The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-17
SHIP Captured
BY PORTO RICANS

sells to save half the number Of people
which they carried.
| The Ke-Au-Hou had no sooner got
ten out into the stream, all ready to
depart, before those on shore noticed
a great commotion on board and pref
ty soon some one came hurrying from
the vessel in a boat and, after landing,
made a rush for the police station
Whats the matter?' cried dozen
or more excited persons when they got
wind of the fact that there was some
thing wrong on the vessel and that a
man from the steamer had FASTENED to
seek police assistance. No one seemed
: to know what the trouble was, how
ever, although there were all kinds of
rumors of bloodshed and mutiny.
| Soon Deputy Sheriff Chillingworth
arrived upon the Inter-Island wharf
with couple of trusted men. we'll
armed. and they were quickly taken
off to the steamer as she lay in the
stream.
| High Sheriff Brown came down about
an hour afterwards to see what had
been done and President Ena Of the
lInter-Island Steam Navigation Com
pany also made his appearance on the
wharf together with representatives of
the various companies which are re-
| ceiving the laborers for their planta-
tions.
| When the police returned from the
IKe-Au-Hou the story of what had hap
Ipened aboard the vessel soon got
around and the rumors of bloodshed
and murder were all knocked in the
head.
A Porto .Rican had captured the Ke-
Au-Hou.
He had taken the vessel away from
the captain and all hands and had the
whole ships crew scared out of their
wits.
This was one of the Porto Ricans
who was not quite as fat as he would
have liked to have been. He was hun
CRY; he wanted something to eat and
there was nothing in sight for him and
his fellows to consume. Being very
hungry and very angry because the
food for the entire lot of immigrants
aboard had been dumped out on the
| forward hatch where the cattle are
carried, when there are any cattle go
| ing on the steamer, he pulled out a
knife from somewhere just as the ves-
| sci was getting ready for sea-and made
for the pilot house, where he drove the
NATIVE helmsman from the wheel.
| It is alleged that the steamship COM
pany had not properly provided for
| the immigrants, and that they had
nothing to eat when they went aboard
| the Ke Au Hou, and that nothing was
ready for them when they got aboard
that vessel. To be sure there were
something like four sacks OF rice, so 1t
| is said, and a barrel of salmon and
even a barrel of pork aboard the YES
sci. besides some hard bread for their
consumption. 1t is said that the cause
! of the uprising, of one man with a
knife, was that lot of hard bread was
dumped on the forward hatch for the
| Immigrants to feed from. They kicked
for the reason that they expected more
| than hard bread to eat, and did not
like the idea of eating from the deck.
The man who captured the vessel and
| compelled the captain to send Tor the
police, said he represented the Porto
Ricans aboard, and was carrying out
the wishes of all when he held the
| vessel in port. He was not going to
allow the vessel to go to sea until
some understanding was reached with
| the authorities concerning food.
/ Captain Olsen did not take the knife
] away from the Porto Rican, nor did ne
attempt to do SO. He dropped the
anchor right in the middle of the
stream and sent for the police.
The police upon their arrival at
tempted to take the man who had
welded the knife ashore and lock him
up but the other Porto Ricans, through
an interpreter, gave the authorities to
understand that if the knife-wielder
was taken off the vessel they would
not allow the boat to go to sea, that
they would stay right where they were
if they had to fight.
They also demanded the right to see
some one who could settle the whole
matter so the police came ashore
again, and the man in question was
sent for.
The police came to the conclusion
that it would be best to leave the man
; who had captured the vessel aboard or
; there was likely to be further trouble
High Sheriff Brown informed the
steamship people that there was nc
necessity of there having been so much
trouble over nothing, and it was inti-
mated that the captain of the vessel
had been smitten with ''cold feet" wher
, he was confronted by the solitary man
with a knife. Brown said that the
captain could have handled the fellow
/ in such a way that he would be una
bic to do any harm with the knife
that he should have used force to re-
3 gain his ship after the Porto Ricar
: had captured 1t.
"Its all very well to talk like that,
said one of the steamship people aftel
Brown had gone, but the sheriff
would be the last man to stand b.
Captain Olsen if he had raised his ittl'
j finger to the Porto Rican. He wouit
have arrested and prosecuted him TO
t murder or manslaughter Ii he hat
knocked him down in defense of him
self and crew.
There was very little love exhibited
between the police and the steamship
people over the affair. The police wer
p of the opinion that the captain ant
s crew of the Ke Au Hou ought to hav
: managed things better, and the steam
q ship people We're angry because tn
: police did not take the knife wielde
$ off the boat and put him in jail.
Finally the steamship people de
manded that guard be sent aloni
e with the Porto Ricans on the steamer
: and the sheriff sent down three mel
a to look after things op the voyage 7
: the HamalSua coast, and the man VIII
(Continued on Page 81