The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-02-22
HUNG BY THE NECK UNTIL LIFE
WAS EXTINCT.
Wife of japanese Lodging House Keep
er Hung in the Hold of a Schooner
Body Found This Morning.

lodging house keeper, was found
hanging by the neck in the hold of the
old schooner, Kulamanu, at the Fish
market wharf this morning. Although
the police think that it is a case of
suicide, there is strong evidence iii
support of the suspicion that foul
murder has been committed, and an
effort made to conceal it by giving to
it the local coloring of a suicide.
Capt. Kalua of the sloop Levina,
anchored just astern of the Kulamanu,
discovered the body this morning at
1880 o'clock as he was crossing the
deck of the old schooner on his way
ashore. \ chance glance into the
main hatch, which was wide open, re-
veaed to his startled vision the up
in death, suspended in midair only a
few inches below i le deck level. After
hasty inspection, which showed him
that the body was suspended by the
neck and that life was quite extinct
Capt. Kalua fastened to inform the
police.
The news spread rapidly, and in a
very short time the deck of the schoon-
er and the dock were crowded W tn
morbidly curious people, crowding
and jostling each other in their ef
forts to get a glimpse of the ghastly
spectacle. The police made no efforts
4. \
and even little children, were permit
ted to crowd about the open hatch and
satisfy their curiosity by looking into
the face of the dead woman. No eff
fort was made to cut the body down.
1t hung there, swaying from a rope
end as the schooner was rocked by the
jostling crowd.
The theory Of murder WIS first ed
vanced by some shippers who chanced
along and took a look at the body, and
it soon found many supporters. They
pointed out that the ropes by which
the body hung was tied as only
sailor can tie a rope-with two half
bitches about the neck and genuine
sailors knot that joined the two loose
ends, one of which was passed over
some tackle stretched taut across the
| open hatch. The rope was stout half
inch, rather new. 1t was tied very
neatly, so that the body was suspend
ed almost exactly under the center Of
the open hatch, the feet hanging about
eighteen inches above the bottom of
the hold.
The face had not the ghastly express
sion that usually characterizes death
from hanging-protuding eyes and
tongue. The expression was peaceful
and the eyes and mouth closed. The
moose about the neck was not drawn
the deceased had been placed under
the knot of the moose. The whole ap-
pearance of the body indicated that
death had come first and the body sus-
pended afterward. This view, taken
with that of the shippers, that only
a sailor could have tied the knots in
the rope by which the body was sus-
pended, gives vivid coloring to the
theory of murder.
The Kulamanu is an old schooner
that has been laid up for several
months and is ready for the boneyard
She lies alongside of the schooner
Robert Levers, but the sailors on the
latter vessel heard no noise on the old
craft last night.
Ikooa, the husband of the dead wo-
man, was taken to the police station
by order of the marshal, and held
there pending the outcome of the Of
fetal investigation. He could give no
explanation except that his wife had
been missing from home, and he
thought that she was on a visit to
some friends. The poor fellow seemed
to be overwhelmed with grief He sat
in chair, as if paralysed, answering
questions put to him only in short
monosyllables and paying no atten-
ton to what was going on around him.
The japanese colony is much
worked up over the affair. They be-
lieye in the murder theory, aud loudly
demand searching investigation by
the police. There seems to be no rea-
son why the young woman should have
taken her life. Among the sailors now
in port there are several lawless char
acters and it would not he at all sur
prising if one of them had murdered
the woman.
STAR CHAMBER INQUEST.
At noon a jury was impaneled by
the Marshal, and the inquest com
menced Just how much progress was
made it is impossible to learn, for the