The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-09-23
WILL FIGHT TO
THE BITTER END
Runaways From WlIheImina
Maintain That They Did
No Wrong.

This morning the quarantine ends for
the twenty.seven members Of the crew
Of the Matson steamship Wilhelmina,
who are alleged to have broken quaran-
tine from that vessel.
That they broke liberty none of them
are inclined to deny, for all those now
in quarantine are willing to admit that
they left the ship contrary to orders.
In other words, they wanted to get
ashore for whatever excitement the
town happened to afford at the time,
but they absolutely deny having broken
quarantine, and declare that they had
no intention of breaking quarantine
rules.
They maintain that the crew was not
mustered and instructed that there was
any quarantine in effect, and that,
therefore, they knew nothing about the
regulation against their going ashore,
over and above the mere statement of
their superior officers that they would
not be allowed to tread the streets of
| Honolulu on the night in question,
which was Monday week ago last
Monday. Doctor Ramus, it seems, is
going to prosecute the whole lot as
soon as they are out of quarantine this
morning, and he promises to make it
hot for those who are alleged to have
broken quarantine.
| On the other hand, as previously an
nounced, the Sailors Union, the Marine
Cooks Union and the union that has at
| heart the welfare of the fremen and
wipers and oilers and other men of the
engine rooms aboard coal-burners or oil
burners, are going to fight the case for
all it is worth, and they intend to show
| that there was no quarantine at all, or
if there was any alleged quarantine,
that such quarantine was farce and
joke.
1t has not yet been decided what at
torney is to represent the alleged quar-
antine breakers, but when the men are
arrested this morning, after coming out
of quarantine on the island, it will be
i decided what attorney OF attorneys are
to handle the case.
1t will be remembered that the Viii
helmina was put in quarantine at Hilc
on account of a case being put ashore
which was supposed to be a matter Of
smallpox. Whether it was smallpox OIL
4 not, is question that has to be settled
with the quarantine authorities, but il
| was alleged to be such a case, and the
usual quarantine in such cases was re
CURED. When the vessel arrived at Ho
nolulu from Hilo she was put alongside
the quarantine wharf, and later was re
leased from that position and put along
side the railway wharf at the Eva enc
of the harbor, and was warped away
some eight or ten feet from the wharf
with the idea that nobody was to b'
, allowed ashore except the heads of thu
ship IS department. and that nobody wa
to be allowed aboard.
The members of the crew resented
the rumor to the effect that nobody
would be allowed ashore except the off
GERS They wanted to go ashore them
selves, and when the officers were al
lowed ashore and they were compelled
, to stay aboard they resented the order
and went ashore whether the rules al
: lowed them to do so or not.
They walked ashore in spite of al
? legged orders. Now they say the order
given them were merely that they wer
not allowed to leave the ship. The.
might have been guilty of leaving tn
vessel without leave, but they deny an.
guilt as to breaking quarantine.
1t is believed that if these men ar
convicted of breaking quarantine, whicl
5 is not altogether expected, there will
be a considerable change in the metho'
of handling quarantine matters here
in other words, that the system of hand
ling quarantine will be such that ther
will be the strictest observance of quar-
antine methods, and there will be N
chance of twenty-seven men, through
e misunderstanding or otherwise, goin
ashore from ship aboard which Their
: has been a case of smallpox, whethe
! they want to or not.
The United States Public Health an
d, Marine Hospital Service is going
= prosecute without fear or favor, and
it wins the case against the men of tn
e Wilhelmina it will prove victory COZ
trary to the understanding of the me
) of the Sailors Union and the othe
S unions represented. These unions b.
d lieve that they have no right to hay
d their men prosecuted and will fight
have the sailors and stewards and fun
kies and engine room men cleared 9
any wrongdoing, in which event it WI
> mean that the custom here in regard
auarantining vessels will be much nor
) s4r;p1ap+ than of nrpsant