The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-18
President DOLE'S CRUELTY
Revolving Barbarity Reported ut the
Hawaiian Trials.
THE WITNESSES ARE TORTURED
An American Strung Up by the Thumbs.
Another Placed in a Tank of leo
Water Until Almost Frozen
to Death.
THE WITNESSES ARE TORTUREI
By the United Press.

BY the United Press.
San Francisco, Feb. 1.-THE Call
prints the following from Honolulu:
The success of the government of Ha-
wall in conducting it's treason cases
was due to the discriminating evidence
given by Captain William Davies, of
the steamer Waimanolo. The manner
in which the sworn statement was
wrung from Davies is interesting, as
showing the peculiar process at pres
ent existing in the Hawaiian Islands.
Davies and his mate, Knudson, were
arrested on the morning of Jan. D.
knudson made ~ confession, telling
what little he knew. Davies, who is
an American citizen, refused any in
formation, and while protesting his
innocence demanded an interview with
the United States Minister. This was
refused. Davies was then taken into
the prison yard, where he was shown
two ring bolts In the wall above his
mead. The uniformed inquisitors of the
government then gave the captain to
understand that if complete confess
sion was not forthcoming he would be
strung up by the thumbs.
that If the American minister could
not come the consul general should be
Informed that he was an American
citizen and wished to see him. His pro-
test was in vain. His legs were bound
below the knees and his thumbs were
lashed with a whip cord to the bolts.
"A cord was placed below him 50 that the
unfortunate mans toes just touched
the ground Davies was stripped to the
waist, while Marshal Hitchcock, At
torney General Smith and Surgeon
Cooper, with a stenographer, awaited
the statement which they believed
would be forthcoming. They were mis-
taken. Davies did not weaken. Sweat
oozed from every pore. The strong man
in his agony begged for a 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 and legs. His
tormentors urged him to impicate all
known to be politically opposed to their
methods, without avail. Davies re-
fused 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 tiends who We're torturing him.
tainted.
Forced to Confess.
DR.. Cooper used salts of ammonia to
revive the captain, who had passed
into the painless realms of unconscious
ness. AS soon as he revived two negro
convicts suspended him again by the
thumbs. This inhuman operation was
begun at noon, and it was O'Clock
in the evening before Davies. more
dead than alive made the statement
that respited him from the inhuman
barbarity of his prosecutors.
Another case of torture was brought
! to light in the military inquiry. A
young native, who was known to be
intimate with Carl Wiedman, was
handcuffed at the wrists. Then, with
a 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 Dr. Cooper, who appears in the un-
enviable light of an arch-inquisitor, de-
Clared that action of the heart was al
most suspended. The chief of police
Marshal Hitchcock, had the young Ka-
naka taken from the tank, and after
being restored from his condition OF
semi-cOnsciousness, the torture was
again administered. Flesh and blood
could stand such inhumanity no longer,
and the much needed confession was
given.