Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-23
THE EX-QUEEN'S CASE.
Scenes Before the Military Court at
Honolulu.
MRS. DOMINIS APPEARANCE ON TRIAL
What is Said of the Assisted Emf
grafton Of Cranstoun.
THE CONSPIRACY CHARGES

va
Tuesday, the 9Th, in quiet manner, by the
military commission There was no pa
,ade or previous special notice Of any sort
to the public. The morning paper stated
that her case would probably come on that
morning and it did SO. By 9:30 the usual
seats in the court room were already occu-
pied by spectators, chiefly ladies. More
seats were brought in until about $50 per-
sons were seated, and fifty more were
standing against the walls. At least two
thirds were ladies'. 1t was mainly white
audience. Reserved seats were occupied by
government officials, the diplomatic corps
and United States naval officers. In their
usual places We're the American minister
and British commissioner.
There was much delay. 1t was learned
that the eX-queen had been detained by
business visitors and had been late at
up the case Of John H. WISE for mis-
prision of treason. He pleaded guilty, hay
ing already given testimony quite 1ully IN
the case of others, involving his own con-
duct This very intelligent young man had
recently spent three years at Oberln COL
lege in special preparation for the ministry
supported there by a benevolent gentle
man of this city, but had failed on MS re-
turn to fulfill expectations, and had drifted
into the rebellion. 1t rarely proves safe 10
lift any person Of weaker races out OF mis-
native sphere of life by taking him abroad.
The court retired some minutes for consld-
Grafton Of Wise'S case. After their return,
| there was still delay. Finally at 11:l5 Mrs.
DENNIS came down stairs and entered the
court room, and took the seat provided for
her, comfortable chair Of dark rattan.
Her Entrance Into Court.
The ex-queen was escorted to the door
by Maj. Potter, the presidents aid. From
the door the military officer in charge of
ho I'd 11,I hcr 70 har h.
full half-white lady attendant. Mrs. c. b..
Wilson, accompanied and sat with her.
Liliuokalani was dressed in black, with
some lace trimmings, apparently plain at
tire. She wore a lightly made black hat
| without veil. There was a spray OF light
color in the trimmings Of the hat. There
was a slight faltering or feebIeness. in her
step, unlike the former usual stateliness
| Of her movements on public occasions.
Indeed, her whole person seemed smaller,
as if shrunken. While there no be-
| trayal of emotion Of any sort, one could
not fail to imagine her very painful sense
| of the contrast between this public entry
tnf0 her former throne room and that last
one on the fatal 1ith of January, 1888,
when she angrily and imperiously told her
audience how her ministers had betrayed
her about the new constitution she had
prepared to give the nation. Now her
whole aspect was feeble. depressed. She
looked like person broken in spirit, II not
in health. Her face seemed faced and tor
strong intentness at times upon officials
when reading or speaking. One fancied a
pleading expression in her face. Her hair
had grown remarkably gray Formerly
we always rose at her public entry into an
audience. Now there was no homage for
her. She crept in. as it were, and took her
place like a common criminal Probably
no one present felt any other feeling than
that of pain at her humiliation. Her own
face seemed inexpensive; she once wiped
her eyes with her handkerchief, after hear
ing read the charges against her.
Neumann's Objection.
After proceedings were opened, LiIiuo-
kalanis counsel Paul Neumann, began by
questioning each member of the court If
he mad formed any opinion in the case or
had any bias, which each denied. He then
made a general objec ton that they had all
been members of other court-martials in
which the same matter had been consider
ed and decided. Judge Advocate Kinney
replied that the present question of her
msprision of treason-guilty knowledge of
the uprising-had not been considered.
After retiring the court decided that they
could not entertain the matter propounded
by counsel which was equal to a ''chal-
lenge to the array.
individually as having sat on a like case,
saying he would, to save time, be govern
ed as to the rest OF the members by the
courts decision on this case. Objection
At counsers request the accused was al
lowed to sit while the charges against her
were read.
The court was then sworn. Kinney read
the charges and specifications rapidly and
indistinctly. They seemed q mass of legal
verbiage. The accused seemed to listen
intently She had already had the paper
in her hands for four days.
Neumann asked for postponement one day
to give him time to prepare his objections
to the charges and specifications; said he
had been almost the only counsel avatlabl
for all the different persons accused. The
other lawyers were mostly either in prison
or engaged in questioning witnesses Tor
the government.
The case was continued to next day.
The Second Day.
The second day Mrs. Dominis appeared
more ir. her natural vigor. 1t was learned
that she had felt much harassed the
previous morning by the opportunities OF
an old friend, Capt. Robert Parker OF the
police, that she should make full confes-
sion Of her completely in the uprising, and
so help secure lenlency Tor many OF her
adherents in prison. She refused, asserting
her ignorance of NowIeins plans. whom
she severely blamed, becoming much eA-
cited. This had much upset her. On the
second day she seemed to bear with ease
the strain OF five hours in court, with a
succession Of her late retalners teSt1fying
destructively against her.
Paul Neumann first continued to present
objections to the proceedings. He began
by restating his objection to any jurisdic-
ton of a military commission in the case
Misprision Of treason was a statutory Of
tense, to be tried only by jury. Courts
martial were for the trial OF ofrenses
against the army or navy only. Neumann
has carefully persisted in urging this Oh
lection at length in every case before the
commission, although knowing that 1t
would be instantly ove1ruied without ap-
neal This course has created a belief
among many who know his tactics that he
hopes to enlist President Cleveiands in
terposition to demand jury trials for his
clients. There is not wanting very strong
suspicion that he has the support OF Min
lister Willis in this plan. Many things in
MIR. Willis demeanor have indicated that
his sympathies in this whole affair are by
no means strongly with the government.
Unfortunately he is deeply dstrusted.
Testimony Against the Ex-QueeM.
After farther overruling of several tech
meal objections Of counsel. the first wit
ness against the ex-queen was called
| Charles Clark-who had been, for two
years, her chief retainer at her residence
| in Washington Place. so named by old