The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1898-04-11
KaDea Executed for The Mur-
der Of DR. ]. K, Smith.
All the Arrangements Were Perfect
and the Unfortunate Man Died
Unconcernedly His Last
Dream.

present at the Execution Of Kspea
for the part he is alleged to have
taken in the death of the late DR.. j.
X. Smith, around which there is an
uncomfortable mystery that time
may probably upravel.
Those present included the Mar
shall the Governor OF the Jail, Dis
trict Magistrate Wilcox, the attorney
for the condemned, Rev. Father
Clement, who administered the last
rites Of the Roman Catholic Church
this morning, physicians in attend
ance, representatives OF the press,
the police and officials.
Prior to the Execution the COM
mutation Of the death sentence OF
Kaio to life imprisonment was read
and also Kapea's death warrant.
Punctually at 10 o'clock Kapea, ac-
companied by Rev. Father Clement
and officials OF the goal, passed on
to the scaffold, and within two min
utes, during a prayer offered up by
the Priest, the drop fell, and Kapea's
soul fled apparently instantaneously;
the drop OF feet 2 inches having
broken his neck. The youth was
perfectly self possessed and showed
no symptoms of emotion of fear.
The body fell like log and re-
NAMED motionless so far as was
observable. In IA minutes life was
pronounced extinct by Drs. Emerson
Howard, Hesler and Noblitt, and it
was decided that an autopsy was
unnecessary.
Kapea gave his age FL but some
OF his relatives state that he was
25. He behaved in an exemplary
manner during the last hour of bis
Imprisonment and listened atten-
lively to the ministrations OF Father
Clement until late hours yesterday
afternoon and again this morning.
He declined to take any stimulants
statirg that he wished to die in full
possession Of all his faculties. He
had slept we'll and fed we'll.
Kapea claimed to have had a
dream last night, the foundations Of
which are readily tracesble to an
Imagination nursed by reading the
newspaper accounts of previous con
servations, and topics on the same
subject. He dreamt that an old
man entered his cell and said, "Ka-
pea, arise and follow me-" to which
he replied, 81 am locked up in prison
and cannot follow you. l am sem
fenced to die" However, he was
compelled to follow the old man
and saw his scaffold and his grave
in Makiki cemetery.
The arrangements for the execu-
ton we're perfect in every detail and
in 25 minutes after 10 the hearse
had conveyed the lifeless body OF
Kspea to the grave past small knots
OF people gathered on the sidewalks
OF King street aud on the Iwilei road.
Whatever may be the effect OF
these latter day executions in Ha-
waii-nei, they will have a very
salutary effect abroad in lettering
the murderous and criminal classes
from invading us; for such men
have wholesome terror OF coun-
try in which the death sentence and
it's inAiction follow fast on the foot
steps of crime, and equally 80 of a
land in which sentimental "insanity"
and "extenuating circumstances" are
not as yet accepted as justificatory
pleas for homicidal tendencies by our
Judges and Juries.
On this especial case we still re-
serve our doubts as to the results of
possible revelations and develop
ments. As has been too often the
case in circumstantial evidence cases
the future brings to light many
mysteries OF the past
DIED GOOD CHRISTIAN.
Kapea (christened Peter on Good
Friday died on good Christian