The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-04-27

THE DEATH O. DIR. BERAz.-Through the courtesy
of Marshal Pare, we are permitted to copy the fol-
lowing extracts of a letter from W. O. Smith, Esq.
Sheriff OF Mau, who went to Hama to investigate
the source of the rumOrs to the effect that the
Doctor had me with violence
LAHAINA. MAUI, April "a, 1872.
". C. P6rke. ES., Marshal HdlCdjidn IS(GT1dS-Sir ::
| returned tere an hour ago from Hama. and
after a thorough Investigation as TO the truth OF the
reports that Er. Beraz was uldered, L report
that there is no Foundation for those reports, so far
as | was able to ascertain.
left here in 1ne hour after receiving the news
of the reports referred to from Mr.. Everett, last
Saturday evening. Left Mr.. Eyeretts house at I
O'Clock Sunday morning, reached the French Mis-
sion. at Puuiki, Hama, at 1890 p. NJ. Had a long
conversation with Father Boniface in relation to
the Doctors Death and in relation to these late
REPORTS. He was thoroughly acquainted with all
the circumstances connected with the Doctors dis
appearance. and had heard these reports and told
me that it was lis firm conviction that the Doctor
was drowned accidentally, and that there was no
truth in these exports. | slept there that night
went to Unnasin the morning. and found he had
not heard these last reports more than that he had
heard the question asked If there was any possIbil-
iy of his having been murdered. Mr.. Unna.
Father Boniface, Theodore. and /, spent most OF
the day in searching and examining the stream and
sea-beach where the Doctor was drowned, and IN
ferreting out me origin OF these reports We
were guarded. and tried not to let the natives
think that we Supposed that he was murdered, and
the only results that we arrived at were such tina.
convinced us nat he was accidentally drowned.
He seemed to have been universally loved by the
natives. If it WAS Il murder it was the best planned
and executed murder that | have heard Of natives
perpetrating. His horse has not yet been found
INIT the sheep-stin from under his saddle was found
on the beach, making pretty conclusive evidence
that the horse was drowned too. Now il the
Doctor was murdered, then the horse was muir
dered and thrown in after him! Certainly more
difficult to believe than that he took off his boots
in the water. For every circumstance in connection
with the whole natter is in accordance with and sup
ports the tbeorr that he was drowned accidentally.
with the exception Of the fact of his boots being on.
In addition {. the above. we have been favored
with a letter frem Henry W. Daniels, Esq. District
.Jnstice of Waikiki, in relation TO the runors IN
question. which he pronOunces to be entirely with
,nt foundation. Mr.. Daniels says that the stories
were 50 positive that he q" almost believed at one
time that the parties accused OF muIder-thVee men
and two womel-were in MakawaO Jail. having
been committee by the magistrate OF Hama. and
would soon arrive in Wailuku.' Everybody on
Maui. outside Of Hama, was similarly deceived by
this story out o whole cloth. 1t strongly. illustrates
the unreliabilitr uf native reports in general.