The Hawaiian gazette., 1888-07-24
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
A United States Marine Fatally shot
He Dies at the Hospital.

About II 20 Saturday night the report
OF gun startled Portuguesetown, and
Immediately afterward a man was found
lying in ditch BY the roadside. Three
native policemen soon reached the spot
from neighboring beats, and in about
quarter OF an hour after the shot was
heard they had the man lifted into
hack. He proved to be John Flennelly,
q marine of the T. s. S. Omaha, he Was
conscious on his removal to and at the
Station, MS left arm was bleeding and
powerless, and he gave utterance to
groans and CALCULATIONS OF pain.
DR.. Rodgers promptly responded to
the hurried summons to meet the sui
ferer at the Station, but before he got
there the man had been sent to the
Queens Hospital on stretcher. The
doctor overlook him on the road and
after advising the carriers went on ahead
to the hospital DR.. McKibbin, hospi-
tai physician, was on duty and attended
to the marines injury. This was found
to be gunshot wound entering above
the left elbow and coming out about the
Joint, which terribly shattered the bones
in its passage. About O'Clock Sunday
afternoon Flennelly's arm was amPu-
tated by Drs. McKibbin and Brodie.
The unfortunate man did not rally after
the operation, but died an hour or so
Liter.
Deputy Marshal Hopkins, as Coroner,
empanelled the following jury for an in
quest: J. H. Fisher, John F. Bowler,
Thos. Lindsay, F. Gertz, VIM. Mccain
dless and K. f. Halstead. The evil
dence of police officers, Portuguese and
natives living at the place OF shooting,
and marine who had been with the
victim when shot, was taken and at 10
o'clock the inquest was adjourned TILL
o'clock Monday morning.
1t appears from the testimony that
Flennelly and a comrade named Nc
Gregor were trying to gain admittance to
the house of Manuel Comes Comancho
about ii o'clock at night. They made
so much noise as to waken Mrs. Conan
cho, who was alarmed and called her
husband Comancho went out In his
Undertaking and called to the intruders
three times, asking them what they
wanted. They had been violently shak-
ing the back door, so that some OF the
woodwork was wrenched loose. OBJ
tanning no answer Comancho discharged
a Springfield rifle and heard no more
noise until the hue and cry were raised
about the finding OF the man in the ditch.
| Mrs. Comancho testified that their
household had been disturbed several
times within few weeks by nocturnal
providers. She did not know whether
any of the neighboring houses were re-
sorts OF sailors, as she never visited
among them. Others gave evidence OF
| Cumancho's good and peaceable char
acter. He is a carpenter by trade, but
| has not had steady employment lately.
Capt. Larsen went directly to the spot
on hearing of the shooting. He met
Comancho and on the information re-
ceived arrested him. The prisoner told
him OF the disturbance, saying he had
I not meant to shoot anybody. He was
charged at the Station with assault
with deadly weapon"
At the inquest Coroner Hopkins told
the prisoner, through Mr.. j. NJ. Vivas,
interpreter, that if he wished to make a
statement he could do so of his own free
will, but cautioned him that whatever he
said might be used against him, and he
was not obliged to say anything. Co
mancho said that, as he had no guilty
feelings, he was willing to recount all
that happened at his place. Being
again cautioned as before, and Mr.. Vivas
advising him as friend TO say nothing,
he accepted the advice and made no
statement.
Mr.. ]. de Souza Canavarro, Portu-
guese Commissioner, and Marshal Soper
were present at the inquest.