The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-09-18

Captain Spinner. Captain Spencer's'
friend" concluded his testimony on
the witness stand yesterday in the
Laysan Island shooting case. He was
still under cross examination when the
case continued in the morning. Spilner,
in answer TO attorney Kinneys ques-
tions, told about the message delivered
to him on Saturday, August II, che day
Of the shooting, by Tanaka, the Jap
anese luna, to the effect that the Jap
anese were coming I'm the evening to
break the white mems house and make
them sore" Spinner feared that some
thing would happen and afterwards
went over TO Spencer's house for the
purpose Of protecting" Spencer.
II don't know" was Spilners chief
testimony yesterday He gave this an
swer to most Of the questions put to
him by the defence.
THE CARPENTER TESTIFIES.
Wahlers. the carpenter, is very deaf
and when Judge Wilcox swore him he
had to fairly shout Questioned BY
High Sheriff Brown, Wahlers told b.
his answers the following story Of the
trouble.
The japanese, shortly after starting
TO work on Saturday morning, knocked
of. Captain Spencer. going down to
the wharf where the lighter men were.
asked the reason Of the cessation of
labor. The captains son told them II
they didn't want TO work they must
so home. Captain Spencer told them
the same thing. The carpenter went to
his shop and later had some conversa-
ton with the engineer as to the mean
ing OF the japanese quitting work
About dusk Wahlers went from his
room onto the platform after being
asked by Tanala if he was going 10
Spencer's house All OF the white men
were on the platform. The japanese
came marching Up I'm a body. march
ing like soldiers" Spencer asked the
Japs. through the luna. what they
wanted. Spencer stood at the edge OF
the platform and told the Japs that if
they worked on Monday he would give
them plenty OF rice.
Then some OF the Japs moved on the
platform. wahlers thought they were
going to make a rush on the Captain
and eventually on all the white men
and was c0rrespondingly terror-strick-
en-. All this he testified to. Then the
Japs came very close TO Spencer and
Spencer stepped back saying: Don't
come on the platform or l will shoot
7 The japanese were very close in
front Of Captain Spencer" said Wah-
lers. and I was afraid they would pull
/ him down. Then 1 saw the flash of
/ Spencer's revolver and heard the report
and heard the Captain say 'Shooti'
Then all the rest fired. Spinner, the
Captains son and the engineer fired.
There were probably six or seven shots
in all.
Then the captain cried, Stop ant
the firing ceased. My eyes were full oil
guano dust and couldn't see very well
l saw no weapons in the hands of III,
japanese. ] saw one Jap STOPPING as Il
he was going TO pick up some guanC
rocks. There were about six Japanes,
on the platform before the firing, anC
lots on the steps. and they kept moving
closer 20 Captain Spencer. One Japan
csc opened his shirt and cried Go ahead
Go ahead!v just before the firing com
menced."
VERY MUCH AFRAID.
on cross-examination wahlers testi
fed that the japanese were on strik
on the eventful Saturday. He said h
was afraid the Japs would Pull Spen
Ger down on the platform" He was ais
afraid that they were going to hur
; rocks at the white men and kill then
) all. He expressed this fear to Spilnel
who was with him behind an overturn
ed car on the platform.
The japanese will probably kill u
all with the rocks" h said.
Good God Almighty. Yesl I thin
So" answered Spinner.
Il was never so frightened before I
my life." swore Wahlers. II was afrai
that we would all be killed"
The cook told Wahlers when the jap
anese were coming from their quarter
towards the platform. that was whe
the carpenter left his room and wen
to the rest OF the white men.
WALKERS was still on the stand yvha