Charles Burnett Wilson (marshal)
Encyclopedia
Charles Burnett “C.B.” Wilson (1850–1926) was a British and Tahitian superintendent of the water works and fire chief under King Kalākaua
, and was Marshal of the Kingdom under Queen Liliuokalani. and father of John H. Wilson
, on a voyage between Tahiti
and Fanning Island in 1850. His father Charles Burnett Wilson (1801–1853) was Scottish
by ethnicity and British subject but grew up in Papeete
, Tahiti and became sea trader and captain of his own ship. He was moving his family Fanning Island to establish a coconut
plantation for producing coconut oil
. His mother was Tetaria, a Tahitian chiefess. Wilson's father continued searching for unmapped island in the Pacific. He was lost at sea en route from Australian to New Zealand in 1853. Tetaria, strained from the stresses of rearing two sons on a plantation island, handed over Wilson and his younger brother Richard to Captain Harry English who ran the plantation, while she returned to Tahiti. English left Wilson and his brother to a Captain Smith and his wife in Hawaii
who ran a school which Wilson was enrolled in. Wilson was put on a career path of becoming a blacksmith
. He married a hula
dancer and friend of Liliuokalani, Eveline Townsend. Their son Johnny became a co-founder of Democratic Party of Hawaii
and Mayor of Honolulu
in the Twentieth century.
, a militia unit. He was a Sergeant during the [[ʻIolani Barracks#1873 Barracks Revolt|1873 Barracks Revolt]] and was present in the standoff. He later joined the Royal Guard where he became a one of a squad
of personal bodyguard
s to King Kalākaua
. During the Courthouse Riot of 1874, an election riot
by supporters of Queen Emma
that that attacked the Legislature, Wilson rescued four representatives, three in a carriage by preventing rioters from overturning it, and catching one representative that was thrown out a courthouse window. On January 31, 1876 Wilson made First Lieutenant and Captain on March 16, 1877.
on July 1, 1886. In 1886 Wilson was caught in a scandal where he was accused of embezzling money from customer payments. An investigation by the Legislature found an accumulation of approximately $16,000 were missing from the Water Works and Wilson was blamed, although there is a possibility his predecessor was actually responsible. He paid back $10,000 and Liliuokalani paid $5,000, the shortcoming was made up by dedicating half of Wilson’s salary until the missing money was made up. Wilson became involved in a plot to overthrow Kalākaua by his sister Liliuokalani in what became known as the Dominis Conspiracy, the plot was discovered and the conspirators surrenderd, he was suspected of playing both sides and was not charged.
, Liliuokalani inherited the throne January 29, 1891. Wilson was appointed Marshal of the Kingdom March 9 that year. Wilson had a strong secular
view of running the police forces and loosely regulated Christian based laws
on alcohol
, gambling, and opium. He described these laws as “offenses created by statute, upon the commission of which the moral sense of the community
apparently casts but little stigma.” On these matters warnings were issued for excessively inappropriate conduct, if not improved would lead to arrests. He supported legalizing opium
to legitimize and better regulate the drug. Wilson's appointment to Marshal is still seen as a contradiction since the queen was a devout Christian.
Due to Wilson’s lenient interpretation of the law he made enemies with Social
and Christian Conservatives
. On the other side of the political spectrum the Liberals began to criticize Liliuokalani for not replacing the hated Bayonet Constitution and Wilson exposed a plot by members of the Liberal Party
, calling themselves the Hawaiian Patriotic League, to overthrow the queen and replace the constitution themselves which became known as the Burlesque Conspiracy. Before the elections of 1892 Wilson himself confronted the Queen to create a new constitution, one speculation is that he threatened to lead a mutiny
of the armed forces in protest
of the 1887 Constitution.
. On January 16, 1893 Wilson was tipped off by detectives to another coup to overthrow the Hawaiian monarchy this time by the Committee of Safety
, the 13 leaders of the Hawaiian League a group within the Reform Party
who had forced the Bayonet Constitution on King David Kalākaua, and were willing to overthrow the monarchy to maintain it. Wilson requested warrants
to arrest the 13 member council, of the Committee of Safety
, and put the Kingdom under martial law
. Because the members had strong political ties with United States Government Minister John L. Stevens
, the requests were repeatedly denied by Attorney General Arthur P. Peterson and the Queen’s cabinet, fearing if approved, the arrests would escalate the situation. After a failed negotiation with Thurston
, Wilson began to collect his men for the confrontation. Wilson and Captain of the [[ʻIolani Barracks|Royal Household Guard]], Samuel Nowlein, had rallied a force of 496 men who were kept at hand to protect the Liliuokalani, but she surrendered Concerning the wellbeing of her men who were woefully out numbered. Wilson was the last commander of the last garrison
to surrender at HPD
headquarters. In his battle plan he would have made used of the several artillery pieces and two Gatling machine guns
of the royal guard, to compensate for their shortage in numbers.
