The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-03-09
THE WORK OF TIE COURT.
TRIALS AND RESULTS REACH IN
THIRrY-FtvE DAYS.
Big Batches OF observation-disclosures
OF sentences Reviewing Author
ity Changes Capital Cases.

! The Military Commission Of 1907
began its work January 18TH auC
finished February 2Sth. It was ii
session thirty-fve days. IS bust
ness was trying the case 81 prison
ers who were caplur / or arrested
in connection wi: Inc rebellion.
The person 81 ofthe Commission
was: Co'Jnel William Austin
With. !, formerly first Judge of the
Circuit Court, Lieutenant Colonel
Fisher, Captains Zeigler, Camara,
Pratt and Wilder and Lieutenant
Jones. A prisoner Directing to two
members of the Commission Capt.
john Good, jr., and Lieutenant Z.
O. White sat on the case i'll place
Of the ones excused. Captain Will
liam a. Kinney represented the
community as Judge-Advocate, and
was ably assisted toward the last
by Capt. A. G. NJ. Robertson.
During the period of its sessions
twenty eight distinct cases were
disposed of by the Commission.
Thirteen of these were for treason
and fifteen were misprision of
treason. Most of the treason cases
were patches of prisoners tried to-
gether. The misprision cases were,
except i'll two cases, tried separately.
Altogether 100 persons were
brought before the Commission.
Up to date the findings in the cases
of III have been made known,
leaving thirteen to be heard from.
pefore the Commission IoI pris-
oners plead guilty of treason and
four of misprision. By this action
the sentences were considerably re-
duced. Altogether there were six
acquittals, four on the charge of
treason and two Of misprision.
These men were promptly set at
liberty.
Of the total number tried about
thirty were used, quite often as
witnesses for the Government.
These plead guilty and were given
the benefit of the lowest sentences.
In further consideration of services
the President ordered them set at
liberty OH good behavior with their
sentences hanging over them. Sam
Nowlein, Captain Davies, Henry
F. Bertelmann, Charles Clarke,
Charles Warren, George Townsend,
William Kaae and Charles Barlow
are the principals OF this list. Their
evidence was invaluable to the
Government. All of these freely
told about everything they knew.
There were I47 witnesses outside
of defendants testifying for them
selves.
Running down the long list Of
names it is found that eighty of
those found guilty by the Com
mission have on their stripes. They
are confined in Oahu prison. Their
terms range all the way from
thirty-fve years to one month.
The big couspirators have the
former term. L.ieutenants under
them have thirty and twenty
years. From there terms Of ten
eight and six years are noted.
Ordinary soldiers, the ex-queen
and a few others have five years.
From that the sentences drop to
two years, one year, six months,
three months and in the case of
James Aylett, one month. Two
get of with fines. These are J. A.
Cummins and w. K. Hutchinson.
The President modified the SEN
fences prescribed by the Military
Commission i'll many cases. Six
were originally capital punishment.
They were sentenced to be hanged
for high treason. Three plead
guilty to this charge. All wer,
modified to imprisonment for thirty
five years and fines. In great
number of cases, where the parties
were not comfortable in purse, the
fines were RENTED by the Presi-
dent. Several cases were referred
to the Cabinet and sentenced fixed
by the Executive Council. In a
few cases the sentences were modi-
fed on the recommendation Of the
Judge Advocate.