The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-09-28
Homicide at Hilo.

We spoke briefly in our last issue of the "Califor-
MIA Chinaman . as a different character in point of
being more Objectionable, TO the freshly imported
article from the Central Empire" The tragedy
that occurred on the plantation of Judge Austin, at
Paukaa, in the district of Hilo, Hawaii, on the 18th
of the present month of September, is q striking
illustration of the correctness of our view. AS the
matter will be the subject of judicial investigation at
the coming term of Court, of course we refrain from
further comment. and give our readers only the evi-
dence taken at the Coroner's inquest. held on the
body of the Chinaman who was killed. The overseer.
Mr.. Folsom, who did the shooting, is held for trial
under bail for So 900; and the entire gang of Chi
namen to whom the deceased belonged, having re-
fused to work any longer on the plantation, were at
last accounts also under arrest. The following is
the evidence taken at the inquest
Kekuewa. sworn, testified as follows: Live at Paukaa;
was Pf e tRe nTacad q row ,9"rt ocG fUdFed "a At . a. a: m; Folsom ds0aa
and talked to me about the work, II am q Luna therel.
soIomona, and then returned to where we were; got off
his horse and went to where they were planting cane;
He then came back to where my gang was at work, and
went towards his horse. On his way one Chinaman, the
one lying dead followed him up with his hoe. Another,
Ava, dropped his kipikua, pickaxe) and ran ahead of
Folsom. Folsom turned around to see the Chinaman
following him, and at that time Ava grabbed him by the
arm Then Ahsing struck him with his hoe. and Folsom
fell down. After a struggle he regaine1 his feet, when
ne was AGAIN thrown GOWN, ana another Cnlnanlan, Ann,
Tor Lum Geel struck him with q pick, when four other
CUlIhlie u up anu SITuCk ulu TIT fOlSOul CdlIeu u
for help. I ran up. Folsom then got up and tried to
back of; the Cinnamon followed him uP, and he then
Don't know who he hit with the first shot. The China
men then struck him with hoes and sticks, and he fired
again and hit Arising, as he staggered back. Ahsing did
not die Immediately. Other Cinnamon again assaulted
the Cinnamon then let him alone. Folsom got on his
horse and rode OFF. If he had not had a pistol, he would
have been killed. He did not say a word to any OF the
Cinnamon this morning; he talked with no one but my
his hoe This Arising was the man nearest to Folsom.
and attacked him in front. 1 only remember three shots
.Alapai, sworn. Live at j aukaa, and was at work at the
place where TINS affair occurred. heard the Cinnamon
(Folsoml around the arms, and then he fell down. saw
a lot of Cinnamon rush together around Harry; 1 was
afraid, as thought they were goilg to kill hin, and 1
ran away: Heard the report Of a pistol, and 1 saw him in
don't know whether he was dead. Heard the reports of
three shots, but did not see either of them fired.
Kaluna. sworn. Am q luna, and was near when this
trouble took place. One of the old Cinnamon told me
him OF this, and he went towards his horse, when Ana I'd
ihaII :" day." Harry was held by Ana. and then Wing Wing Law a
and Ahsing ran up with their hoes and struck him, and
the Cinnamon told me I had better go.
ssmve. lChinamanl, sworn. Was present at this row;
a day. Folsom came up to the work. Kaluna asked me
talking Il = about "pepehheins the h Gii niR Folsom then then
went off, and the Cinnamon ran up to him, talking about
him down. heard four shots fired; I saw Harry fire the
Harry fired the shots after be got up.
Akao, sworn. Saw this disturbance; saw the new Chi
the a." hapa la yesterday. Then he struck the haole, and
the haole fell down. When he got up he fired two shots
at this Chinaman and killed him. Saw Ana clinch Harry.
John Austin, sworn Am manager of this plantation.
Have a Chinaman, Ahsing, who is dead now. Have a
man by the name of Folsom in my employ; he is my
Overseer. 1 took this pistol from Mr., Folsom about half
past @ A. NJ: four chambers were empty at that time. He
told me he had been attacked by some of the Chinese. and
that when he felt he was likely to be killed unless he
could stop the attack, he hsd fired upon them; that he
feared one of them vas dead, and two more wounded.
He then went to Hilo, as he said, to deliverhimself to the
Sheriff. Afterwards he body of Ahsing was brought
here, and two men cane and exhibited wounds in their
rMs Er sone 1He > u nave Deen getuhS
late TO their work. AMI l have threatened to fine them
unless they got 20 the ield at half-past Z in the morning.
Yesterday, 4 number If the Chinese, as well as natives,
were nned Tor getting late to their work. That course OF
punishment was taken against the advice of Mr.. Folsom,
but the men all blamed him for its having been done. A
number of the Chinese came to this office last night, and
were noisy and threatening. Several called Harry a
prOfaneC and Opprohous %epithet) One said: You
savee California, one man get Lynch-ee!' This was
Ming See. Another, long Chez, called him the above,
and also a liar. |
c. H. wetmore, NJ. D., sworn. Have seen the body of
bullet wounds in his body, one of them in the right
shoulder, penetrating 4 part of the lung, and probably
der, slsnting dOwnwa-ds towards the chest: not much
blood. The wounds, one or both, caused the death of
the said Ahsing.
VERDICT OF THE JURY.
At an inquisition taken at Paukaa, Hilo, Island of !
Hawaii, on the 18th day of September, 1878. before l..
Severance, Esq, Coroner of the said Island, upon the |
body of Ahsing, there lying dead, by the oaths of the
jurors whose names art hereunto subscribed, who being /
sworn to inquire when and how the said Ahsing came to
his death. upon their baths do say that the said Ahsing
came TO his death from q pistol shot, fired from a pistol |
in the hands of II. p. Folsom, on the morning of the 18th
day of September 1878 at Paukaa. Island of Hawaii. be-
heving, however, that from the evidence in the case the
said Folsom WAS in imminent dr ger of his life, and only
acted in self-defense. rrA IL
In testimony whereof, the said Coroner and the jurors
of this inquest have hereunto set their hands the day and
L. Severance, Coroner: D H. Hitchcock, L. c. Swain.
W. H. Reed, Albert B. Loebenstein, Henry Porter, c. E.