The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-08-10
FeatherStOne to Stand His Trial
for Cutting His Wife.
He CONDUCTS HIS CASE HIMSELF
The Injured Wife Appears as Witness,
and Does Not Seem to Show nny
Mercy to Her Recalcitrant Husband
He Does not Want to Go to Jail.

Arthur Featherstone, the English
man who cut his wife with a butcher
knife last Saturday, had his prelimi-
nary examination in the District
Court Tuesday. He was held for
trial to the Circuit Court.
Just before the trial commenced, v,
V. Ashford, Featherstone's lawyer,
said he had not had time to investi-
gate his clients case, but that Feather
stone desired to 60 on with the trial
at once. This being the case, he
would have to withdraw entirely from
the case FeatherstOne then informed
Judge Robertson that he preferred to
go on with the trial, and would con-
duct his own case.
FeatherstOne pleaded not guilty.
He was very nervous, and had a con-
sumplive kind of cough. His few
days in Jail seem 10 have pulled him
down considerably. His wife was not
in Court when the case was called,
but was sent for, and arrived shortly.
She was pale and nervous, and seemed
hardly strong enough to be out of her
bed. Both her hands were still bound
up, and seemed perfectly helpless.
She watched her husband closely, es-
pecially while he was telling his side
OF the affair. After the trial was over.
her husband went up and tried to
speak to her, but she refused TO have
anything TO DO with him, and he was
taken back to his cell.
James Thompson, a lodger in the
house where the cutting occurred was
the first witness. Saturday afternoon
he heard screams coming from the
room occupied 10y the Featherstones,
and ran down stairs. When he got to
the room he saw the defendant stand
ing with his back TO the door, with a
big knife in his hand. Mrs Feather
stone was covered with blood, and
was still bleeding prOfusely. He
thought FeatherstOne was drunk.
The injured woman next took the
stand. She said that on Saturday her
husband came into the room as she
was preparing to go out. He asked
her not to go, and told her TO come
and sit beside him. This she did, to
show him that she did not fear him.
He asked her to forgive him for his
intimacy with the native woman
Emily, but she said she would never
forgive him. He then ordered her to
get on her knees and ask his forgive |
ness, at the same time drawing a big |
knife. She told him to put the knife |
down, and he did so, but again picked |
ii up. She seized his hands, and |
called for help. Featherstone then |
slashed at her, and cut her arms and |
breast. He had threatened her before,
both on Thursday and Friday.
DR.. McGrew testified to having at /
tended to the wOman's injuries, and
finding them serious but not fatal.
After few other unimpOrtant wit
nesses were examined, Featherstone
himself took the stand. In the mid
die of his testimony he asked for
glass of water, saying he was getting
weak. He at first talked hesitatingly
but toward the end of his story he
warmed up and made quite plea for
mercy. He said that his theory was
that he had no intention of harming
his wife at all. On Thursday he went
down to see the Monowai come in.
While coming back he met the native
girl, Emily. She asked him to go
and have a drink. He was not
charmed by the girl, but he wanted
drink. They had several drinks of
gin at the "Blue Gate" This, he
said, was the first time he had spoken
to Emily since his wife had been here.
Emily tried all her seductions upon
him, but, according to his story, he
resisted this like a stole. All they
talked about was a dress that his wife {
was making for Emily. After awhile
he left and met his wife. She asked
him what he was doing there, and he !
said: "My dear, / went in to get
drink" She accused him of going in
I, D.. . 9
They then went to the King Street ,
of his infidelity. He told her he
and she said he had better.
He sold the things that belonged to I
him, and made ready to go away
After that he contemplated suicide
several times. On Saturday morning /
he wrote a loving letter to his wife,
asking her to forgive him. He had
been drinking. He went to her, and &
again asked her to forgive him. She !
would have nothing to do with him,
but started to go out. AS she passed {
him he picked up a knife, not with c
any intention of hurting her. She Y
yrasped the knife, and both struggled. :
In the struggle he felt the knife enter
ler body. He drew it out and shout 1
ID, "My God, I've killed my wife" /
more than this he did not +
know. If he was guilty, of course he .
deserved punishment, but he did not :
believe he would live. Judge Robert '
ION held him to the Circuit Court. U
As FeatherstOne passed out of the y
DOM he attempted to speak to his o
wife, but she repulsed him and would q
nave nothing to say.
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