The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17
PRISONERS TORTURED
UNCONFIRMED STORY OF CRUELTY
BY HAWAIIAN AUTHORITIES.
Methods of the Spanish InquisitiOn
Alleged to Have Been Revived to
Force ConfessiOns.

SAN FRANCISCO. Feb. 16.-The Call
prints the following from Honolulu: The
success of the government of Hawaii in
conducting its treason cases was due to
the incriminating evidence given by Cap
tain William Davies, of the steamer VAIN
anolo. The manner in which the sworn
statement was wrung from Davies is in
teresting as showing the peculiar process
at present existing in the Hawiian islands
Davies and the mate, Knudson were ar
rested on the morning of Jan. s. Knudson
made confession telling what little he
knew. Davies. who is an American citizen,
refused any information, and while protest
ing his innocence demanded an interview
with the United States minister. This was
refused. Davies was taken into the prison,
where he was shown two ring bolts in the
wall above his head. The uniformed in
quisitors of the government then gave the
captain to understand that if complete
confession was not forthcoming he would
De strung up by the thumbs. Davies did
not finch, but determined that if the Amer
lean minister would not come the consul
general should be informed that he was
an American citizen and wished to see
him. His protest was in vain. His legs
were bound below the knees and his thumbs
were lashed with whipcord to the bolts. A.
cord was placed below him so that the
Davies stripped to the waist while
Marshal Hitchcock, Attorney-general Smith
and surgeon Cooper, with a stenographer
awaited the statement which they believed
would be forthcoming. They were mistaken.
Davies did not weaken. Sweat oozed from
every pore. The strong man, in his agony,
begged for drop of water to cool the
thirst that consumed him. The tendons of
the victims limbs stood out like strands
of rope, blood vessels knotted on his arms
ana legs, swelling as Il ready to burst
with congested blood, restrained in its
course by his abnormal position. His tor
mentors urged him to implicate all known
to be politically opposed to their methods,
without avail. Davies 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, nature succumbed and Davies, ours
ing the fiends who were torturing him,
tainted. Dr. Cooper used salts of ammonia
the painless realms of Inconsistencies. AS
soon as he revived two negro convicts
suspended him again by the thumbs. This
it was 6 o'clock in the evening before Dav-
les, more dead than alive. made the state
ment that respited him from the inhunan
barbarity of his prosecutors.
Another case of torture was brought TO
light in the military inquiry A young
native r who was known to be intimate int with
wrists. Then, with refinement of cruelty
which would shock a Persian satrap, he
was placed in a tank of ice cold water.
He was kept there until circulation of the
blood in his extremities had almost ceased
and Doctor Cooper, who appears in the un-
enviab,e light of an arch inquisitor, declared
that action of heart was almost suspended
The chief of police, Marshal Hitchcock, had
the. young Kanaka taken from the tank
tion of semiconsciousness. the torture was
again administered. Flesh and blood could
stand such inhumanity no longer and the
rnuch-needed confession was given.