The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-12-28
One Of the Train Of 1895 Claim
ants to be Paid.
JAMES DUREEL THE MAN
A Naturallzed American-His Part
and Arrest-Was a TAXA
Legislative Measure.

of 1895, one, it is believed, will be set
in favor of the plaintiff. 1t is expected
that the Legislature will be asked to
make an appropriation to be used in
reimbursing or applying balm to the
wounded feelings of James Dureell.
The man thus favored out of the
great number alleging grievances and
urging for relief measures is not here
now. He dropped out of sight many
months ago. Dureell was a natural
lied American. He was born in one
of the South American countries and
was dark-skinned fellow He came
within the meshes of Marshal Hitch
cocks dragnet very early in the dis
turbance of January, 1895. Dureell
was arrested or the 9th of the month,
the first incident of the uprising hav-
ing occurred on the evening of the 9Th.
Dureell came to Honolulu as a steer
age passenger on the Canadian-Austra.
lian liner Warrimoo in eSeptember,
1894. For time he was employed as
ing kitchen mechanic by profession.
In few weeks he branched out as the
proprietor of refreshment stand The
place was on the Queen Emma Hall
premises, at the corner of Nuuanu and
Beretania streets. Dureell made his
little stand sort of headquarters for
small conspirators and che ia gam
blers. A che ia game was conducted
in the small back room, Dureell writ
ing the tickets. The man found his
business a discouraging affair finan-
cially and grumbled all the time, blam-
ing the successors to the monarchy for
the hard times. He talked restora-
tion and plotting fercely and was very
| indiscreet about it, venting his opin-
ions in the frankest of terms to all
comers. He advised natives and others
to make an effort to win back the good
old times. Some of the men who were
watching Dureell made him out about
as blood thirsty as an ardent disciple
of the commune. The fellow was quite
we'll informed on the issues as stated
in the circles of the corner gossips and
| late-sleeping loafers. He could recite
|
missionaries for hours at time In
fact he had little else to do. Dureell
claimed to have had all sorts of expert
ences in shaping the destines of coun-
tries and likely made great impress
| ions with the men who lcitered about
his place.
So many stories had been brought
to police headquarters concerning the
ferocious utterances of the South Am
erican that Marshal Hitchcock and his
mediate staff thought they had landed
| quite a prize when the loud-mouthed
black fellow was behind the bars at
| Oahu prison. In DureelFs suit against
the Government he claims that he was
thrown into a cell and was without
food or covering for more than "a
4 hours. This is denied on direct testi-
mony and from the further showing
that each cell was provided with ham
mocks and blankets and that rations
were served as a matter of routine.
Further, the political prisoners, on ac-
count of their offending and the vari
ETY. of nationalities involved, were
given better fare and more attention
than the ordinary boarders in the
Reef establishment.
1t seems that Dureell is to get money
at this day, if the Legislature is will
ing, chiefly because he was such an
accomplished talker, and natural ac-
tor. He made the ordinary secret SER
vice men and even some of those on
the Seats of the Mighty believe that
he was repository of information that
would do great deal in the direction
of clearing away some of the deep mys-
terry surrounding several phases of sew
eral chapters of the revolution. The
Marshal at that time, who is now Cir
cult Judge on the Island of Hawaii,
was perhaps not the only one in auth
ority who thought that Dureell, if he
could be induced or forced to talk,
could furnish the key to some of the
deepest and most troublesome puzzles
that worried the law and order and
good government people. A determin-
ed effort was made to secure from
Dureell information that it was far
to believe or assume he possessed. The
man was not tortured, but the task of
making him talk was gone about in
decisive manner. 1t developed that
Durreel, like many others prominent
both before and after the uprising, was
a mere braggart, talking glibly of things
of which he knew nothing whatever,
and presenting, when brought to a
standstill, the spectacle of a man whose
mouth had made much trouble for him.
Dureel was kept in Oahu prison
about five weeks Instead of again
taking possession of his little store he
sought employment as a cook and oddly
enough was engaged in that capacity
at the barracks. While here, it is
said, he whispered like one of the vii
lians in tom Sawyer" that he would
now have an opportunity to get even
with the Republic by poisoning all the
soldiers in one batch, giving the un-
! dertakers memorable job. Heof course
! did not do this, nor attempt it so fal
as isknown positively. In time DureeI':
( stock was sold at auction under rem
+ distraint process and realized less thar
: 500, whereas the man had claimed thai
] in a business way he had been injured
) many thousands of dollars. He made
this representation to one of the Con