The Hawaiian gazette., 1881-05-25
The Inquiry into the St. Louis School
Disaster.

A Coroner's Jury was called on Saturday morn
ing at 10 AN, in the Marshal's Office, to inquire
into the circumstances of the death of David Paa-
hao. who was killed by the fall of Father Larkin's
school-room on Friday afternoon last. Marshal
Parke sat as Coroner, Mr.. Preston was present on
behalf of the Government. the jurymen were w.
w. Hall, s. johnson, ID. Burrows, w. l.. Austin,
Samuel Mahoe, and A. kahalione.
Several gentlemen were present who were inter-
ested in watching the case The Jury first went
to Mr.. Longs house TO see the body and then re-
turned to the Marshal's Office. The first witness
called was Henry Long. He stated that he was in
the building for the purpose of decorating it for
the bail which was to occur that evening he was
standing IN about the centre of the hall he heard
report, and saw tue plasterlng coming down he
started TO run. The sides of the building began
to fail out and the roof was coming right down.
Charles Clark, Sarah Dawson, Keumi "a little
boy) and himself got outside, but they would
have been crushed by the falling walls If tree
had not caught them. As the building
was down he called for his wife and another girl,
named kainuuwala. whom he knew were in the
building at the time: receiving no answer he ran
round to lind out where they were; got to the
place where they were they were jammed IN the
centre Of the house. Was in first and saw the
girl not much squeezed his wife was fiat eased
up the roof as much as his strength would allow
him till assistance came. Called for help, Charles
Clark, Fa her Larkin, and a foreigner, EN-
poyee of Father Larsin came. Father Larkin
being asked what the name of his an was, stated
he did not know, be only knew him as James.
according TO account published In the AdreI tser,
the man S name is O'Nell.) DE got his wife and
the other woman out. He asked If all were out.
Father Iarkm said that no one else was in the
building; witness missed the boy and thinking he
must be under the house, started with the assist
ance of some soldiers, breaking into the roof.
Father Larkin stopped him. saying there was no
one under Tried three times TO break up the roof
and Father Larlliu stopped him. lie could not do
anything because be was in danger of Father
Iarlln. Finding he could not see whether the
boy was under or not. III consequence Of Father
Larkin's objections, he ran off to the Police
Station. On his ret1ru be found others had come,
and that the roof was being broken into III spite
of Father LaTkin. lie the body taken out,
and knew 1t to be that OF the boy in question.
Took the body into Father Larkin's house, wash
ed and dressed it got a coffin and took the body
to his own house. DIS. Emerson and Rodgers
were present and saw the body.
BY the Jury: His wife was injured the other
girl was not An iron parting had caused the
accident. The rods were screwed up in the centre.
There were three rods. TIE building was 80 feet
wide and 10 feet long.
By MI. Preston: There was crack 1 think
the plaster made the noise. Father Larkln pre-
vented one breaking into the rulns two or three
times be said stop breaking that y Felt con-
WINGED the boy was under the roof. The rods had
been broken before. Last Thursday a rod had
been welded at the place where be worked. The
rod which broke was not the one that had been
welded.
Father Larkin asked witness how it was he
knew that was in the building beside the
people he had mentioned-thore was a partition
of uaGs across the room. Witness replied that II
any one had been behind the flags he could have
seen them. The body found AT the makai and
Waikiki corner of the building. Father LaIkln
was not in the building at the time OF the aecl-
dent. Witness and Charles Clark were standing
by the door doing nothing when the accident
occurred.
Mrs. Long was the next Witness she appeared
very nervous in fact, all the female witnesses did
they had apparently received a very severe shock
Mrs. Longs face had been injured by the falling
timbers. She said she was IN the building making
lefs and assisting with the decorations. She heard
something crack, saw the ceiling coming down and
began to run the bar fell and caught her clothes
she had to stop and stoop. She supported what
fell on her which injured her neck little. She
became insensible for time. On coming to she
called out and heard the steps Of people on the
roof. Her husband got her out. She heard the
ether girl calling for help. She missed the boy (;
Father Larlin told her be had seen the boy 60
home. Heard Father Larkin stop her husband
breaking into the ruins her husband went of TO
get the Marshal. Others came and insisted that
the boy was under the roof; they broke 1t up and
found the body; she was not present when the
BODY was found. Heard Barkin say repeatedly
stop breaking the houselm he also had said " l
have seen the boy so home y
DR.. Emerson was present shortly after the aecl-
dent and saw the body of Paahao The body was
In the hall of the stOne-house lying on Its back,
there was no breathing, the face vas swollen and
dark. The chest was crushed in, the ribs were
not broken, but the carriages OF the RIBS were
separated from their external attachment, allow
ing the sternum to be pushed directly back against
the heart and lungs. Death must have been al
most instantaneous. Felt for puisation and heart
sound, but there was none. Saw the body taken
from the ruins from the mauka side, Waikiki
end. When found he was dead, left. Did not
specially examine the wound In his head as
found he was dead
Sarah Dawson deposed she was decorating
heard the report; ran and just managed TO clear
the building. No one else was in the building ex-
cept the decorating party. Father Larkin was on
the verandah. In answer to Father lIarkln she
said that he had been in the room, had spoken 70
them, but that was at least quarter of an hour
before the crash.