The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-11
DURREELL'S STIFF DEMANDS.
FELL UNDER SUSPICION AND Is
ROUGHLY HANDLED AT HON
OLUIU.

WMEAaA NfENns ~ AAn AAmAAN UAaEs
Wants Heavy Damages a. Mis-
treated aud MnItrcntcd American
CitiEen-The Hawaiian Govern
ment Claims to Have IA strong Case
AEainst DurreeII-Ninister WiIliS'
Letter. Claiming Damages.
Victoria. B. c., Aug. l0.-The following
Honolulu advices under date Of Aug /
have been received here per steamship
Warimoo. On the gst ultimo, United
States Minister Willis sent this govern
ment request for reparatio to be made
TO one James Durreer an American cit
izen, on account Of his causeless arrest
and Imprisonment during the prevalence
Of martial law last January. Mr.. Willis
letter is as follows:
Legation of the United States. Honolu-
In, July q, 1S95.-Hon. Francis NJ Hatch.
Minister Foreign AGairs-Sir. ! have the
honor TO place herewith a copy of the
affidavit Of James Durreen. from which
it appears Durreeu was born in the state
Of Louisiana. in 1855, and resided in the
United States until September. 1894 He
then came 10 this city and obtained tenn
porary employment as cook in the Ar
lington hotel. on Nov. S, 1894. he pur-
chased the lease and good will Of a cigar
store and sodawater and fruit stand and
gradually built up a lucrative business.
on Jan. last. while quietly seated in his
store. he was arrested without cxplana-
ton or Information of any charge against
him, confined in jail on common prison
fare until Feb. q following, a period Of
seven weeks, and then discharged without
any trial. charges, explanation. or oppor-
tunity of defense, nor has he since his re-
lease been informed of the cause Of his ar
rest
He declares that he has never by word
nor deed, forfeited his allegiance to, or his
right to protection by this government.
that ne has neither done. nor spoken any
thing directly or Indirectly against the
government of Hawaii or its laws; that
he has never expressed sentiments antag-
onistic TO that government or in anyway
cOunselled, encouraged, aided or abetted
its enemies either in armed rebellion or
secret plotting and that he never possessed
any Information which. under existing
laws, il was his duty TO report to your
government These statements establish
in the opinion Of the President of the
| United States a prima facie claim for
| substantial indemnity from the Hawaiian
| government to Mr.. Durreell. / am in
structed. therefore, to bring this case
/ to the attention OF the Hawaiian author
ities leaving no doubt in their minds Of
| the confidence felt at Washington that
the government Of Hawaii Will
not refuse to tender adequate
reparation to this injured ciu-
zen Of the United States. nor hesitate TO
! take prompt measures TO exonerate him of
the imputation which its arbitrary treat
ment has left upon his good name. With
sentiments of high esteem, etc, 1 am
! your obedient servant, Albert willis,
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleui-
potentiary of the United States.
To MIR. Willis letter was appended a
| copy of Mr.. Durreell's affidavit sworn 20
before United States Consul Ellis Mills,
| on April Z, last In addition to the allega-
| tion set forth by Mr.. Willis Mr. Dur
reell claims damages for $4,000 on account
of injury done to his business, his feel
| ings and his reputation.
Mr. Hatch read the letter of Mr.. VIII
| lis in the Senate on July 26. In answer to
a question on the subject he stated that
the government would investigate the
matter and send a reply to the commu-
ncation Marshal Hitchcock has been
compiling the evidence on record IN his
Office against Durreen, but declined to
state the nature of it, He stated, how
ever, that his report would show that
the evidence against Durreell was abund-
ant and would fully satisfy the American
people that he was properly arrested and
confined. He said that Durreel was three
fourths American Indian and one-fourth
negro, having knky hair The marshal
added that the affidavit contained false
statements about the diet and treatment
in the prison. as well as being untrue
about the complainants innocence Of
reasonable language.
1t is otherwise learned that from the
time of his arrival here Durreell, like the
majority of colored men, became symp-
athizer with the royalists and latterly
fell particularly under suspicion as being
engaged in the conspiracy which culmi-
mated in the insurrectiOn Of January.
when, after the outbreak, martial law was
proclaimed, and all persons strongly sus-
pected of active completely were arrested,
Durin Durreell was one of the first the
evidence against him having been speci-
ally taken
AS a rule, only leading conspirators
were brought to trial before the military
commission besides those captured in ac-
tual war. OF the persons arrested and
confined on good evidence Of completely
the large majority We're released without
trial as the government desired to avoid
severity, and the labor and expense at
tending the carefully conducted trials was
son, was thus leniently released without
trial
The store specified in the affidavit is
small shed, few feet square in the cor
ner of the Queen Emma premises, rent
ing for S12 per month. The business,
which is In cakes. cigars and fruits, may
have amounted to gross receipts of IS or
81 per day. It belongs TO the grade of the
proverbial peanut stand.
The Hawaiian Star observes: when
not engaged in a lucrative business Mr..
Durreell worked as a cook and we are
reliably informed was a rather Indifferent
mechanic. A couple Of hundred dollars
would. in all Likelihood. patch up his men
tai anguish and that sum would certain
" put him on easy street. The S25 900
then must be for the alleged outrage on
an American citizen. No tribunal would
enter so low a charge for pulling tail
feathers from the American eagle.
THE government Is viewing this action
Of Mr.. wills with serious apprehension
They fear that it indicates hostility to-
wards them on the part or the American
administration, and that II Is designed
to encourage and lead tho way to a Sc
,fas .f eiupfIar demands from Great frf