The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-01-24

go out through the back door; that
after a long time, during which she
became anxious over Sophie's pro-
longed absence, the latter returned,
went to her room, and was heard APP
parently going to bed; that thereafter
Sophie was heard vomiting and
purging quite violently; that she soon
after raped on the partition of Mrs.
Costa's room, and called foT "Papa,
papa,n to which Costa responded by
going to her door and asking what
she wanted; that Sophie requested
Costa to light her lamp, which he did,
and saw that she was then sitting
upon the side of her bed in her night
clothes, apparently very i'll, but that
she refused all assistance, denied feel
ing very badly, and said she would be
all right in the morning, and asked him
to shut the door on going out; that
Costa reported this to his wife who
was suffering from an attack of heart
TROUBLED, and who then sent one of
the little girls-a great pet and favor
lite with Sophie-tO ask the latter if
they should call DR.. Lindley, who
lived next door, and that Sophie re-
fused such medical attention, and
said, in effect, that there was nothing
the matter with her; that nothing
further was seen or heard of her Eek
cept more vomiting) until about I
o'clock the following morning, when
the same little girl was sent to call
her aunt to breakfast. She reported
that "Auntie wouldn't answer and
Costa went to the door of the bed
room, saw herlying upon the bed, fail
ed to obtain an answer to call to her,
shook to awaken her, felt that she was
cold, and reported to his wife and
little girls that she seemed to be dead.
Then followed the summoning of the
neighbors, as above stated.
Mrs. Costa was apparently overcome
by the death of her sister, and her
grief was deep and genuine, to all APP
pearances. She did not enter the
room of death until some of her female
neighbors had arrived and preceded
her thither.
Upon the arrival of the first male
neighbor Costa took him to the room
and putting aside the mosquito net
viewed the corpse. Its position was
somewhat contorted, it was partially
nude and quite rigid, the bed clothes
were in great disorder, and a receptacle
about half filled with what appeared
to be vomit, together with several
patches of similar substance on the
floor, bespoke the severe gastric dis
turbance of the deceased. Costa re-
moved and disposed of the material
in the receptacle, and the floor was
subsequently washed by some of the
women who came to the scene. The
corpse was with difficulty straight
ened out owing to its great rigidity,
one of those officiating being Mex
lean of long experience in Mexican
hospital, and who also had been an
occasional servant of the Costas for
several years and was well acquainted
with the family and their manner of
life. This man observed while lay
ing out the body a number of dark
spots on the girls left near the
shoulder, which he described as APP
pearing to him like vaccination scars,
but noticed no other indications of
violence nor any other marks, and
the man who aided him in that task
observed not even the marks men-
toned. The two women who washed
and dressed the corpse observed no
marks. But when the body was re-
moved to the parlor about 8 o'clock
that morning, it was noticed that
livid marks appeared upon her face,
arms and throat. The testimony as
to those appearances was quite
conflicting, but the most intelligent
witnesses indicated that the appear
ance of the features and skin was
changing so rapidly as to make the
conditions at any given moment of
little value, except for purposes of
comparison.
THE THEORY OF THE PROSECUTION.
The Crown formulated the follow
ing theory: That for some unknown
reason the Costas had determined to
destroy their sister, and had selected
that night as the time, and poison as
the means of carrying out their de-
signs.
In support of this theory they intro
duced evidence of the facts above
recited and some others. Among the
latter were the incidents of the two
sisters having mutually accused each
other in neighbours house of hair
DlODGuSlliGSi dt W LlIlG
they exhibited their respective
mementos of such propensities in di-
vers livid marks and bruises upon the |
arms, face, etc. 1t was testified to by |
some of the witnesses that the marks
upon Sophie's throat and arms on the
day succeeding her death resembled |
the marks of hand made in an at |
tempt to choke or strangle her, and |
in fiercely grasping her arms, etc.
From all of which the prosecution
evolved the further theory that though |
poison was the agent of destruction
first applied, the culprits became
alarmed at the girls vomiting, and
fearing her recovery from the poison
and the exposure of their attempt
upon the life of their sister, they re-
sorted to the brutal violence of stran-
yulation TO finish the project.
But opposed to that theory was the
somewhat significant item that it
rested upon an assumption of fact,
pure and simple, and that, with the
single exception of the mutual accu-
iations of the sisters, as before stated,
he evidence of the witnesses for the
prosecution showed the relations of
he Costas and their sister to have
,aan DIaaSant affaotionota opd oOr