The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-05-15
Sheriff Rose Ignores Command
ants Complaint and Seeks
To Protect Ruifians
LETTER TO CIVIL SERVICE
COMMISSIONERS -MlsLAID'
Men IN Uniform AtrociousIy Man
handed Without Cause By
Angry Police Officers

Contcmptons treatment of the repre-
sentatiyes Of the United States navy
by the sheriff came to light yesterday.
when Assistant Clerk Henry van Gel. Z
son, Of the city clerk : Office made pub
lie eorresbondeuce received from cap
tain George r. Clark, y. s.. N.
The letters brought out also, re7
ports confirmed to the satisfaction Of
the navy officials by personal ihvesti4
gation. Of further police brutality
against the man N the United States,
uniform. The evident desire of the
sheriff 70 suppress the charges, and his
eohtemptuous refusal to answer Cap
tain Clark 3 letter following which was
the suppression of the COMMANDMENTS
letter in the city clerk 3 Office Tor
eleven days has brought ON a sitpa-
ton which Is expected to bring to a
climax the police habits of Clubbing
wcarefp Of the American uniform on
the slightest proeocation, or upon no
.provOcation at all
Petty Oficers Beaten
The victims Of the police, this time
are three sepmen Of the II. s. 8. Alert :
named Elliot, Bateman aud Handy.
The policeman eoncerned has not been.
named in the correspondence, which ip-t
fers that he is not known to the naval
officers who made the first investiga-
ti9n, Apparently NO one made any
other
The history Of correspondence in the
matter shows that Captain Clark com
mandant Of the Pearl Harhor Naval
station, wrote to Sheriff Rose on April
IL inclosing a copy of the report Of
Comdrs Thomas G. Hart, who investis
gated the assault on the seaman.
Previous to Apri IL, Commander Hart
had interviewed the sheriff but was
Uniformed of no developments.
Captain Clark, inclosed, in his letter to
the sheriff, the report Of Commander
Hart, and Rose had every opportunity
TO scent the storm that was brewing,
as the Hast paragraph Of the command
er's report contained The following sugs
gestiye recommendation;
Urges Summary Action
~ rocommend that steps be taken to-
prevent recurrence and think the .ae-
tion should be summary; our activiI.l
ties. scarcely permit time for long
drawn out Investigation, trial Of hear
ing.
When the navy Is opinion Of the mat
ter was strong as that on April 10 its
opinion on May IA, during which time,
itfhad not even received letters Of ack-
powledgement from the city, can be
presumed. .5r
The sheriff ignored Captain Clark's
letter Of April n, according TO the.
commandments later letter to the civil
service commission, in which he said.
Although more than three weeks
have elapsed since the date of the first
letter j have not yet received the
courtesy Of a reply from the sheriff.
The matter which concerns the fair
and inst treatment Of men in the gov
ernmont service charged with The pro-
lection of the district, Is too impor
,tant to lie ignored.S'
On April 81 ten days later, Cap,
tain CLARK wrote the Following letter
to the sheriff; Az u
t'Sjr: referring TO my letter Of the
18th. inst. with ehclosurees, relating TO
charges of mistreatment of enlisted
men Of the u. s. s, Alert by police
oflieer / should be pleased TO be I'M
formed Of any action II, any, that has
been taken regarding the matter. ?,
Ignored Captains Protest
This last opportunity of Sheriff Rose
to put the civil community right in the,
eyes Of the navy was treated with the
same coptcniptuous Indifference given
the FIRST letter. Captain Clark appar-
;eptly received no answer to that eithdr,
for on May l he was compelled to write
10 the civil service commission laying
the correspondence before II and ask
ing for an investigation
just why the letter 10 the civil sers'
vice commission was suppressed is diff.
cult 10 understand. Assistant Clerk
Henry van Chosen, who takes care Of
the civil service commissions CORE
spondents, claims that he did not see
Il until last Friday afternoon, when
be found 1t lying on Dave s desk, ~
according to his own statement yester.,
day, and referring to City Clerk David
Kalauokalani.
Commissioners In Dark
Two members Of the civil service
commission yesterday declared with
the utmost vlgor that they knew. Alb,
.solptely nothing about the letter until
il was read TO them BY van Giesen at a.
meeting Saturday afternoon at two
o clock. Chairman Jesse Uluihl stated
yesterday that he had no knowledge
of II all, and there was an indication,
that trouble was on the cards between
the commissioners and the clerks
Office.
The assault Of the three navy men
by the police is described by Cons
mander Hart in his report TO Captain
Clark, which the police have been ID.
possession Of for over d month, aud
whichlis as follows: ey5 49,
Climbing Unproyoked
Si"l. BEFORE receipt Of enclosed report
7 hed personally Investigated this af.
fair because my attention had been,
called 70 injuries received BY the men.
They are all petty officers, from sepa-
rate ships; all had heen dubbed. In
juries Of Elliot and Handy we're mi,
nor. Batemen'h were more serious,
he having received severe blow on
neck and over collar bone which par