Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-08-27
POLICE NARROWLY
AVERT RIOT WHEN
SAILOR IS NADBED
Officer Punches Drunken Sea-
man in Chest and Several
Hundred Enlisted Men Make
Threatening Advances; One
Other Scrap


- LOWNISH, laughable antics OF 4
II partially intoxicated American
- sailor led to a serious clash be-
tween the Honolulu police and en-
listed men Saturday night.
The fun began on Hotel street at IL
o'clock and the trouble ended half an
hour later at the police station where
several hundred angered men congra-
gated
Doing a sailors hornpipe in the
street, during which he hoped on d
rapidly moving street car and Topped
off backwards, followed by witty re-
parte with the spectators, the sailor
soon gained the attention of a police
man who placed him under arrest.
The enlisted men protested and muir
INJURED at the officer.
The policeman used bis fist in
short jabs at the chest Of the sailor
to force him out into the less crowded
part of the street, meanwhile menac-
ing the crowd behind him to check an
attack Jabbing the sailor in the
CucSL I'LL VI loICu ShC oOlAAOA 0AN SSNAAOA
spectators.
A big sailor rushed the officer,
while others began shouting, Take
him away from the policeman" mean
ing the arrested man. The police Of
ficer blew his whistle for help as he
started afoot to the police station.
Motorcycle Officer Ferry in civilian
b hn oiH 0f tho Nf hoP
officer and this still further angered
the enlisted men who began shouting
that civilians we're helping the police.
Two other officers appeared, one Of
them mounted.
BY the time the corner Of King and
Bethel streets was reached the crowd
had swelled to nearly 500 men threat
ening the pouice. From all indica'
tions the crowd was intent on rescu'
ing the prisoner in the darker part
of Bethel street in front of the Nc
Candless building. Fortunately,
though, as the crowd started across
King street, it was split asunder BY
an Eva bound street car and an auto
mobile headed in the other direction.
This gave the mounted officer an OPP
portunity to get directly behind the
one leading the prisoner until the ar
rested man was hurried into the police
station.
Arriving at the station the men con-
tinued their threatening attitude. The
police did not attempt to disperse the
crowd, although precautions to stop a
charge were taken.
The enlisted men would not leave
the vicinity of the station until they
were demonstrated with by army Of
ficers on provost duty.
While there was no bloodshed, po-
tentially it was the worst incipient
riot that the police have had to quell
for some. time That the streets
might have been turned into a sham
bles was evident by the declaration
of one soldier in the crowd that III
he had a gun he would blow that
policeman out of that saddle
If the trouble had reached the stage
Of fight between seamen from the
Scraps and Sherman with the police
on hour later on Nuuanu street the
police would likely have been unable
to control it, as they were greatly out
numbered by the enlisted men.
Nuuanu Street Fight.
The Nuuanu street fight started
without warning shortly after the
closing of the saloons. A drunken
sailor stumbled into a man carrying
tray and others resented it. They
started fighting and others took sides,
all those engaged oeing civilians. No
enlisted men were involved. A riot
call was sounded and detectives and
police swarmed into the street and
began battering the combatants apart.
While Detective Swift soon became
non-combatant through a vicious
swing in the face, Detective Machada
quickly accounted for four CT five
seamen whom he put out Of the scrap
with free body swings to the heads
Of the fighters.
Many of the fighting men, who must
have numbered close to 25, made their
escape when they realized that the
plain clothes men were authorized Of
ficers, but five seamen and firemen
from the Sherman were arrested. None
of the Scraps men were arrested, all
of whom seemed to have gotten mixed
in the affray through accident. One