The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-08-02
STORY OF KALEIWAH
A FRIENDLY WORD FOR THE
LEPER SUSPECT
Something About an Interesting Charac
ter-A Letter from an Armed
Fugitive in the Mountains.


anxious to keep up an agitation
against "Jack Kaleiwahea, a sup
posed leper, probably that his MARTA
spirit may be gratiied by the appear
ance of special police and the p. &
army to capture a poor hunted anc
supposed leper. As one acquainted
with this supposed leper, let me give
you his side of the story. In 1886
kalewahea was a quiet citizen OF
Kalihi, making a good living as
either machinist's helper carpenter
or dock laborer. He suffered from
some sort of facial paralysis which
caused one eyelid to droop and from
which tears would flow, and one end
of his mouth was drawn down a
little. He had enemies, and on
account of his independence, and
suppose the "usual woman at the
bottom of the case" some of them
made trouble for him. His story is
that after many vain attempts to get
him into row or trouble of some
sort, he was suddenly reported to
the Board of Health as a leper, by
these same enemies, and a warrant
was issued and he was arrested and
taken to Kalihi receiving station. He
claims that for the six weeks he was
there, he and many others were
never examined, and he naturally
chafed under the restraint. One day
he was told by an attendant that he
was to be sent to Molokai, and not
caring to travel so far at government
expense, and believing himself nom
leper, and not having been examined,
one night he got over the fence, and
escaped, and worked his way to Wal
mea valley between Kahuku and
Waialua on the island. Soon of course
the deputy Sheriffs were notified of
his escape, together with others per-
haps, and orders were issued to arrest
him for examination. do not know
what effect it would have on your
readers to be bounded and hunted
for seven years as a wild animal, but
nevertheless the effect on Kaleiwa-
hea was to make him desperate, and
he swore never to be taken alive.
For the first few years he never
carried arms, but after an attempt at
his capture in which he was driven
into the sea and was pursued by the
native police in a canoe, he calmly
waited some distance from shore
until his pursuers got up to him,
when with dexterous movement
he capsized the canoe, the occupants
of which were thrown into the sea.
The canoe was rendered useless by
the breaking of the outrigger, and he
swan out to sea, and landed at night
near Waialua. From that night he
became a desperate " and ever
since has carried arms which have
had the desired effect to him, in that,
while every few weeks attempts have
nha fn M Ia,
being armed has kept his pursuers,
at respectful distance, and no real
attempt has ever been made to arrest
him. The police always sent word
to him that on a certain night they
were coming to capture him, and he
usually went into the mountains, but
if at home, sent word that he would
resist arrest with force of arms and
as stated before, they kept at a good
distance away. He has vowed that
as long as he is hunted like an
animal, he will never surrender
alive, and he has a good camp
in Pauwela, Kahuku mountains, where
he can play "Koolau " to his hearts
content. However, it is reported
that orders have been sent to the
Deputy Sheriff of Koolauloa and Wal
alua, not to modest the man, and to
leave him alone until further orders,
and ! have no doubt that as soon as
Kalaiwahea is confident of fair deal
and is no longer to be hunted and
bounded, he will voluntarily come
and be examined. He is fine speci.
men of a man as far as physique is con-
cerned, and his body month ago,
did not have a blemish upon it. He
thinks that if leprosy has not broken
out on him in seven years he cannot
be suspected leper. Last month
he was the principal native employed
in repairing the Waimea bridge, and
did all the diving for the bridge work
when necessary. HoAALoHA.
The following letter has been re-
ceived in Honolulu from Kaleiwahea
by friend of his:
Translation.
CAMP ON THE MOUNTAINS.