The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-04-23
CREW OF STEAMER HELENE,
WERE NOT ILL TREATED.
Attorney Ballou States that a Morn
ing Paper Published a Misleading
Account-Did Not Tel The Truth.

rSultOT Oldr'- justice 10 ldpl
Fitzgerald | wish to correct the mac
curate and misleading report of the
trial of the Helene crew, IN this morn
ing's Advertiser. The Advertiser says:
"On cross examination the defendant
| (Solomon Opu) gave about the same
story. ID. Luiluilai, one of the sailors,
testified to the same bad treatment on
the part of Capt Fitzgerald"
AS matter of fact Solomon Opu
failed utterly on cross examination to
substantate any of the facts of his
Luiluilai was to so much at variance
with Solomon Opus tale that the spec
tators in the court room were CON
vulsed with laughter, and tie defend
ants attorney stated that he should
advise the men to return to work.
Cap Fitzgerald denied, under oath,
the use of any filthy or abusive Ian
guage. The witness, d. Luiluilai, ad-
mitted that in addition to the rice and
crackers testified to by Opu, the crew
were furnished with meat, salmon and
| tea.
Judge De la Vergne, in finding the
men guilty, said: IF l had found
that you had any grievance whatever
l should have been glad to let you go.
l am satisfied, however, that the wit
nesses were not telling the truth. Poi
is your national dish, and if any man
can come into this court and prove he
has been unreasonably deprived of it
| will annul his labor contract"
S. NJ. BALLOU,
Honolulu, April 90, 1897.
TESTIMONY IN HELENE CASE.
On cross examination Solomon Opu,
with the aid of note book, located
the nine days in which he claimed to
have been without poi as being be-
at Laupahoehoe, and Wednesday
April Tth, when she returned TO Homo
lulu. Further on it developed that on
Saturday, April 3, the vessel had met
the Kilauea Hou, and Solomon Opu
himself was one of the crew, who, at
the command of the captain, rowed to
that vessel and procured a barrel of
poi. That same afternoon the vessel
arrived at Hilo where it lay over Sun
day, and Solomon testified there was
no poi famine on shore, but that he
| IyuS bnuntifullV Sunplia1
ID. Luiluilai, the next witness, hay
ing admitted in his direct examination
that IA barrel had been procured from
the Kilauea Hou on April Sd, located
the nine days of want as being entire.
ly before that time which, according
to his tale, would have made the poi
give out three days out from Honolu.
lu. He also stated that the only com.
plant made to the captain was made
at Ookala, on the very morning the 20
was obtained from the Kilauea IIou
The period of want, according to his
story, having expired by the time tn,
vessel got to Hilo, he had no hesita
ton in admitting the fact that Sol
omon opu had stoutly denied, that tn,
second extra barrel of poi was taker
on board at Hilo for the trip home.
Capt. Fitzgerald testified that tn,
Helene had started from Honolulu
with the usual supply of five barrels
of poi; that on account of the bat
weather the trip was prolonged tC
twice the usual time; that the crew
were not out of poi for over thirty-siN
hours, and that poi was obtained al
the first opportunity thereafter, one
barrel from the steamer Kilauea Hou
and a second barrel at IIilo for the re
turn trip; that during the time the
sailors were without poi they wer,
fed on meat, salmon, rice, crackers
tea and coffee and apple sauce.