Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-02-03
n SdHAGE WLRDER CASE on


EDITOR SATURDAY PREss-SIR: A hor.
rible murder was committed here in the nights
between the 18th and 18th instants by Poly
nesian negro recently imported per schooner
/aiia.
AT half-past 10 o'clock, when we were about
retiring, man came running up towards my
house from the Observation-Disclosures below,
calling for me in loud and plaintive voice.
1t was one Of our Polynesian negroes that had
worked here about one and one half years. He
said he had got a cut with a tomahawk in his
left arm, from one Of the lately arrived negroes.
The blood was oozing quite freely from the
large muscle Of the arm, which he held to stop
the blood. The man was in very excited
state from fear Of his pursuer and weakened by
loss of blood. He was properly bandaged and
laid TO rest. But we were not through with
that job, when we were informed that another
of our negro laborers, Lentuu, good, quiet
man, had been killed by the same savage, that
wounded the man just mentioned. i ordered
the man carried up to our house, where, after
a lapse of some time. he was brought in
blanket. He was not dead at the time, but
very badly cut up; his left arm was broken,
lacerated wound couple Of the fingers of
the left hand were cut off clean and one finger
hung dangling by the skin, a cut in the left ear
and one on the left shoulder on the inside of
the left thigh about four inches above the knee
a deep cut had been made severing everything
to the bone, thus completely hamstringing the
man, also cut above the ankle-joint on the
same side on the right leg was also cut on
the inside near the ankle.joint. There seemed
to be some method in the way the blows had
been dealt, and it struck me Immediately, that
this was not a first effort to completely disable
man and kill him by inches. The right hand
| the wounded man could bend at the elbow
joint on the right shoulder a slanting blow
ing down the shoulder blade, as in the process
of being Hayed off. The murderer had found
his victim sleeping and mus, have sprung upon
him and quickly disabled him. The weapon
used was shingling Ratchet with long han
die, of which our New Hebrides Islanders have
several to take home, presume, when their
time expires.
| When first examined the mutiated man,
found only small quantity of blood flowing
from the large wounds He was conscious but
greatly exhausted. We thought, that as long
as there was life, there was hope; so we APP
piled stimulants, washed off the blood and
bandaged as well as we could to keep the man
alive, but at about o'clock in the night he
expired. When the murderer had finished his
| Job and left the man for dead inside the house,
he took position on the step in front Of the
door of the house brandshing his long handled
Ratchet in the air, until he got chance to es-
cape, when he struck out for the guava bushes
in the neighborhood. After search the follow
ing day he was found mauka in the fern region;
but before he was caught, he managed to give
native severe cut in the muscles Of the back
with his tomahawk. IS
At the coroners inquest the following day,
it would have been well, II surgeon had been
present people are averse to handling a
corpse, and under the circumstances l cannot
give rs correct an account Of this tragical affair
as could wish. Should the Board Of Health
fulfill its promises and appoint competent
and suitable physician for this district, we
would gladly pay our share to have good
medical practitioner here. Another difficulty
with which we meet in fully clearing up this
murder case, is, that nobody here can speak
the languages Of these Polynesian negroes.
Those lately arrived per Julia do not under
stand the New tlebrides Islanders, that were
at work here, neither do some OF them under
stand the Others. The murderer above men
toned is said to have come from the Island u
Aurora. lie speaks little bad English. As
rule, the New Iebrides Islanders arc kind,
good -natuIed and obedient, and regret that
this blood-thirsiy savage has come among them
Respectfully yours, A. uSNA-
Hama, Jan. ~, 1883.