The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-10-02

lars of the murder Of Dr. Smith. Hav
that, it would do him no good to hold
out, as his younger brother had given
away the whole thing With this state
of affairs before him, Iosepa decided
that it would be best for him to tell
everything.
Then came to light the whole story
of the tragedy, in which Kapea was
dwelt upon by his own brother as the
murderer of DR.. Smith.
Iosepa said that on Monday Septem-
Der Goth, Dr. Smith had ordered Pau
pau and the 13-year-old girl, Pua, to
report as leper suspects. This did not
create a very kindly feeling, and it
was decided that, in order to obviate
the necessity of sending the woman
and girl to Molokai, DR.. Smith must be
killed. The matter was talked over in
the kaiO household on Tuesday, but
nothing was done then. On Wednes-
day night at about II o'clock, Kapea
and IOsepa went down to DR.. Smiths
house with the intention of setting fire
to the cane near the house and of kill
ing their victim while he was attempt
ing to extinguish the flames. The cane
was sent on fire, and DIR. Smith went
out as they expected, but the men did
not care to risk the thing that night.
They feared being seen by some one
while riding around to commit the
murder. This caused the scheme to fall
through, and DR.. Smith escaped for
that night
On Thursday night the two brothers
went TO the Smith premises and lay in
ambush in the bushes outside, await
ing an opportunity to commit the muir
der. This did not turn up and the
brothers returned home. On Friday
night it was decided that the two
should wait until everything was quiet
about the Smiths house and that then
the doctor was to be called out and
slain
1t was about $3.50 o'clock, and a
church social opposite had just been
finished. The opportunity was ripe,
and the two men rode their horses to
the gate to the left of the house. This
they opened and then rode to the one
to the right, which they entered. The
two rode to the clump of banana trees
in front of the house. Kapea jumped
off his horse, and, throwing his bride
to his brother, sneaked around the ba-
mana trees and up on the veranda in
front of DR.. Smiths room. Kapea
knocked on the top step, and the doc
tor called: 'Owai@kela?" A grunt was
the only answer, and DR.. Smith, open
ing the door stepped out, but seeing
no one, he turned around to get the
lamp that was on the desk near the
door, thus leaving his left side ex-
posed. Kapea took three swift steps
across the veranda, and, leveling the
revolver at the breast of DR.. Smith,
fired. The victim fell where he stood,
and the murderer fed to the clump
where his horse was. He mounted
quickly and, in company with his
brother, rode swiftly out of the left
hand gate and in a very roundabout
way to their home. They let their
painting horses go in the corral and
then turned in. In the meantime they
had found time to hide their revolvers
in the grass. The next day they hunted
up and slowed them away in different
places. Iosepa was taken to the spot
and produced his revolver, hidden in
sand.
The whole Kaio family was then put
under arrest, including Rathburn, a
half white, who is supposed to have
known about the plot. A little later
on, Kapea offered to show the police
where his revolver was hidden In
part of an old corral in the lantana
bushes near the Smith house, was
found a SO calibre American bull dog
revolver, wrapped in cloth and then
rolled in couple of bags containing
cartridges. Kapea in starting toward
this place, asked that his handouts be
taken off, but Deputy Sheriff Coney,
who went to find the revolver, did not
think that such a proceeding would be
ho Gil
ten away if he happened to know the
trails through the lantana
AS stated above, the revolver was an
American bull dog, but the cartridges
fired was a Smith & Wesson, this be-
ing proven by the groves in the bullet.
There were no cartridges in the revol-
yer when found, but the bag contained
a number of the Smith & Wesson
stamp. The bullet which killed Dr.
Smith was slightly f1attened at the top,
showing the contact with the fourth
rib, found smashed.
The Coroner's inquest was held
Thursday before Judge Blake, the Dis
trict Magistrate. Drs. Campbell and
Watt, Iosepa and Johnny Kaahea, and
Deputy Sheriff Hipa were examined as
witnesses. The verdict was that Dr.
J. X. Smith came to his death by a
pistol shot fired with murderous in
tent by Kapea; also, that Upapa, Rath-
burn, Kaio and Paupau were accesso-
ries thereto. The five defendants were
committed for trial by the District
Magistrate. An order for the detention
of Iosepa, Johnny and the little girl
Pua, as witnesses for the prosecution
was obtained from Judge Hardy.
When taken to Jail the guard was
doubled and watches set. The greatest
vigilance was exercised There were
some fears of lynching, but the exam
ination had been conducted so quietly
that the arrest of the murderer was
probably not generally known.