The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-09-03
MANAGER BhLLENTYNE
REPLIES To BURGESS
(From Saturdays Advertiser.
Honolulu, August 80, 1907.

IlOllOlulAA, august 1VVi.
Editor Advertiser: In your issue OF
this morning appeared a communica-
tion over the signature of Robert Bur-
CESS, conductor dismissed yesterday
from the service of the Honolulu Rapid
Transit Co., in which his version of the
cause of his dismissal is given.
1 will ask your indulgence in that I
may be permitted to state the facts,
in order that the public may not be
misled or any false sympathy created.
These facts are as follows:
On the evening of Tuesday last, a
passenger boarded car number 3S at
the Kalihi station, of which car Bur-
CESS was the conductor. This passen-
ger boarded the car at the rear and
stood on the rear platform, and there
paid his fare to the conductor, after
receiving which the conductor asked
the passenger where he, the conductor,
would stand, to which the passenger
replied, You can stand where you
please" The conductor then said, DO
you want me to throw you out of the
carr" the passenger replying, do
what you please" whereupon the con-
ductor grabbed him and pulled him
into the car and thrust him into a
seat. The passenger, in the meantime,
had made a mental note of the con-
ductors number.
All went well until the car approach
ed Desha lane, when the conductor
went to the passenger and said, DO
you want my number?' to which the
passenger replied, 81 have got what 1
want The conductor then said,
Don't get saucy; if you do will throw
you out of the car and proceeded to
shove his fist under the passengers
nose. The latter, believing that the
conductor intended to strike him, stood
up, when the conductor grabbed him
by the throat and forced him back
into his seat, saying, IF I catch you
in the street will smash you" Moth
ing further occurred, and the passen-
ger came to the office and reported the
matter.
When 1 arrived at the office on the
following morning, l found the com-
plaint and proceeded to investigate it
The complainant, Chinese employed
by ]. A. r. Vieira & Co. as a working
jeweler not a servant of mine, as
stated by Burgess in his letter., re-
peated substantially what was con-
tained in his complaint, and gave me
the names of two witnesses-one a
white man and the other Hawaiian
through whom, the Hawaiian, found
two others, all passengers on the car
and all of whom corroborated the
passengers story in every detail.
Burgess was then called to my office
and asked as to what he had to say
in regard to the charge, and replied,
while denying the charge of the use of
threatening language, that he did pull
the passenger into the body of the car
and subsequently did put his fist under
his nose, but did not grab him by the
throat. He also admitted, in response
to a question, that the passenger did
not use any improper language, but
that he angered him by his manner,
and that caused him to treat him as
he did.
The assault and the use of threaten
ing language having been corroborated
by four disinterested witnesses,
would have been recreant to my duty
to the public, as we'll as to the car
men, had l not summarily dismissed
this man from the service of the COM
pany.
When leaving my Office, after dis
missal, he informed me that he would
make it hot for me" and that he is
dangerous man; the latter statement
1 fully believe. Yours truly,
@ G. RALLENTYNE.