The Hawaiian gazette., 1890-07-22
A SCENE IN COURT.
Louis Seymour Receives Sentence and
then Attempts to Kill Himself.


Louis Seymour Receives Sentence and
then Attempts to Kill Himself.
In the Supreme Court Tuesday
afternoon. Louis Seymour, the ex-
policeman, who was charged with
aiding and abetting j. R. Mills IN
his unsuccessful attempt to escape
from the Station House, was brought
before Mr.. Justice Dole to receive
sentence. He lad withdrawn his plea
of not guilty and entered one OF
guilty. After Mr.. ]. L. kaulukou
had spoken in mitigation on the prl-
soner's behalf. Deputy Attorney
General Creighton said that the pr,
soner had lent himself for a small
sum to aid Mills in escaping from
prison. What would call for more
severity was the fact that the prl-
soner was a police officer IN whom
his superiors placed confidence. He
had been trusted by them. Any man
holding such position who violates
the confidence placed in him should
be punished. He did not ask for the
severest penalty, but he ought to re
ceive a substantial punishment, and
one that would be a lesson to Others.
The Court-The facts bring the
case in the first degree.
Mr.. Creighton - They do, your
honor.
The Court, addressing the pri-
soner. said The fact of plea OF
cu1ltv is a favorable consideration.
Your offense is heinous, in that it Is
a breach of fidelity You were false
to your trust. There are elements of
treachery in it which increases the
offense. l sentence you to be I'M
prisoned at hard labor for SIX
months and to pay fine OF 500.
The prisoner thank you; 1t IS a
very lenient sentence.
At this point the prisoner, who
was standing at the opposite end of
a table at which the ADVERTISERS re-
preventative was sitting writing,
made a movement with his hands,
that is, he placed them behind him
inside of his coat, and again said 1t
Is a lenient sentence" The words
had no sooner escaped his lips than
he pulled out a revolver from his
pants pocket and pointed it close to
his heart. By this time there was
considerable confusion in the Court
room. Nearly all present were on
their feet, good many made their
escape from the room. The pistol
merely snapped, and there was a
slight relief. Seymour then tried to
cock the pistol again and in so doing
brandished 1t around considerable.
He looked excited and seemed as if
he did not know what he was doing.
Quickly Capt. Felhbehr picked up
the chair the ADVERTISERS represen-
tative had been sitting in, and max
ing dash at the prisoner, knocked
him down. He was overpowered and
Mr.. George P. Castle took the pistol
out of his hands and handed it to
Mr.. Justice Dole. Seymour, who
said that the folks in the room
looked mighty brave because he had
not done it, was taken to the Station
House.
Half an hour later he was asked
by our reporter what made him make
the attempt on his life. He said she
was innocent of the charge, and
would sooner die than serve mo-
ment on the reef 1t would disgrace
him. He had to hide the pistol the
night before and the cartridges must
have got wet-the reason they did
not go off. He did not intend to
harm anyone in the court ROOM He
was handcuffed, and a police officer
took him to Oahu Jail. The prisoner,
who had been out on bail, was very
ouch excited, even when he went into
Court before sentence was pro-
nounced.