The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-09-11

r firmly convinced that this was the
cause of the insurrection on the island.
CAPTAIN SPENCER'S STORY.
When interviewed outside the harbor,
aboard the Ceylon yesterday by an
Advertiser reporter, Captain Joe Spen-
Ger, King of Laysan Island" had the
following to say:
Three days after we arrived at Lay
san on the Ceylon, the luna of the Jap
anese, Tanaka by name, came TO my
house and told me that the japanese
were going to pull down the house
and make us all sore l saw there was
trouble coming and prepared myself on
the defensive. / don't know whether
Tanaka was siding with the Japanese
or with our people. / didn't trust him
much but just the same he warned me.
This was on Saturday, August 18th,
and that night about s o'clock, the
japanese having collected in q mob,
flags flying, armed with cutlasses and
one thing and another we went to the
platform about halfway between our
house and the japanese quarters to
pacify them If possible. My son WIS
with me and so was Captain SpiIlner
and Luhrs, the engineer. We We're
armed with revolvers-six shooters.
had two weapons, one in either hand.
The japanese dared us to come out and
fight them and made various threats
about doing us up. l shouted out that
the first man who stepped on the pat
form would be killed Shoot away
they cried and with that the whole mob
charged us, shouting the while like
g.. 4. -.
lives.
THEN | BLAZED AWAY.
The first two japanese 10 reach the
platform We're the leaders, those who
had had the most to say and who had
made the threats against our lives.
Then blazed away. our lives were in
danger. The infuriated Japanese We're
evidently intent upon numbering us all.
If they succeeded in killing us what
would have become of my wife. Might
they not have killed her also? Realiz-
fight to the last. / thought it very
probable that l would be killed. ] took
as careful aim as possible in the dark
ness and fired eight shots, one right af
ter the other. Two Japanese were kill
tI anu lflltt WbuIutu. ne utdu were
buried on Laysan Island, the wounded,
who are getting well now. we brought
along with us between decks with the
rest of the Japanese, There are only
two men remaining on the Island now,
my son and Luhrs, the engineer. 4
man must defend his life. We had no
one to look to except ourselves. We
We're the only law and government on
the Island and we defended ourselves
| acted just as | would act anywhere
else | defended my life and the life of
my wife when they We're threatened"
Captain Willer of the bark Ceylon,
his wife and little son, the officers and
crew of the Ceylon We're all aboard the
vessel at the time of the trouble. The
only other white man ashore besides
Captain Spencer, his son, Captain Spill
ner and the engineer was the carpenter
too old and feeble to render any assist
ance. Mrs. Spencer, although she had
been told by her husband to stay with
in doors when the trouble was an,
tcipated, was so anxious to know how
things We're progressing that she crept
out and moved along in n STOPPING posi-
ton through the tall grass towards the
scene of trouble. When the shots We're
fired her anxiety as to the safety of her
husband was naturally very great and
she lay in hiding In the grass all of a
tremble waiting for definite news of the
outcome of the struggle.
JAPANESE MADE PRISONERS.
After the shooting occurred the Jap
anese left the white men in peace, be-
ing thoroughly frightened at the death
OF two of their comrades and the
wounding of three others. The next
day, armed with revolvers, the white
men rounded up the Japanese and took
them aboard the Ceylon. Captain
Spencer thought 1t best TO get to Homo
lulu as soon an possible and inasmuch
as there were no laborers TO load the
Ceylon, Captain Willer was naturally
perfectly willing to come home. AS
the Japanese were rounded up they
were taken aboard the bark. Once
aboard the vessel Captain willer. being
master of the vessel, took charge of the
prisoners. He stood at the gangway
with a drawn revolver and made each
Japanese as he came aboard deliver up
his weapons. Knives. cutlasses and
clubs were in this way taken from the
prisoners and slowed away In the cabin
and brought to Honolulu. The thirty
eight prisoners, including the three
wounded, were put below between