The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-09-06
SAILORS ASHORE
AND THE POLICE

The explanation given by the police
yesterday regarding the alleged un-
necessary violence in collecting a
hack fare from two of the petty off,
GERS of the cruiser Maryland on Tues
day night clears up the affair consid-
eraoly. 1t appears, according to the
statements of the police at the sta
ton and of the driver OF hack II,
that the two sailors had been using
the hack for some hours, finally going
to sleep. The hackman tried 10
awaken them for directions but could
not induce either of them to tell him
where next TO drive. As he did not
know to what vessel the men belong
ed and getting tired of playing porter
on sleeping car, he did the natural
thing by driving to the police station
to have the derslicts taken care of.
AT the station the men were not
handled any rougher than was neces-
sary to induce them to wake up, when
the fare was paid. The difficulty in
the matter appears to have arisen from
the fact that the occupants of the hack
cred the idea that they had been driven
straight to the station instead of
around town to sundry places first.
In connection with the general at
titude of the police toward the men
of the visiting fleet Sheriff Iaukea has
issued orders to treat the boys leni-
emily. Further than this, the Sheriff
has arranged with Admiral Dayton to
release all sailors who may be gath
cred in from the highways and the by
ways, stranded on the various shoals
or capsized, stove in or otherwise rem
dered unseaworthy, at seven o'clock
each morning if called for by the
masters-at-arms of the various vessels.
This will prevent the necessity of any
of the boys arrested for minor mis-
demeanor from having to stay for the
police court trials and being posted as
a straggler, in which event there would
be ten dollars paid for his arrest and
return to the ship. AS one-half of any
rewards paid in this way is the per-
quisite of the Sheriff, it will be seen
that the making of such an agreement
is a sacrifice on the part of the Sheriff.
This agreement was made by the
Sheriff at the time he paid an official
call upon Admiral Dayton on Tuesday,
the message from the Sheriff to the
men of the fleet being wigwagged from
the flagship to the other three vessels
In pursuance of it the three sailors ar
rested on Tuesday were released yes
terday morning, and others will prob
ably be released this morning.
Another feature of the agreement is
that the master-at-arms of the vari-
Gus vessels can take cognizance of the
fact that any sailor arrested for any
serious charge is in custody and there
by prevented from returning to his
ship before his leave expires. This will
also prevent any such sailor from be-
ing posted as absent without leave.
So far it cannot be said that the po-
lice have been other than gentle with
the visiting bluejackets, treating their
pranks with leniency and only inter
fering with the fun of the men when
it is necessary to do so to preserve the
peace Last night some of the men
ashore carried their fun too far. In
one row about ten o'clock last night |
at the corner of King and Fort the |
plate glass window of Chambers drug
store was smashed in, the fighters dis |
appearing in all directions as fast as |
they could foot it. Somewhat earlier |
in the night, three sailors who had |
hired a horse and forgotten from |
which stable they had secured it, and !
who were being guided to the Terri |
tory stables, turned upon the police !
officer and attempted to do him up. |
The officer was able to hold his own, |
however, and no arrests were consid-
cred necessary.
On the whole, however. the boys on |
shore leave have conducted themselves |
In a very orderly manner. Everyone |
in Honolulu is their friend and this |
fact seems to be generally recognized.
AS to the tales of friction between the
sailors and the police, little investi-
CATION will usually show that the sail
ors have been treated better than the
townsfolk would have been under the
same circumstances.