The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-08-08

New Testimony Given
in the Ship Atlas
Inquiry,

Kawabata, chief boatswain of the
American ship Atlas, was shown by
the testimony given yesterday of Jap
anese sailors of his former crew TO
have had every possible knowledge of
the presence of the unfortunate STOW
away who met with fatal injuries a few
nights before the vessel reached Ho-
nolulu, and whose body was thrown
overheard.
Testimony was offered by sailors
who, like ali others. had deserted the
Atlas and tried to lose themselves in
various parts of the Territory. Those
on the stand yesterday We're a bunch
of five who had shipped aboard the
island schooner Concord and made a
trip, returning yesterday morning only
TO fall into the clutches OF Deputy
the schooner at the outside buoy and
took the men prisoners.
Nearly all gave Kawabata a bad
name and one witness said he was
severe to the point of cruelty, for he
had been struck with an iron bar"
in the hands of Kawabata. 1t was
shown that those who were in the Sc
cret of the stowaway's presence on
board had been told by the chief boat
swain or the second boatswain and
had been instructed in duties relative
to the stowaway, such as providing
him with food and drink, and pay
ment to them was made by the boat
swain for this service.
At the afternoon session in Commits
sioner Mailing court, with Assistant
Attorney Dunno conducting the hear
ing, Captain Amberman of the Atlas
was present. He learned many things
that he had not known during the
voyage, and as one witness said that
certain things were done on board
while close lookout was maintained
against the captain learning the nature
of it. the witness gave a sly look II,
the direction of the officer.
Uyshiyama, the second boatswaln,
said he first learned of the presence of
the stowaway when three days out
from Yokohama. The first boatswain
told him about it and said he would
give the witness some money for keep
ing quiet about it. The stowaway was
alive about two hours after he had
fallen down the hatchway, for he had
seen him then AT 1890 the next morn
ing after the accident witness saw the
stowaway again and considered him
dead.
1.-The chief boatswain told me to keep
my mouth shut and he would pay me
for it, said Uyshiyama. If the man
had any baggage I did not see it,
The witness said that Kawabata paid |
him fourteen yen as "hush money
/ ne first boatswain, like all others in |
the crew, had received advance money |
in Yokohama, the .boatswain getting % |
yen but he believed he had spent all |
this before the ship sailed. The chief |
0oatswain had even borrowed eight yen |
from witness the day the ship sailed !
from Yokohama for Honolulu.
Uyshiyama said that when the man
was declared or known to be dead
there was a consultation of five or
six of the members of the crew as to
what disposition should be made of
the body and it was decided to throw
it overheard, as quietly as possible,
so that the white officers on board
should know nothing of the occur
'ence.
S. Okomoto. who halls from the same
province in Japan which gave Marshal
Oyama TO the world, was a queer
cooking little witness. He said he had
eft the Atlas after arrival here be-
:ause all the others did He under
stood no English and did not like to
emain aboard with the officers who
ould not speak his language. He went
,ver to Waimanalo plantation to see
my friend Ito
Il wanted to see a sugar planta-
ion," he continued, but l did not go
here to work but just to see Ito.
However, I did do a little work, moth
ng much. They had trenches in the
round and put in seed and then L had
hoo in my hands However T did Il