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
, and was Marshal of the Kingdom under Queen Liliuokalani. and father of John H. Wilson
Early years
C. B. Wilson was born at seaBirth aboard aircraft and ships
The subject of birth aboard aircraft and ships is one with a long history in public international law. The law on the subject, despite the provisions of Article 3 the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, is complex, because various states apply differing principles of nationality,...
, on a voyage between Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
and Fanning Island in 1850. His father Charles Burnett Wilson (1801–1853) was Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
by ethnicity and British subject but grew up in Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
, Tahiti and became sea trader and captain of his own ship. He was moving his family Fanning Island to establish a coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
plantation for producing coconut oil
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm . Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry...
. His mother was Tetaria, a Tahitian chiefess. Wilson's father continued searching for unmapped island in the Pacific. He was lost at sea en route from Australian to New Zealand in 1853. Tetaria, strained from the stresses of rearing two sons on a plantation island, handed over Wilson and his younger brother Richard to Captain Harry English who ran the plantation, while she returned to Tahiti. English left Wilson and his brother to a Captain Smith and his wife in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
who ran a school which Wilson was enrolled in. Wilson was put on a career path of becoming a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
. He married a hula
Hula
Hula is a dance form accompanied by chant or song . It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form....
dancer and friend of Liliuokalani, Eveline Townsend. Their son Johnny became a co-founder of Democratic Party of Hawaii
Democratic Party of Hawaii
The Democratic Party of Hawaii is an arm of the Democratic Party of the United States based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The party is a centralized organization established to promote the party platform as drafted in convention biennially...
and Mayor of Honolulu
Mayor of Honolulu
The Mayor of Honolulu is the chief executive officer of the City and County of Honolulu and considered the third most powerful official in the U.S. state of Hawaii, behind the Governor of Hawaii and the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii...
in the Twentieth century.
Military service
In 1866 Wilson joined the Honolulu RiflesHonolulu Rifles
The Honolulu Rifle Company was a paramilitary force loyal to the Missionary Party and the later Reform Party. It was created in 1854 as a militia to deal with internal conflict, 24 Rifles were deployed during the [[ʻIolani Barracks#1873 Barracks Revolt|1873 Barracks Revolt]]...
, a militia unit. He was a Sergeant during the [[ʻIolani Barracks#1873 Barracks Revolt|1873 Barracks Revolt]] and was present in the standoff. He later joined the Royal Guard where he became a one of a squad
Squad
In military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...
of personal bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
s to King Kalākaua
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
. During the Courthouse Riot of 1874, an election riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
by supporters of Queen Emma
Queen Emma of Hawaii
Queen Consort Emma Kalanikaumakaamano Kaleleonālani Naea Rooke of Hawaii was queen consort of King Kamehameha IV from 1856 to his death in 1863. She ran for ruling monarch against King David Kalākaua but was defeated....
that that attacked the Legislature, Wilson rescued four representatives, three in a carriage by preventing rioters from overturning it, and catching one representative that was thrown out a courthouse window. On January 31, 1876 Wilson made First Lieutenant and Captain on March 16, 1877.
Water Works
Wilson was appointed Superintendent of the Water Works July 1, 1882 and fire chiefFire chief
Fire Chief is a top executive rank or commanding officer in a fire department, either elected or appointed...
on July 1, 1886. In 1886 Wilson was caught in a scandal where he was accused of embezzling money from customer payments. An investigation by the Legislature found an accumulation of approximately $16,000 were missing from the Water Works and Wilson was blamed, although there is a possibility his predecessor was actually responsible. He paid back $10,000 and Liliuokalani paid $5,000, the shortcoming was made up by dedicating half of Wilson’s salary until the missing money was made up. Wilson became involved in a plot to overthrow Kalākaua by his sister Liliuokalani in what became known as the Dominis Conspiracy, the plot was discovered and the conspirators surrenderd, he was suspected of playing both sides and was not charged.
