The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-12-22
TIE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY. DECEMBER -.
Murder of three IIawaIian~.

- ~ --
Murder OF three IIaNaIian~.
To the list Of crimes that have occurred dur
ing this year, we are compelled 10 add an unfor-
tunate occurrence at Pitts Island. We learn
the particulars from Capt. Ziescnhirt. of the
schooner PIai which arrived from Micronesia on
Tuesday last, and from a letter from kanoa, the
b Hawaiian missionary residing there, written to
the editor Of the Kuot0G. The above schooner
Is owned 10y The house of Ed. HOfschlaeger K
Co, Of this city, and is engaged in the cooOanut
oil trade. She left this part early in June, and
arrived at Pitts Island on the 9th, with sup
plies for the Hawaiian Mission. On the morn
ing Of the 18th, the mate was dispatched with a
boat containing the supplies, which were taken
by three native sailors to the house Of the mis-
sionary. Soon after they had entered kanoa's
house, the Kings voice WAS heard asking "Where
is the mate? Where is the mate?" The re-
mainder of the story we Will relate by transcri5-
Ing in English the written statement made by
Kanoa. lie says that while he was reading his
letters brought by the Pfli, he dispatched his
wife for some water for the three Hawaiian sea-
men belonging to the schooner, when he heard
the Kings voice as above stated. The tone was
one Of excitement, and on going to see the cause,
lS DSIi NNA N'C MIL WIZ Il c'AOOblA dlAiAiiS
at the Hawaiian sailors. A. that instant the
pistol was discharged, the ball going over the
missionary's shoulder and striking one of the
sailors in the back Of the head, coming out in
front. He fell at once, without uttering Il word,
having been killed instantaneously. The King,
however, fired another shot at the man, although
the first had done the work of death. The mis-
sionaTy was thereupon much alarmed aid ex-
cited, and his account of what subsequently oc-
Cured becomes somewhat confused. 1t appears
however, that two of the seamen were killed by
Kaiea, the King Of the Island, and the third,
who was endeavoring to escape to the boat, was
pursued and killed by a half-brother of the
King. named Teientowa. kanOa, who is IL very
intelligent Hawaiian, saw all three of these muir
ders. and decl.res that no prOvocation whatever
had been given by the sailors, or by any one con-
nectcd with the vessel. He says that the King.
after having given the missionaries permission to
live on the Island. open Il school, and teach the
people, had, after the lapse of three months, be-
come dissipated, drinking heavily, and dscon-
tinued attending the meetings or visiting the
missionaries. No violence was offered to the
latter, but they were advised by the Kings
brother, to leave the Island, as the alii' was
III Il state Ot frenzy lIoW Ill y III sdLlic
time, he told the missionaries that he would re-
turn to their houses and protect their property.
Getting on board a snail vessel belonging to the
Island. they were next day transferred to the
P|eii, and landed on Ebon.
The master of the PfH was DESTROYS of in
hicting summary chastisement on the murderers,
but was pursuadcd to desist and report the whole
affair to the Hawaiian authorities, leaving them
to take such action in the matter as they may
deem proper. 1t remains to be seen whether this
Government, which 50 promptly fitted out a pri-
yateer to recapture Il frail woman from the gay
gallant who it was supposed had abducted her,
will have the energy in this case to teach the
barbarous natives of the Kings Mill group that
the Hawaiian Government has the power and
the will to protect it's own subjects engaged in
the peaceful avocations of commerce, or as
Christian teachers among the archipelagoes of
this ocean. The opportunity should not be lost
20 c~nlighten the Pitts Islanders rs to the real
status OF the Hawaiian Islands. This Kingdom
ought ere this to have made itself thoroughly
known to the various tribes of this ocean rs
their pioneer and ~exemplar in themarcl of civil
~ization. Pitts Island, or Butaritari in the Gill
bert Archipelago, is in lat. > u y. and 172o
IS East.
Parties belonging to the brig pflii say that
Captain Randall is a white man, married to
n native woman on the Island of Butaritari, where
lie has n family of children. From his conduct
during the recent troubles there, both the cap
tain of the PfcI and of the bark CGcrnarUOn, were
led to the belief that he was in some measure
cognizant of the hostile intention of the native
King. At the time of the murders he was on
board his vessel within signalling distance of
the Pfcii; and although the CaernarrOn immedi-
ately came up, when the flag Of the IJe1i was
placed at half-mast, as a signal of distress,
Randall paid no attention to it. In fact he did
not ioin the other vessels until the next morning
at ten o'clock. There were also a number of
circumstances in his conduct afterwards which
excited the suspicion of Captain Ziegenhirt. and
to these, more than to the demonstrations on
shore, are ascribed the carly departure of the
PtciI. In the course of investigation by the
Government, it would be well to discover if there
was any COLLISION between the Captain Ran
dell and the savages who committed the MUIR
ders. If so, he is equally guilty with them, and
should be punished.
THE DAILY HEEH.D-Wc regret to chronicle the
g,u,.r-i,o Of tLis srrfgL-lv littIa issue which had