The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-03-27
WHISTLE SOUNDING RIOT
AND FIRE CALL ROUSED
PEOPLE LAST NIGHT
Legislators Saw Police and Fire-Fighters As
sembIing and Moving on the Jump in Fine
Surprise Drill in Response to Quick Calls.

Long piercing blasts of the fire whis-
tie at $3.50 last evening. often repeated
to be renewed again half an hour later
caused alarmed residents all over the
city to hurry down town to ascertain
their meaning. The first signals con
sisted of five blasts in quick succession
repeated about dozen times during
the succeeding ten minutes. Few per-
sons could make out what to them was
a meaningless signal, but every officer
and person connected with the Police
Department. watchmen and governments
officials knew that it was one of the
most terrifying of signals-a riot call.
Hardly had residents composed them
selves when the whistle again sounded,
this time designating fire signal box
S5 at the Pacific Mail dock.
But there was no riot and there was
no fire. Both signals were turned in
for the edifcation of the Police Com
| mittee of the House of Representatives.
to illustrate their value and the urgent
need for two telegraph systems to be
installed all over the city. The signals
in both cases were responded to in a
manner which showed plainly that the
city is ably protected both from riots
and fires.
The Police Committee headed by Act
ing Chairman Kupihea and Speaker
Beckiey was present in the Station
Clerks office at 1888 when High Sheriff
Brown opened box near the clerks
desk and turned in the riot call. The
immediate response was the fire whis-
tie blowing FIVE times in quick success
sion and renewed several times. The
next instant men came tumbling- down
stairs from the dormitories above where
they had been asleep, who ran to the
iailyard. buckled on cartridge belts and
procured rifles from the armory.
SQUAD of men was sent to the street
and with fixed bayonets guarded the
Station House The patrol wagon was
hitched up, and then down the street
came the clattering of hoofs as mounted
patroImen gaIIoped in from their beats
and tied up at the iron fence. They too
hurried into the jail-yard' and armed
themselves with carbines. Foot police
ran in, officers in civilian clothes, some
with only trousers and coat and hat,
shirtless and sockIess, but all intent in
doing their duty. The special police Of
ficers in any old garb. Deputy High
Sheriff Chillingworth- and a squad just
prevented from carrying out we'll
planned gambling raid, whites. Hawai-
ians. Chinese. japanese. Porto Ricans.
all tumbled into the station and were
drawn up in eerried lines by the High
Sheriff and Captain Parker. The
mounted men were in command of
Patrolnan Barthold.
In ten minutes by the watch held by
Speaker Beckley every available officer
was at the station under arms and |
ready to face a rioting mob. Then the
patrol wagon dashed out filed with .
armed men and went at headlong speed (
TO Kawaiahao church where they re-
ported in just three minutes. The sud
den dash of the patrol wagon startled
a horse attached to a brake near the
postoffice and mounted officer showed
his training by speeding after the ami
NAL and overtaking it. Then the mount
ed men ganoped off for mimic fray
and showed what a weIl-trained branch
Of the police force it was
BY thiz time all steps in town had
turned to the Police Station and the
streets were filed with wondering peo-
pie The entire aggregation of police,
icot. mounted. specials. clerks, sur
yeon. turnkeys and assistants number
ID nearly eighty men. When the drill
vas concluded the House Committee
its pleasure at the exhibition
and the High Sheriff was congratulat-
d upon the success of the ruse. as the