The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-07-24
Matte of Missing Sight From
Austrian Field Piece.
LESSON IN ANSWERING QUESTIONS
Weatherby Gives His knowledge
ur the Case->ergeaur Ia, Tor Found
q SlghJ-Courr VIII Meet Tonight.

The court martial opened at the usual
hour last night with the usual crowd OF
interested listeners in the chairs and
abou, tine doorways. Colonel Mclean
was The hrst witness on the stand and
testified as follows:
Question-~Do you claim TO know
something about the disappearance of
a sight Of one Of the Austrian guns?"
Answer-~Yes, sir"
Quesdon-"What do you know of the
disappearance Of the sight?"
Answer-"About May 18th, 1896. was
inspecting old armory. Captain Good
came TO me and reported that a sight
was missing. I knew that a sight had
been out and replied that that was
all right. Captain Good persisted in
repeating that q sight was missing.
and added that no sight had been miss
ing from the guns the last time he had
inspected them. His manner was so
aggressive that my curiosity was ex-
cited. replied: Captain Good. think
you must be mistaken, for have the
only sight that was missing from the
guns in my Office, where il has been for
the last six or seven weeks. He was Of
dcer Of the day when he made report.
1 considered that that ended the mat
ter, and as I had inspected the guns
myself that morning. I knew that no
sight was missing except the one in my
Office; I gave il no further attention
On the same afternoon Judge Cooper
sent for me 10 the Foreign Office. On
arrival there he opened a drawer and
pulled out package wrapped in brown
paper. similar TO that before me. Upon
unwrapping il 3 sight Of one of the
Austrian guns was disclosed. which was
wrapped in the same kind OF paper.
Upon this was some writing which
Judge Cooper asked me TO read. After
reading the letter. for an instant I was
nonplusSed. Was positive in my own
mind that no sight had been taken
from the Austrian guns, nor has any
been taken I told Judge Cooper
would investigate.
shortly after my taking command.
/ one day. sent Sergeant Weatherby and
told him 10 set me one Of the Austrian
sights. rs wished TO familiarize my
self with il. That sight Is still in The
Office
AT this point Colonel Mclean retired
and returned with the sight a little
later
Continuing. Colonel Mclean said:
From my own positive observation.
that is the only sight that has ever
been missed from those guns. I then
directed Sergeant Weatherby TO make
some inquiries. He soon reported 10 me
that about two months previous 10 this
tine a sight had been found on the
ground near the gun shed. by either
Sergesnts Taylor or Carlyle. wto re
ported 10 Lieutenant Coyne. who was
officer Of the day, and by whom they
were directed 10 give II TO Captain
Good They stated that when they gave
the sight 10 Captain Good. Sergeant
Moore was present. No previous re-
ports Of the finding OF this sight had
beeen made 10 ne. At about the same
time this sight was found Weatherby
reported 10 me that his storeroom in the
basement had been broken open. but
he did not notice that anything was
missing. When the sight matter came
up 1 directed him 10 inspect the store
room again. He reported than an Aus
trian sight had been taken from one
Of the boxes"
Where are The sixteen sights tonight?
Colonel Mclean then explained the
places where they were, and added that
other things besides the sights had
been taken out OF the guns. Two Of the
members OF the board Of inquiry went
TO The Office where the sight was. and
found il where I had said. had this
al ny Office 10 make myself familiar
with The ordinations. That's the only
sight that has ever been out e the
guns.
Cross-Examined: From the tine the
sight was taken from The sun there
has been one gun N the shed without a
sight Orderly Sergeant Weatherby
brought the sight 10 me month or
Two after I came here. inspected the
guns Two or three times q week. No
sight was ever missing except that one.
! had military reasons for keeping an
eye on that gun. When 1 came here the
guns were around this building 10 fire
al people They are now used 10 shoot
people. but not women and children.
They were remos ed from the building
TWO or three days after I arrived here
3 soon as ! sized up the situation.
They have been under the shed since
then, and when thought necessary I
placed special guard under them.
! placed guard there when there was
talk OF flibusters-that was before l
knew Honolulu as ] DO now. The men
have had orders always 10 keep an eve
on them. No special senries have been
there, but The men have been instruct
ed 10 look after them When / came
here there were eighteen sentries: I
reduced the number 10 -four.
/ decline 70 say whether there Is an
munition for the guns, unless ordered
By he court Question ruled ouL)
Sentry Al Likelike street was chang
Cd 70 ny headquarters. When special
occasions arose there vas guard Il
Llkeiike street Wien you want a cor