The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-19
Signed THE LETTER
UNDER DURESS.
CAPTAIN DAVIES ANTICIPATED IT'S
RECEIPT AT THE CALL"
OFFICE.
ONE USE OF MARTIAL LAW.
BLAME AND WAS THEN
ASSISTED OUT"

A letter, dated at Honolulu, addressed
to the CALL and signed by Captain William
Davies was received yesterday. For some
reason its delivery was delayed for two
days.
Captain Davies was the man who was
tried for furnishing arms to the rebels,
convicted, and who was said to have been
strung up by the thumbs by agents of the
Government to extort a confession from
him as to the others in the conspiracy.
Davies did give testimony against the
rebels, and on his testimony a number of
participants were punished. At the time
of this occurrence reports were current in
Honolulu that Captain Davies had been
tortured, and to several acquaintance,
Charles Creighton among others, he said
that he had been tortured into making a
confession. This expression he afterward
explained by saying that he was tortured
with threats OF death.
A correspondent in Honolulu, who heard
the story without Davies explanation,
wrote to the CALL what he thought was
truthful account, deeming it not improb-
able that some of the minor officers would
resort to any extremity in order to carry
their point in getting a confession.
Davies was ordered to be banished, but
before he LETT he was taken to the Marshal's
office in Honolulu, where he signed the
following document:
MARsHAL's OFFICE,
HONOLULU, H. l., March >, 1885,
To the Editor Of the San Francisco Morning
CdtP'-SIR: An article appearing in the CALL Of
February 10, purporting to be published mar
rative OF myself and stating in detail supposed
fortunes inflicted upon me by the authorities
OF the Governments OF Hawaii, has been brought
With your permission wish to set at right
such fearful prevarication and denounce the
whole thing as most internal falsehood. Not
one OF the fortunes therein enumerated was
practiced upon myself nor upon any other
prisoner. On the contrary, the Government
from the first has treated me and all with the
utmost fairness and justice, and my confession
to the authorities relative to the landing OF
arms was made freely, and not as your state
ment impies-after having been subjected TO
torture
make this statement believing it only fair
that such an imputation against Government
that has dealt as fairly and leniently with me
and all other prisoners as has the Hawaiian
Government should be denied by one who is
best able TO do so. WILLIAM DAWES.
The moment that Captain Davies touched
American soil he sought out the CALL
office, and over his own signature made a
voluntary statement which has already
been published, as follows:
Editor Calt-DEAR SIR: The report published
in your paper some time ago telling of how I
was coerced into giving evidence against the
so-called rebels in Honolulu contained some
mistakes. will give the facts briefly.
was arrested at o'clock in the morning,
and was handcuffed by two soldiers and Luther
wilcox. was put in solitary confinement and
was threatened with death by W. o. Smith,
Attorney-General, if did not give testimony
against the so-called rebels. l gave the teSti-
mony, as requested, under duress.
1t was not true that | was tTiced up by the
thumbs or tortured otherwise than by solitary
confinement. With that exception your ac-
count OF how was induced to testify against
the so-called rebels is correct.
On the 9th OF the present month, about
8 o'clock in the morning, was arrested under
martial law and taken 10 the MarshaPs office,
when letter 10 the CALL disputing your
former article, as republished in the Honolulu
Advertiser, was presented to me and l was
asked to sign it. l did so of course. ! had no
choice. The article was a little too strong, but
was under martial law and had 10 sign it.
The Government helped me out of the country
by lending me money Respectfully
San Francisco, March IA, '95.
The CALL publishes both letters at this
time without comment, leaving discern
ing public to Judge of their merits.
Charles Creighton, one of the Hawaiian
exiles, in an interview yesterday said that
while political prisoner in the station
house at Honolulu on the night of Janu-
airy he overheard Deputy Marshal A NJ,
Brown give orders to William H. Hoogs to
take squad and find Captain Davies.
"Shoot him ON sight if he resists," was
the language which Creighton overheard.
But Brown added that ''if he (Hoogs
could make Davies squeal it would be all
the better"
"Hoogs told me next morning." contin-
ued Mr.. Creighton, ''that they had had
orders to shoot Davies on sight, and in
tended to do so, but that Davies had not
been found"