The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-08-29

A fatal and sad accident &C.
Cured at the Kaakaako rifle range
late Saturday afternoon. When
practice is being had the services
of some one are required to attend
to the target. In order to do this
work it is necessary that the
person be in close proximity to the
target. To give proper protection
to the person who attends the
target a bulkhead about six feet
wide, seven high and four thick!has
been erected, which is filled with
sand. Behind this bulkhead stands
the person who attends the target,
and when it becomes necessary for
him to pull in the target, he simply
stretches out his hand and accom-
plishes the work. At no time
during the shooting is any portion
of the target attendants body seen,
with the exception of his arm when
it becomes necessary to arrange
it.
A native boy, about Is years of
age, named Hanuwela, has been
engaged in the capacity of target
attendant for some time past, and
was engaged in that capacity on
Saturday afternoon. After con-
siderable shooting had been done
it was noticed that the boy was not
attending to his duties, and the
bell at the bulkhead was rung in
order to apprise him of his neglect.
No reply being given and no ap-
pearance made by the boy, an in
vestigation was made, with the re-
suit of finding the boy Hanuwela
lying dead behind the bulkhead.
Investigation proved that he had
been shot through the body, the
ball entering just below the right
shoulder blade and passing out
about the centre of the breast. A
conveyance was Immediately called
and the dead body conveyed to the
police station, where DR.. Cooper
made an examination of the wound.
The body was afterwards taken to
the home of the boys parents.
An inquest was held yesterday
afternoon, the jury being composed
entirely of natives. The verdict of
hejury-which was quite a lengthy
one-was not available, but the
gist of it is to the effect that the
boy Hanuwela came to an accident
al death by a rifle ball fired by
some one of those who were shoot
ing on the range Saturday after
noon, (no name being mentioned).
The verdict stated that the boy had
been guilty of carelessness in not
reporting the condition of the bulk
head, of which he had been asked
to make before the shooting COM
menced.
In order to report the condition
of the bulkhead the deceased
climbed up on top of it and vouch-
safed the information that every
thing was in good order. After the
boy had been shot an examination
was made of the bulkhead by a
number of those present, when it was
found that the tides had caused
some of the sand to be washed out
at the bottom, which left por-
ton of the top of it vacant.
Through this vacant part the ball
passed that caused the boys death,
he evidently being leaning with his
back against the structure at the
time he was shot. The failure of
the boy to report the condition of
the bulkhead caused mis- death.
The deceased HanuweIa was an
intelligent young man and had |
been attending the Kamehameha |
school for some time. His father |
is Kapule, well known long
shoreman.
The accidental shooting of young |
was a sad occurrence |
indeed, and no one regrets the
affair more keenly than those
who were engaged in practice at
shooting at the time it occurred.
The funeral of the deceased took
place yesterday afternoon at 5
o'clock from the home of Kapule,