Marshal
After the death of King KalākauaKalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
, Liliuokalani inherited the throne January 29, 1891. Wilson was appointed Marshal of the Kingdom March 9 that year. Wilson had a strong secular
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
view of running the police forces and loosely regulated Christian based laws
Biblical law
Biblical law refers to the legal aspects of the Bible, the holy scriptures of Judaism and Christianity.-Judaism:* 613 Mitzvot, the 613 commandments contained in the Torah* Mitzvah, divine commandment, act of human kindness, a good deed...
on alcohol
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, gambling, and opium. He described these laws as “offenses created by statute, upon the commission of which the moral sense of the community
Public morality
Public morality refers to moral and ethical standards enforced in a society, by law or police work or social pressure, and applied to public life, to the content of the media, and to conduct in public places...
apparently casts but little stigma.” On these matters warnings were issued for excessively inappropriate conduct, if not improved would lead to arrests. He supported legalizing opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
to legitimize and better regulate the drug. Wilson's appointment to Marshal is still seen as a contradiction since the queen was a devout Christian.
Due to Wilson’s lenient interpretation of the law he made enemies with Social
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
and Christian Conservatives
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
. On the other side of the political spectrum the Liberals began to criticize Liliuokalani for not replacing the hated Bayonet Constitution and Wilson exposed a plot by members of the Liberal Party
National Liberal Party of the Hawaiian Kingdom
In 1892, the Hawaiian National Liberal Party also known as the National Liberal Party of the Hawaiian Kingdom was a political party of the Kingdom of Hawaii near its end.-Liberal nationalism:In their platform the Liberal Party “We deem that all Government should be founded on the...
, calling themselves the Hawaiian Patriotic League, to overthrow the queen and replace the constitution themselves which became known as the Burlesque Conspiracy. Before the elections of 1892 Wilson himself confronted the Queen to create a new constitution, one speculation is that he threatened to lead a mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
of the armed forces in protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
of the 1887 Constitution.
Overthrow
After populous pressure Liliuokalani began to draft a new constitution1893 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
The 1893 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii was a proposed replacement of the Constitution of 1887, primarily based on the Constitution of 1864 put forth by Queen Lili'uokalani...
. On January 16, 1893 Wilson was tipped off by detectives to another coup to overthrow the Hawaiian monarchy this time by the Committee of Safety
Committee of Safety (Hawaii)
The Committee of Safety, formally the Citizen's Committee of Public Safety, was a 13-member group of the Hawaiian League also known as the Annexation Club...
, the 13 leaders of the Hawaiian League a group within the Reform Party
Hawaii Republican Party
The Hawaii Republican Party is the state affiliate of the Republican Party of the United States. Based in Honolulu, the party is a central organization established for the promotion of the party platform as it is drafted in convention every other year...
who had forced the Bayonet Constitution on King David Kalākaua, and were willing to overthrow the monarchy to maintain it. Wilson requested warrants
Warrant (law)
Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is...
to arrest the 13 member council, of the Committee of Safety
Committee of Safety (Hawaii)
The Committee of Safety, formally the Citizen's Committee of Public Safety, was a 13-member group of the Hawaiian League also known as the Annexation Club...
, and put the Kingdom under martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
. Because the members had strong political ties with United States Government Minister John L. Stevens
John L. Stevens
John Leavitt Stevens was the United States Department of State Minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 when he was accused of conspiring to overthrow Queen Liliuokalani in association with the Committee of Safety, led by Lorrin A. Thurston and Sanford B...
, the requests were repeatedly denied by Attorney General Arthur P. Peterson and the Queen’s cabinet, fearing if approved, the arrests would escalate the situation. After a failed negotiation with Thurston
Lorrin A. Thurston
Lorrin Andrews Thurston was a lawyer, politician, and businessman born and raised in the Kingdom of Hawaii. The grandson of two of the first Christian missionaries to Hawaii, Thurston played a prominent role in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom that replaced Queen Liliuokalani with the...
, Wilson began to collect his men for the confrontation. Wilson and Captain of the [[ʻIolani Barracks|Royal Household Guard]], Samuel Nowlein, had rallied a force of 496 men who were kept at hand to protect the Liliuokalani, but she surrendered Concerning the wellbeing of her men who were woefully out numbered. Wilson was the last commander of the last garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
to surrender at HPD
Honolulu Police Department
The Honolulu Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawai'i, headquartered in the Alapa'i Police Headquarters in Honolulu CDP....
headquarters. In his battle plan he would have made used of the several artillery pieces and two Gatling machine guns
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
of the royal guard, to compensate for their shortage in numbers.