The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1892-10-05
F2GgTFrL PLCSGE
Over q C.F Ct Iso Valley. aa4i
Desperate Battle OF The Verge o.
Precipice.

The steamer ". O. Hall brings
news fr5a Maui ot battle between
/ q member OF tie chain gang and
! prie9a icEa, II ; character TO make
/ 3ne slpdlei IS 4e regards the dread
/ ful consequence so openly invited
ani 50 narrowly a7erted by the par
tic.PAGts. Our special correspondent,
who CHANGED u be on ths. ground IN
tie viciai;y Of the tragic incident,
ssn3- Hs t5s following particulars:
j prisoner. OF Chinese origin, with
ths soaaea That suggestive name Of
/ Nun TAI Lung, 2 consupptive look
ing wreck, who lad lately been sent
up fos larceny Of horse, was en-
/ pl0ge3, IN company with somewhat
numerous chain gang, III digging
/ soil for road purposes II lao
Valley, that lovely glen which
/ pierces the mouptain side in
( the immediate rear Of Waikiki.
4 TIE scene Of operations was we'll Up
within the valley, where the en-
croachiDg cliffs, narrowing the vale
to velE meagre width, lift their al
4 most perpendicular SIDES 10 within
whispering distance Of the clouds.
/ The presence Of trees, ferns and
shrubs growing out, or rather cling
ing to the face Of the cliffs, facilitate
to some extent, their being scaled,
though the operation is, at best, a
scaley one Still the Eerdant mantle,
with its possibilities Of concealmept,
coupled with the love of liberty
which had not been quite crushed out
Of Wun Tai Lungs anatomy, and aid
ed by the supposed difficulties of pur
suit, suggested TO the captive the
idea Of striking for that liberty
which Patrick Henry is said TO have
| held in such high esteem that nought
but death could compensate for its
loss.
Soon after the noontide banquet of
the prison picnic party had been dis
cassed, with his head full Of visions
Of freedom, and his stomach partially
full Of an Indifferent quality Of raw
salt salmon, this Oriental soa of the
Sun bade lusty and unceremonious
adieu TO the companions Of his recent
reveIs, and without obtaining leave
Of absence from the luna in charge.
passed quickly and silently into q
thieket adjoining the scene of their
noon siesta, and ere his absence was
observed. had gained a dizzy height
on the face of the cliff, on his way to
the source Of the glen, and liberty.
The fact Of his absence from the
scene Of his late Injurious repose
and his presence on the bluff, was
revealed by the downward course Of
q huge boulder, unloosed from It's
rocky shelf on the mountain by the
foot Of the uniformed truant.
The runaway being thus revealed,
the prison luna IN charge, Manoel
Rodrigues by name, was filed with
cousternation-and determination
to recapture the truant-in about
equal proportions. Acting upon
this determination, he sprang lightly
up the face Of the bluff, compelled
, to desperate efforts by not only
the hope Of reward but the terror of
the official guillotine. Being more
agile than the pursued, the Azorean
pursuer rapidlysgained upon his bold
: protege, and when about to overhaul
; him, unluckily slipped, in making q
| spring for the truant, and was saved
: a precipitated plunge into the lower
abyss only by the excellent texture
. Of his overalls, which caught upon a
projecting prong Of a kukui tree
some tens Of feet below the spot
whence he had fallen, and sustained
} his weight till he was enabled to re-
gain his balance and renew the
chase.
Meantime, with the energy Of des
pair, the refugee was pulling and
lifting himself along and up the face
: Of the mountain in vain endeavor
to evade his relentless pursuer; but
the latter with steadier nerve and
frmer muscles gained upon the run
: away, and was about to grasp him
1 just as a small plateau had beer
}, gained, sufficient IN area for two
! men to stand upon. There, upor
: that meagre tableland, at a dizzy
: height Of hundreds Of feet above th'
bed of the torrent that roared
boarsely and gullenly beneath
the pursued convict turned at bay
n and faced his fierce and desperate
: purguer with a ferceness and desper
= alton 10 less than his, Reaching
down his bootleg the Chinaman drew
therefrom a long and ugly looking
q knife-a souvenir of playful vlsi
K he had made during the forenoon 0
s that day-and the relaxed watchful
n ness of the Iuna-to the kitchen of
local native resident named Kekaue
J. aikanonanui. With this deadl,
y weapon poised in air, ready to sla.
: his pursuer, the refugee made lung
u at the exposed shoulder of the luna
but his miscalculation Of the distanc
/ Is to be credited with the lpna'B IN
e muuity from harm, as result Of tn
blow Seeing the desperate strai
in which the fury, aided by the wea
pon Of his intended victim had thu
placed him, the luna closed with hi
murderous antagonist, but not unit
? with great precision-and his wes
fst-he had planted blow upon tn
!,