San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-03-20
SAYS SHE NEVER LEGALLY ABB
DICTATED HER RIGHT TO THE
HAWAIIAN THRONE.
Or At Least Her Secretary Gives
Out That Information The
Gentleman Who Drew Up
The AbiicatiOn Document
Disputes This.

washington, March 2O.-S0me DAYS
ago formal cards were issued by Mr..
Julius Palmer, secretary of ex-Queen
Liliuokalani, Of Hawaii, declaring that
she never had legally abdicated the
throne and that the abdication by her
was irregular, being given under
duress, and was therefore void. The
paper of abdication signed by the eX-
queen was drafted by Gen. Alfred S.
Hartell, of Honolulu, who is now in
Washington on a pleasure trip. Gen.
Hartell when asked for a statement
concerning the eX-queen's abdication
declared the following:
Il drafted the eX-queen's abdicatiOn
and oath of allegiance to the repub-
lie of Hawaii and adjuration of the
monarchy under the following circum-
stances:
| 'Paule Wideman, her legal advisor,
who came to Washington in the winter
of 1898, holding her power of attOr-
ney; Samuel Parker, her last prime
minister; A. n. Newman and Charles
Wilson, the last marshal under mon
archy came to my office the day of
her arrest and told me that she had
intended to abdicate before but had
delayed for Mr.. Wideman to talk it
over with her and they wanted me
to draw the paper. l told them that
if l drew it there would be no read
ing between the lines and asked if
she meant it and approved their COM
ing to me. They said she did and
that it was the kind of document she
wanted. l told them it would not
prevent her trial which was soon to
come off. They said they knew it
and that her idea was that things
could be settled and there would be
no further trouble if she should re-
sign and this was her object. l looked
up such reference to loyal abdication
as could find and drew the docpment
which Newman, Parker and Wilson
examined and approved verbatim.
Wilson took it to the queen who pro-
posed some trivial change which was
made and a second draft was made,
which Wilson submitted to her. At
her request another unimportant
change was made and a third draft
was prepared which was submitted
to her and returned to me by Mr.
Wilson who informed me that it was
exactly as she wanted and that he de-
sired a final copy, which was done.
The earliest draft was written out
in clear conveyancer's hand by my
assistant in his position at Honolulu.
''The three men wanted me to be one
Of the attesting witnesses, which /
declined to be, but at the request l
was present when the document was
presented by Newman to the ex-
queen, who In a clear voice and digni-
fed manner stated that she understood
the wording Of the document and de-
sired to sign an acknowledgement
which she proceeded to do before a
notary, Mr. Stanley was pres
ent at the request Of Messrs. New
mann, Parker and Wilson. There
were also present upon that occasion
Mr.. Wideman, her staunch friend,
Mr.. VIM. G. Irwin, a partner of Mr..
Claus Spreckles and an Hawaiian
lawyer. Mr.. Wilson then took the
document and asked me to accompany
him to President Dole, which 1 did.
He handed the paper to Mr.. Dole.
who quietly remarked that 1t would
be placed upon the files. Mr.. Dole
nor his cabinet did not know of the
abdication papers until they were fin
ally completed and executed. No mis-
was made to induce
to take this step. I did
not see her upon the subject until
the instrument and the
gentleman who were about her and
talking with her upon the subject
and who We're her friends would not,
am confident, mislead her.
'Then the document was published
IN the Hawaiian English newspapers.
I did not hear much about it although
people say that she would have been
wise in taking the step earlier and
thereby. perhaps preventing the I'M
fortunate outbreak which occurred in
he early part Of the same month"