The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-07-13
The Troops Return From Kalalau
Without KOOlau.
He Has Escaped Over the Dizzy Noun
tain Top.

When the steamer Iwalani was
signaled early this morning every
body was on the qui Oive for news of
the expedition to rout the lepers'
stronghold at Kalalau. The Iva
lani docked at 7:3O o'clock at the
Inter-Island wharf, where there was
assembled a great crowd of eager
spectators. In answer to a few in
quiries from shore, it was learned
that Koolau, the leper bandit, wife
and child had not been caught, but
had decamped over the mountains
into, it is supposed, the Waimea
valleys.
The whole expedition, including
Attorney General Smith and the
eleven soldiers who went over on the
Iwalani on Monday, had given up
the chase and returned to town.
Different stories were circulated
around town as to where Koolau
had escaped. Some of the police
officers we're of the opinion that
Koolau had scaled the cliffs and
gone over to the Makaweli gulches.
Others believed he was hiding in
the Waimea mountains where there
is an impenetrable jungle of scrub.
The soldiers were landed at the
Island wharf, and waited there
until the bodies of Privates John
McCabe, John Anderson and Hus-
berg, who were killed at Kalalau,
were landed on wagon. Zint cof-
fins covered with wood enclosed the
corpses. The camping outfit was
also brought ashore and put on a
dray. When everything was in
readiness the column, headed by a
squad of Co. A under Captain Zieg-
Ter, marched uptown to The funeral
taps of muffied drum. Following
the wagons came Lieutenant G.. w.
R. King, in command of the Kalalau
detachment, aud Major j. w. Pratt.
The bodies were taken to the under
taking rooms of H. H. Williams &
Co.
Lieutenant King was seen by a
BULLETIN reporter at the Govern
ment building and gave the follow
ing version of events previous to the
chase being given up. Captain Lar
sen, in command of the expedition,
went to Kekaha, where he had
learned Koolau's sister resided.
Larsen returned on Saturday night
in a whaleboat with Koolau's sister
and husband. On Sunday morning
Larsen and King, with squad of
men, escorted Koolau's sister up the
valley and pointed out to her where
Koolau's stronghold was situated.
The woman went near the place and
began calling to Koolau, saying that
it was his sister that addressed him,
and not to shoot, adding that they
belonged to the same father and
mother, and to let her go up to him.
Receiving no reply she climbed up
the trail, and found no one in the
cave. She examined the place and
found pair of pants, a boys cotton
shirt, an eel, and few shells lying
on the slab of stone whence Koolau
had done the shooting. The woman
returned and told Larsen and King
that Koolau was not there.
The party then went up, and sure
enough the place was deserted, and
there were no signs of trail of any
kind. The bandit had escaped with
out leaving any tracks. He could
not have escaped below, as the trail
was guarded by the police under
Captain Larsen in the night, and the
soldiers under Lieutenant King in
the daytime. The conclusion was
arrived at that he had escaped over.
head. The cliffs above were a dense
mass of brush and ii leaves, and it
was decidedly impracticable for any
body to pursue the fugitive.
On Monday the camp was broker
up and the party returned from the
upper valley to Camp Dole, Lieut.
King and Major Pratt being the
last to leave, In the afternoon or
ders were given to leave camp anc
go to Haena. Everything was pack
ed in boats, and the party arrived al
Haena at $50 o'clock Tuesday morn
ing. The steamer Iwalani was sight
ed shortly afterward and signaled
Attorney-General Smith came
ashore from the steamer and, afte
hearing the reports, ordered thu
,, troops to embark on the Iwalani ano
go back to Kalalau Valley. Arriving
there the expedition went ashore
, again and a squad of men escorted
, the Attorney-General to Koolau'
!, stronghold. A minute examination
) was made of the place. The ledg'
! on which Koolau did the shooting
! was between four and five feet wid'
and about six feet long. 1t afforded
a natural barricade, and, according
to Lieut.. King, Koolau could hav'
slaughtered a thousand men wh'
attempted to reach him, if he hat
the required number of cartridges
The men who we're shot were thirt,
l yards off at the time, and it woult
t take at least five minutes to cove
: that distance if rush was made
7 and only one man could go at
l time. Nor was Koolau's bullet tn
:. only peril, but there was danger o
slipping off the bluff down the pre-
cipice. The stronghold was pointe'
: out to Koolau, it is said, as SAT
. place, by an old native at presen
residing in Niihau.
. THE LAST SHOT.
The last shot was fired on Wed
nesday, July 9TH, when McCabe wa
fa..ll,, "a, ;,,.nI G;nna than IL nola