The Hawaiian gazette., 1879-07-16
CONVICTED OF MURDER IN TIE FIRsr DEGREE

CONVICTED OF MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE
In the Supreme Court for the Hawaiian Islands,
sitting for he regular July Tenn last week anative
woman by the name OF Keli hanaiwi was convicted
of murder 10 The first degree Tue facts of the case
as follows: On the morning of the LIST of March
last, at Waikiki, Maui, a LhIuamau by the name of
Akela, who kept small shop in the town,
was lound dead in his shop On examination
by the physician, DR.. Enders, the cause of death
WAS pronounced TO be by strangulaliOn, there
were impressions OF finger nails as we'll as knife
wounds on the throat OF the deceased, and frac-
ture OF the skull on the back part of the head.
From the evidences found and the appearance of
the body il was evident that the murder must have
been participated in by more than one person.
Three persons, namely, Asham, Chinaman, AlonZo
Davis, and the woman Keiiihanaiwi, (wie of AlOnzo
Davs) were arrested on suspicion of having COM
mted the murder. At the April Term of the Cir
cult Court for Maui the trial came on noe
prnsequ was cred by the Crown in the case OF
Davis, and the Chnaman Asham was acquitted by
the petit jury. In the of the woman Kalihana.
iwi, the venue was changed to Honolulu, and
she tried before the Supreme Court (ull bench)
on Monday the 9Th inst, aud resulted in the con-
vction of the defendant as above stated. In this
latter case the jurors were all Hawaaus His Excel.
lency the Attorney General appeared on behalf of
the Crown, and tue prisoner WAS defended by j. NJ.
Davidson Esq. The committed TO the
jury at P. M. Tuesday, and at half past
Wednesday morning returned verdict of guilty of
murder in the first degree with three Jurors dis
senting. The peculiarly in this case is that the
the same state of facts upon which the other de-
PENDANT Asham, who doubtless participated in the
murder, was acquitted by jury composed Of for
eigners at Wailuku in April last. THIS is a strange
result to say the least of it, and does not argue well
for the trial by jury these Islands. THE glOr-
uncertainty of The law" well as the like un-
certainty of juies have in this case been practically
illustrated. The Chinaman, Asham, goes scot free
by the verdict ofA Wailuku Jury, while particeps
cri1liIis is pronounced guilty o: the murder. when
all he facts 90 to prove the party acquitted be
the leader If not the actual perpetrator vi the crime.
Hanging is horrible disposition to make OF o
individual at any time, and we do hope that in the
case of the woman Kelihanawi, that her punish.
ment may be committed to Imprisonment for
term of years for her natural life if in the Iudg-
ment of His Majesty aud The Prlyy Council the facts
of tue case will warrant such a disposition.
ANOTHER CONVICTED OF MURDER IN THE FIRST
DEsREE-In the Supreme Court of this kingdom
on Monday last, the case OF the King vs. Brown for
the murder of the sailor Wilkinson few weeks
ago on board the American bark Moro Castle was
called. The case was tried before full bench of
judges and By foreign jury and resulted in finding
the prisoner guilty of murder in the first degree
The facts in the above were given 10 our paper
at the time of the sad occurrence and need not be
repeated here This makes the second case of
conviction OF murder in the first degree at the pre-
sent term of the Court, which is sad commentary
on the degcueracy OF the times in q community
SO small as ours.