The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-08-17
James Campbell Of Honolulu Has
an Experience.
KEPT PRISONER FOR TWO DAYS.
Robbed of S3O5 and Then Asked to
Sign Order for $4,000 - No Food
for Two Days %. w. Winthrop
Wanted by san Francisco Police

On Monday afternoon, Aug. 3, James
Campbell, millionaire of Hawaii, aged
about 65, left his wife at the Occidental
Hotel, San Francisco, promising to re-
turn soon He was in the company of
a stranger who was known by sight to
some of the hotel employees. Tickets
had already been secured for the pas
sage of the couple to Honolulu by the
steamer which sailed Tuesday morning.
Campbell did not return and his wife
had the tickets cancelled and called in
a private detective. On Wednesday the
Chronicle published detailed story OF
his disappearance. At 9 o'clock We'd
nesday night Campbell returned to the
Occidental, apparently exhausted and
slightly scratched about the face. Cap
tain Lee was promptely summoned,
and after a brief conference he and
at 4109 California street, where Camp
bell said he had been held a prisoner
for more than forty-eight hours by two
men, who had robbed him of $305 in,
ing an order of some kind calling for
$40, ,000 The leader of the affair, he
said, was oliver w. Winthrop, and the
other man he stated was masked during
part of the two days and nights of his
captivity. According to Campbells sto-
ry, a shot was fired at him by the mask
ed man during the struggle which open
ed his strange experience. On Wednes-
day evening he says he was released
by the second man and escorted by him
to the Geary street cars, Winthrop haV-
ing already flown. Winthrop was tried
last year for the murder by poison of
Mrs Jennie Mathews in Laurel Hill
Cemetery of which he was assistant
superintendent, and acquitted. The de-
tectives have failed so far to find any.l
trace of Winthrop or his confederate.
They decline to talk about the affair,
as does Campbell.
BEFORE THE GRAND JURY.
James Campbell appeared before the
grand jury Friday afternoon and told
the story of how he met Winthrop at
he Hotel Vendome in San Jose; how
he afterward met him at the Occidental
Hotel in this city; how he accom- |
panied him on last Monday afternoon
10 the house at 4109 California street; !
now he was beaten by Winthrop and |
IN unknown companion, robbed, gag
yed and bound, starved, threatened |
With torture, commanded to sign papers |
Oy which his captors could secure a |
arge sum of money, and how finally, |
after an Imprisonment of two nights
md two days, he was released and given
) cents with which to pay his car fare
nto town.
After hearing CampbelPs recital of
lis experience the grand jury returned |
indictments against Oliver W. Win
,hrop and John Doe for robbery and |
'or assault with intent to commit muir |
Ter.
Having been sworn by Foreman Mas |
1ey, the tall, spare, gray-haired planter |
began to give the details of one Of the
most remarkable crimes ever committed |
n this city.
Two weeks ago, he said, while he was |
seated on the porch of the Hotel Ven |
lone in San Jose engaged in conversa-
ion with a friend regarding affairs on |
he Islands, a man whom he. afterward |
learned was Winthrop, and who had |
evidently overheard the conversation |
between himself and his friend, ap-
preached him and asked him if he was
lot from Honolulu. Upon replying that |
ne was, Campbell told him that Win |
hrop began to ask him questions about |
he commercial and agricultural con-
1itiOns at the Islands. He said he had |
recently sold a ranch for $4,000 and |
was desirous of investing in a coffee |
He also told Campbell that !
lie was particularly desirous of locating |
1t Honolulu on account of his wife's |
health. He asked many questions as
70 the climate there and wanted to |
know if Campbell did not thing the |
change would be beneficial to his wife. |
Campbell said he thought it would. |
said he had discussed the |
matter with his wife. and that she was |
afraid the long sea voyage would prove |
disastrous to her. Despite all his rea-
'Oning, Winthrop told his new made |
acquaintance that he could not convince |
MS wife that the voyage would i'm |