood yes
sells knotted on his arms and legs, swell
ing as if to burst with congested blood.
''His tormentors urged him to impll-
cate all known to be politically opposed
to their methods, but without avail. Da-
vies refused to surrender the secret he
had sworn to protect. At last, when it
was apparent by his respiration that it
would be impossible to hold out longer,
ma ture succumbed and Davies, cursing
the fiends who were torturing him, faint
ed. DR.. Cooper used salts and ammonia
to revive the captain, who had passed into
the painless realms of inconsistencies.
AS soon as he revived two negro convicts
suspended him again by the thumbs.
This inhuman operation was begun at
noon and it was 6 o'clock in the evening
before Davies, more dead than alive,
made the statement that respited him
from the inhuman barbarity of his perse
cutors.
another case of torture was brought
to light in military inquiry. A young ma
tive, who was known to be intimate with
Carl Widemann, was handcuffed at the
wrists. Then, with a refinement Of cruel
ty which would shock the Persian satrap,
he was placed in tank of ice-cold water.
He was kept there until circulation of
the blood in his extremities had almost
ceased and DR.. Cooper, who appears in
the unenviable light of an arch-inquisitor,
declared that action of the heart was al
most suspended. The chief of police,
Marshal Hitchcock, had the young Ka-
naka taken from the tank and, after be-
ing restored from his condition of semi
consciousness, the torture was admins
tered again. Flesh and blood could stand
such inhumanity no longer and the much
needed confession was given"