The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-07-05

The disturbance arose when Captain
Wynne, commanding the marine guard
of the Chicago, seeing Doddrdge and
Ledbetter sitting outside of the Flor
ian Cafe, gave a hail, unusual in this
place, resembling "yi, vi, vi
Lieutenant Doddridge and Surgeon
Ledbetter ran toward Captain Wynne
upsetting chairs and two small tables.
A large crowd and the police imme-
diately surrounding Lieutenant Dodd-
ridge, who endeavored to explain. The
crowd the findings continue, pressed
on, shouting and gestculating, but
were not well controlled by the police.
The police secured Lieutenant Dodd-
ridge and apparently at the same time
the crowd attacked him. Lieutenant
Doddridge was roughly handled by the
police, and it required the assistance
of citizens to effect his arrest But
there were no means of distinguishing
the persons assisting the police from
those who were wantonly attacking the
prisoner"
Captain Wynne, Surgeon Ledbetter,
Naval Cadet James c. Kress, and
Langley, a marine, all forcibly endeav-
ored to help Lieutenant Doddridge, re-
taliating for the assistance of the civt-
lians. but not attacking the police.
AT the station, II Is duueu III lllt
findings of the court there was much
excitement. The crowd was a. first
allowed therein and no one appeared to
be high in authority. The crowd
shouted and gesticulated and the Off
GERS made demands and protests. Their
treatment in prison was severe and eX-
tremely humiliatng but there is no
evidence that the prison rules We're eX-
ceeded."
The officers pleaded self defense
against civilians; that no police were
| knowingly resisted, and that their in
tention was not to release Lieutenant
Doddridge, but to protect him from vio-
lenoe inflicted by outsiders.
The court refers to the disadvantage
at which the officers were placed at the
trial owing to their ignorance of the
Italian language and laws, and says:
The Interpreter, who was a consular
clerk, was not successful or satisfac
tory. The strong feeling against the
officers among the audience was fire.
quently manifested and no efforts
We're made by the magistrate to sup
press the manifestations
In summing up, the court finds that
while the actions of Cadet Kress were
| indiscreet, no further proceedings
| against him should be taken. The same
conclusion is arrived at regarding
Langley, and the court recommends
that Lieutenant Doddridge Captain
Wynne and Surgeon Ledbetter be tried
by court-martial for conduct unbe
coming an officer and a gentleman;
that Lieutenant Doddridge and Sur
geon Ledbetter be tried for being no
ticeably affected by liquor and upset
ting tables and chairs" and that Cap
tain Wynne be tried for his unusual
hail in the quiet of ST. Marks square"
and running among chairs and tables
in a public cafe.
Admiral CrOwninshield quashes all
the recommendations for court-martial
saying:
The sum total of the matter is that
two officers had a dispute with a wait
er, ran among chairs and tables, all the
tables and chairs being deserted at the
time; that one of them upset tables
and chairs and that another called out
in loud tones on the deserted square.
While some or all of the actions may
be considered indiscreet or lacking in
dignity, none of them merit a court
martial, and none can be characterized
as bringing scandal or disgrace on the
naval service"