The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-09-11
TWO ARE KILLED AND
THREE ARE WOUNDED
Bark Ceyon Brings All Concerned Captain
Spencer Is Charged With
Murder
(From Saturdays Daily

(From Saturdays Daily)
War has been declared, waged and
ended on Laysan Island.
Conquerors and vanqulshed, both, ar
rived in port yesterday afternoon on
the bark Ceylon-except the dead
The dead, Japanese, leaders of the
rebels, repose in lonely graves on the
isolated Isle.
Four against forty-those were the
odds, four white men fighting desper-
ately against forty infuriated Japanese
And the white men conquered
1t was on the evening of Saturday,
August 18th, just three days after the
bark Ceylon from Honolulu had arrived
there with stores, that the insurrection
took place.
MURDER THEIR PLAN.
The forty Japanese rose in body, de-
termined to annihilate all the white
suit themselves. Captain Spencer, over
seventy years of age, took warning in
time. Bidding his wife to remain in
safety in their house, the brave old
man called his son and Captain Spill
ner, late of the Honolulu mounted
patrol and the engineer, Luhrs by name
around him and together they went
out to talk to the mob which had gath
cred between the white mems house
and the japanese quarters.
Captain Spencer wanted to know
what the trouble was, why it was that
the japanese were dissatisfied and why
they gathered thus threateningly.
The leaders of the mob answered de-
family, cursing the aged captain and
his friends and shouting something to
the effect that they were free American
citizens and wouldn't work any more
on the Island but would behave there
after as best suited themselves. They
threatened the white mems lives They
were carrying flags and waving them
eXcitedly and We're armed with knives,
clubs, stones and cutlasses made of
hoop-iron sharpened.
DEFENDING THEIR LIVES.
They made a movement towardS>the
platform upon which Captain Spencer
and his friends stood. The white men
whipped out their revolvers. Old Cap
tain Spencer headed the white men.
He raised a six-shooter in either hand.
THE first man who steps upon this
platform shall die" shouted Captain
Spencer.
Shoot away" cried the mob and at
a signal from the leader, charged all
together for the platform Though they
moved quickly, Captain Spencer's trig-
ger fingers moved quicker. Eight
times his revolvers spoke and they
spoke to the point. Pistols in hands of
the other white men also had something
to say.
TWO ARE KILLED.
Two of the Japanese dropped dead.
They were the foremost In the charge
and were the leaders of the rebellion.
Three others fell helpless, sorely
wounded. 1t was night time when the
fighting occurred, about s o'clock in
the evening. Had 1t been by daylight
more Japanese must have been killed
for then would the aim of the defend
ers have been more effective.
This business-like handling of the
firearms awed the Japanese and after
that 1t was not such difficult matter
to round them up and put them all
aboard the bark Ceylon where Captain
Willer took charge of them. thirty
eight in all, and put them below be-
tween decks and placed them under
guard.
The foregoing is the story gathered
last night from the white men.
RESULT OF CONSPIRACY.
When the Ceylon left Honolulu not
long ago with stores for Laysan Island,
she carried ten Japanese to be added TO
the laboring force on the Island. Ac-,
cording TO all accounts IL was these
last Japanese who started all the trou-
BILE. They are supposed to have hatch.
ed a conspiracy. One of the men ear
ueularly. is known to be a troublesome
character and II was he who urged the
others to rise up against the white
men. This leader told the other Japan
ese all kinds Of fanciful tales about
their rights, impressing upon them the
idea that since Hawaii had become a
Territory or the United States and
Laysan Island belonged to the
Hawaiian Islands. they were all
American citizens and were free OF all
engagements which they might have
made to work guano on Laysan Island
Capt. Wiiier. master OF the bark Ceyion.