The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-12-14
PENALTY is PAID.
Execution of Noa. the Molokai
Murderer.

/ Murderer.
The stern mandate of the law in the
case OF Noa, the Molokai murderer
was carried out at Oahu prison yester-
| day forenoon. The man was hanged
This was done without mishap. Tailor
Low directed the execution. He was
| assisted by men of his own choosing.
The gallows was erected over the
stairs leading down from the main build
ing into the large yard in the rear, upon
which the outside cells face. Prepare
tons for the hanging were not set un-
der way till all the prisoners who work
on the roads had left for their scenes
of labor. When they had returned all
evidence of the execution had been re-
moved.
Besides half dozen guards there
were score of spectators. These in
GUIDED officials, physicians, newspaper
men and one Or two Others The final
religious ministrations to Noa and the
last prayer were by Rev. E. S. Timoteo.
native pastor. Noa was a full blood
ed Hawaiian.
The preliminaries were brief. There
was no delay in the actual hanging
All the orders from the higher author
tiles were carried into effect with ouiet
prOmptness.
Noa had an officer on either of him
from first to last and two more behind
him when he went to the rope. He
was first brought into the office on
the Waikiki side Of the main entrance.
Here Marshal Brown read the death
warrant. The Hawaiian version was
given by Judge Wilcox, who was in at
tendance for that purpose. Noa was
seated and those who were to witness
the taking of his life were directed by
Mr.. Low through the basement and to
benches in the yard. Almost immedi-
ately the scaffold was peopled Noa's
hands had been bound all the time.
His legs were strapped, the moose placed
and the small black bag to hide his
face drawn over his head and tied
about his neck.
al bowed as earnest prayer was
heard. This was in progress during
the arrangement of the man. Imme-
diately at the conclusion of the petit
ton by the clergyman the trap door
dropped. At the end of the ninth
minute the three physicians said
the criminal was dead. The neck
was broken and dissolution was instan-
taneous and painless. In few minutes
the body was placed in coffin which
had been in sight in the yard all the
time. There were no relatives or
friends to claim the remains.
The bolts of the drop door were
loosened by weight controlled by an
electric current. There were three
push buttons at the indoor end of the
wire. Three men touched button
each. Only one touch had effect. The
electrician is the only man who knew
the arrangement and he did not see
the trio of assistants. The latter acted
upon a signal from the yard.
No motion of any kind was evidenced
by Noa. He had slept scarcely any the
night before, but did not show much of
the effect of lack of rest He required
no assistance in walking. If coherent
feelings existed within him he gave
no sign. He did not either confess or
embrace religious belief He had no
thing to say, beyond one utterance tell
ing that he realized he was to suffer
for taking a life
1t was on Molokai that Noa killed
Chinese storekeeper, the motive being
robbery. The wife of the Chinaman
was also left for dead. Clubs and
stones were the weapons Noa was not
a leper. He had been a lawless char
acter on the Island for some time. He
escaped soon after his arrest, but was
recaptured in few days.
The last hanging here was in 1889.
Two Chinese were executed for murder
on Hawaii.