Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-05-05
SOLDIERS TAKEN
BY Police FROM
lUAU OF MAYOR
Sheriff Says Lanes Order Was
Cause of Trouble Last Night
All Deny Responsibility


Soldier versus Honolulu police is
the case before the police court. TO
decide whether or not two enlisted
men from Fort De Russy were guilty
Of assault and battery at the congress
sional luau given by Mayor Lane at
Kapiolani Park last night, The po-
lice declare they were under orders
not to permit any soldiers or sailors
on the space allotted for spectators.
Sheriff Rose declares he instructed
his men according to orders from
Mayor Lane. The mayor in turn says
he asked that order be kept at
the scene of the luau The conflict
ing testimonies will be brought out at
the trial set for 10 o'clock Friday
morning - +. IL 49,. 49,.
The soldiers were represented by
Lieut. C. T. Harris of the 55th Coast
Defense, Fort De Russy, at the police
court this morning. .......
What / would like to know" said
Lieut. Harris to the police, lis why
the party who issued the order dis
eliminating against the soldiers did
not telephone headquarters. | could
have kept my company at the fort, or
sent down the provost guard"
According to the soldiers group OF
their number sauntered to the gate
of the park about $3.50 o'clock to see
the luau in progress along with the
rest of the huge crowd which gath.
cred about the improvised building.
The mounted police officer, Manuel
Smith, denied them admittance. The
soldiers, numbering about %, main.
tain Ii was not the discrimination
which "riled" them as much as the
language used by the officer, whom
they report as saying: ..
mo dogs nor $13 month men al.
lowed in the park tonight"
Whereupon, according to the sol.
diers' story, Corporal A. Fl. Meteyer
asked Policeman Smith for his num-
Der. Smith shook his club in answer.
A bottle was thrown out of the crowd
somewhere, striking the saddle of the
mounted police. The soldiers declare
the missile was thrown by marine
but A. E. Pike, was arrested on the
charge of assault and battery. Mete.
yer was arrested on the charge OF
disturbing the peace. The police de.
clare both arrested men to have been
under the influence or liquor. The
soldiers say Pike never drinks and
Meteyer was perfectly sober last
night. 80. !
The military men will be. defended
by r. j. OBrien. The police authori.,
ties regret the incident but hope II
can be Strengthened ont without car
rying it beyond the court The two
enlisted men, after spending the night
in Jail, were released upon the re-
quest of Lieut. Harris this morning
and are in his charge until the trial.
Mayor Gives His Side
Mayor Lane said today that he had
given orders to the police to keep the
soldiers away from the vicinity of the
luau as several of the Hawafians
against whom the soldiers had vowed
revenge were assisting in the kitchen
of the luau garden. It was this order
that the soldiers resented and the
battle resulted.
Il feared fight between the Wal.
kiki Hawaiian boys, who were work
ing at the luau, and the soldiers" said
Mayor Lane today, "and as expected
there was small fight before the
luau started Consequently ordered
the police to keep the soldiers out of
the vicinity of the luau simply as
matter of precaution.
81 did not wish the Iuau to be dis.
turbed and spoiled by fight. 1t was
not that / intended any discrimina-
ton against the soldiers or any one
else. knew that the boys in the
kitchen had enemies outside, but the
soldiers we're the only ones we could
distinguish, on account of their uni.
forms. That was why / gave the
order"
The Police Explanation.
Il was acting soieiy under Mayor
John Lanes orders when gave in
structions to police officers detailed
for duty at the Kapiolani luau to ex-
clude soldiers from che enclosed por-
ton of the grounds" said Captain
Charles Baker. in charge OF the watch,
this morning.
Mayor Lane came to me and inti-
mated that there might be trouble
between some Hawaiians and a few
soldiers, who had previously INDUCED
in fistic fight. The mayor said he
had reason to believe that a fight
might take place while the crowd was
gathering. was ordered to post po-
lice officers at all entrances to the
enclosure and to patrol the grounds.
Soldiers in uniform were not to be ad-
mitted. If they objected to the ex-
clusion or believed that the proclama.
ton carried with it discrimination,