The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1860-01-12

One of the most daring and fendish murders in the
history of crime at these islands, was perpetrated at
Makawao, on Sunday morning, January 1st. The
particulars, as furnished to US by Mr.. Byram, who
lived near by, and who had ample opportunity to
learn them, are these:
About Z o'clock on the above-named morning, q
man named Hall went to pay a neighborly visit at
the house Of Mr.. II. Bigham, but found no person
within, the door wide open, and everything inside
in the grestest confusion. After making search for
Mr.. b. - ne pasture, Hall returned to the house,
and ruw Noticing more particularly the arrangement
Of thir in the house, began to suspect thatsome
villa Il mad been perpetrated; and on making farther
search ABOUT the wheat stacks his attention was at
tracted TO something resembling a bit of clothing
moved BY the wind. This he found to be a part of
Mr.. BIS clothing, and on removing a slight covering
Of straw, which had been thrown over the head and
body, an object was presented sufficiently horrible to
freeze the blood in the stoutest heart. There lay,
cold and stiff, the mutilated remains of Mr.. Bigham,
with whom, but a few hours before, his n%eighDors had
exchanged situations, and talked of the ~hardships
and disappointments of the year just ending, and of
the plans and hopes for the future, all suddenly end
ed by the hands of murderers.
After directing 6 native, who at that time was pass
ing along the road, to remain by till he returned, Hall
hastenei to the nearest house, a quarter of q mile dis
tant, to give the alarm. and in a few minutes three
foreigners were on thu spot. Mr.. Needham, one Of
the first who reached the scene OF the murder, hasten
ed to inform the magistrate whose duty requires him
to act as coroner; and who arriving in company with
a doctor, called a jury, who proceeded to an examin-
alton of the body. 1t was found lying upon a heap
of straw, near one of the stacks of wheat, about thir-
~ yards from the house. The head, which was much
lower than the feet, was covered with blood from five
- - Al -
and severe enough to have caused his death. Yet,
apparently after all these had been inflicted, and the
victim thrown PROSTATE with one or more of the muir
derers holding him, one of them still continued to beat
him upon the side of the head till all signs of life had
ceased. A few feet from the body lay two clubs with
such marks upon them as proved them to have been
the chief weapons used in committing the murder.
Viewing the wounds and the weapons, there was evil
IDENTITY a degree of remorseless ferocity which few
would think Hawaiians capable of.
While the coroner's jury were engaged, suspicion,
both among foreigners and natives, pointed so unan-
imously to three brothers (natives) living a short dis
tance from the scene of the murder, with whom the
deceased was known to have had frequent euarreis,
that the chief constable determined to arrest them.
On their examination before the jury they made such
hesitating and contradictory statements touching
their occupation and whereabouts, during the twenty
four hours Immediately preceding the discovery OF the
murder, that it was considered important that they
should be kept in strict custody till examination be-
fore the Magistrate. They were accordingly taken
in charge Of coDstables to the premises of l.. L. Tor
bert, Esq, where they were kept under strict guard.
In examining the prisoners on Tuesday, two of them
were found to have on two pairs of trowsers each, the
inner ones of which were spattered with blood. No
other than circumstantial evidence has as yet been
found to fix the guilt On the accused, but that is of so
strong a nature as to satisfy those who have witness
ed the investigation, that these men are the muir
ierers.
Mr.. Bigham was about forty years of age, and a
native of Macon, Georgia, where his relatives now re-
side, from some one of whom (~probably his mother)
letter has arrived in the last mail, too late to glad
len the heart now stilled forever. He settled in
Makawao as a farmer about five years ago, and du-
his residence there had by industry, answering
honesty, u~nassuming manners, and strict observance
Of the eleventh commandment, won the respect of all
The foreign and most of the native population of the
neighborhood; and by those who had known him
for intellectual and literary attainments. He had for
several years been n subscriber to the Commercial,
md though personally n stranger to US, the prompt
and exactness shown in his orders and pay
left a favorable impression of him on our
minds. His name has generally been spelled and
pronounced wrong by foreigners. In several letters
which We have, written by him, he signs il II. BIGHAM.
The three natives charged with the murder were
down from Maui on Saturday, and will pro-
baby be tried before the Supreme Court 1T its present
sitting.