The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-03-06
DOUBLE EXECUTION.
Two Chinese Murderers Suffer the
Last Penalty Of the Law.
WITH DEcoRUM AND PRECISION.


alias Ahapa and Akana-paid the last
] penalty of the law on the scafold
| Marshal Soper and all the officers under
! his direction carried out the disagreeable
duty devolving upon them with decorum
and precision. The execution was
! strictly private-only officers of the law,
| physicians, members of the bar and OF
! the press, and few others rendering
special service, being present, viz. :
Marshal J. H. Soper, Deputy Attorney
| General A. P. Peterson, Deputy Marshals
C. L. Hopkins and G. Creighton; Capt.
Staples, Tailor of Oahu Prison; Doctors
c.. T. Rodgers (prison physician), J. H.
Kimball, f. L. Miner and c.. B. Wood );
Messrs. J. Emmeluth, Prison Inspector;
II. NJ Dow, Deputy Warden Oahu
Prison; f. w. Damon, Chinese mission
airy; S. NJ Graham, Marshal's Clerk !;
J. Hopp, carpenter, J. W. Kalua, J. L.
Kaulukou, Ii Cheung, interpreter; H.
II. Williams, undertaken; Kim Cha, and
representatives of the ADVERTISER,
Bulletin and Elele.
AhaDa was convicted at the November
Term of the Third Judicial Circuit Court
at Waimea, Hawaii, of the murder of
David Kapahee at Puma on September
Sd. Justice BickertOn pronounced sem
tence of death upon him, November 9th.
and the date of his execution was fixed
later at Monday, February 10Th. On
the 23d of that month, however, Ahapa
was granted a respite until March 9Th,
to admit of consideration by the Privy
Council of petition from various Chin
csc merchants for Communication of SEN
tence. This petition was disallowed al
most unanimously.
Akana was convicted at the same
term of the murder of All Sing at
sentence of death on Nov. 29th. His
execution was appointed originally for
the day on which it occurred.
Although Ahapa was proved to have |
been deeply concerned in the murder for |
which he had to suffer death, it was gen. |
orally believed that the principal in the |
foul deed was his cOuntryman, who fOiled |
the course of justice by committing sui |
eide with poison on board the steamer !
w. q. Hall while being conveyed to Ho- |
nolulu to await trial. Akana had no &C.
so far as known, and, it will be |
made an attempt to obi
terate evidences of his guilt by burning
the body of his victim III the house they |
had jointly occupied.
Ever since the fate OF the two malefac-
tors was sealed they bore themselves |
with the characteristic stOlidity of their
race. During the last ten days of their
lives their calmness purpOrted to be the !
born of the Christian religion,
which they protested under the assiduous
of Mr.. Damon, missionary
to the Chinese of these Islands. They |
slept we'll at nights until the eve of the |
fatal day, when broken slumbers indi-
Gated intensified realization OF their aw-
ful position. They awOke at 4 o'clock in
the morning and asked for chicken and |
The former was furnished |
them but the latter was refused, and |
after eating the men took another nap.
The double execution was fixed for |
Yesterday morning between the hours of |
s and II o'clock. At o'clock the erec- !
ton of the gallows was begun. 1t was |
an apparatus used on former occasion |
and was soon in position, at the rear end |
Of the main corridor in the yard. A tenn |
porary inclined platform led from the
floor up to the trap.
About Z o'clock the doomed men |
were taken to the prison office, where |
Mr.. Damon and the official interpr eter
with them. A few moments
after eight Marshal Soper, interpreted |
by Ii Cheung, read to them the death !
These were engrossed in |
large characters and bound with red rib
bon. 1t was a quarter after eight when |
the march to the scaffold took place, |
Mr.. Damon accompanying the prisoners |
and speaking gently to them in their own |
language. All three knelt while the min !
lister offered prayer. Officers then piniOn-
ed them hand and feet over their decent |
black Chinese costume, the deep black |
caps were drawn down to their shoulders, !
and with as little delay as possible the
moose was adjusted about the neck of |
each. During all this ordeal the men |
bore themselves calmly, and not word |
or a murmur did they utter. Ahapa, |
the elder one-he being fifty-one years |
old while Akana was only twenty-five |
near the close showed signs of weakness !
and was supported by an officer.
Mr. Damon offered a brief prayer and |
on his prOnOuncing "Amen" a private |
signal was given. The cord attached to |
the bolt and running into an inner room |
was pulled. 1t stuck first with an audible |
click, but the suspense was only for an |
instant. At S:25 sharp the trap flew |
down and was pulled back on its hinges |
by COunU6r-W6lgnU. Inc men naQ |
drop of eight or nine feet, and death was |
undoubtedly instantaneous. Ahapa never |
moved q muscle again, while a very |
slight twitching of Akana's left fingers, |
noticed in four minutes, was not COnsid- |
cred by the physicians as indicating |
feeling. At the end of twelve minutes |
the physicians made an examination |
and pronounced both men dead. When |
hanging twenty-five minutes the bodies |
were lowered into plain deal cofins |
painted black on the outside, and with |
out any exposure of the features having |
been made the lids were quickly nailed |
down. This operation, however, revealed |
the fact that both mems necks were |
broken. Within the hour a wagon de- !
parted from the gate with the collins for |
interment at Makiki Cemetery.
1t was the unanimous verdict of all |
present that the execution could not !
have been carried out in a more decent, |
skillful and humane manner than was /
the case. This is all the more credit |
able to the police and prison officials |
when it is remembered that such dis |
agreeable duty has not had to be per-
formed in this Kingdom for a long time |
previous, and, If the writer is not mis- !
taken, never in the official experience |
here of any of those now concerned. |
The following is the official medical GER
tificate added to the records of the cases !
We, the undersigned physicians do