The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-03-28
BROWN MEN SAY CHINESE WERE
THE AGGREsSORS.
japanese Went Unarmed on a Peace
able Mission-Were Suddenly Attack
ed by the Chinese.


ku massacre have been made little
clearer as the result of a visit to the
plantation made yesterday by G. Bolte
of NJ. S. Grinbaum q Co., the agents
of the plantation. Mr.. Bolte went at
the request of the directors of the plan
tation in response to request from
Manager Weight for the advice and as
sistance of the directors. Accompany
ing Mr.. Bolte were DR.. 7. Kabsunuma,
representing the japanese immigration
Companies, and Wi Shing, of the Ha-
rng Lung Kee Company, representing
the Chinese immigration Society On
their way to Kahuku they met the
train bringing in the police, the woun-
ded Chinese and the Japanese prison
ers. At Kahuku, where they arrived
late in the afternoon, they found ev-
erything quiet. Deputy Sheriff Frank
Pahia and some of his guards were on
duty.
Manager Weight said that the imme-
diate cause of the outbreak was an IN
cident occur ring on Saturday. The
gang of laborers employed in loading
cane on the cars in the fields is COM
posed of about two-thirds Chinese and
one-third japanese. They have been
at work since early in January. There
has been friction between the two ra-
ces The Chinese have been domineer-
ing in their manner and there nave
been petty squabbles and considerable
III feeling Saturday afternoon, so the
luna in charge of the work said, in the
presence of Manager Weight, a large
Chinese and a small Japanese were on
top of q nearly loaded car of cane. Ihe
Chinese gave the Japanese an order
which the latter refused to obey
whereupon the Chinese threw the Jap
bodily to the ground, distance or
about ten feet Immediately the two
Of a fight
fists and stalks of cane This the luna
stopped, telling the Japanese that he
could have the Chinese arrested and
the matter could be settled in court.
The Japanese urged that they did not
know the name of the Chinese ana
hence could not secure warrant. Ihe
luna assured them that on their iden-
tification of the man or men they want
ed arrested he would see that they got
the names. On this assurance the mat
ter was apparently dropped for the
time being.
DR.. Katsunuma says the japanese
version of Sundays affair as the la
borers gave it to him is as toliows'
'They neither organized nor armed
for a fight nor did they have leaders
or generals. They went to the Chinese
camp, which is a two story house for
merly a warehouse with wide hall
running down the center of it, and fve
rooms opening off this on each side.
| They went simply for the purpose OF
identifying the men whom they want
ed arrested for Saturdays incident, so
as to be able to secure their names
and have them arrested.
| when they appeared in the build
| ing occupied by the Chinese the latter
| Immediately objected to their entering
| and backed up their objections by
! force, using cane knives, hoe handles
| 81, t1,nf 40
Japanese finding themselves thus at
| tackled Immediately began to defend
| themselves, and for weapons seized eV'
| erything that was within reach, taking
the knives away from the Chinese anc
using them on the latter; picking uI
hoe handles and pieces of fire wooc
| that were lying about; anything II
| fact that would serve as weapon
Carried on by the surprise and excite
ment of the sudden attack of the Chi
nese, they may have been carried be
| yond purely defensive fighting. Bu
| such was the excitement of the occa
sion that Japanese fought each otner
THE fighting had been going on fo
ten minutes or so when Manage
| Weight interfered and stopped it, Bu
the Japanese did not go armed and th'
only weapons they used were such al
they picked up on the scene or wresteC
from the Chinese"
Mr.. Bolte says that as for the mat
ter of coral rocks, said to have beer
thrown, there is plenty of that nea
the Chinese quarters.
Wi Shing, giving the Chinese version
of the matter as he got 1t from tn
Chinese says:
1.-THE affair occurred about 4 o'clOcl
in the afternoon. The Chinese had hat
their dinner and were resting in thei
quarters, some lying in their hunks
others sitting in their rooms or in tn
hall. The Japanese came armed witt
knives and other weapons. Their at
tack was sudden and without warning
The Chinese in trying to escape wer
surrounded and driven back Man.
were attacked in their hunks withou
any chance of escape or defense.
There were three Japanese on horse
back. These patrolled outside ant
when a Chinese succeeded in escap
ing from the building and making TO
: the cane fields, he was driven back b.
these horsemen to where the armed ia
panese on foot could get at them.
was a planned attack well organized
and engaged in by about $50 Japanes
and 100 Chinese The Japanese sur
surrounded the building to prevent es
cape either by doors or windows. Tn
furniture and belongings of the Chi
nese were viciously destroyed"
DIR. Katsunuma and Wi Shing eac
laboring with his own people persuad
ed them to promise to go to wor
again this morning and let the LAY
take it's course with those arrested b
the police. In token of this armistic
these two men shook hands togethe
in the presence of both sets of labor
ers.