The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-08-28
LIFE HAD
NO CHARMS
Leong Sun Committed
Suicide.
He WAS SICK AND POOR
Consumptiye Chinese Hanged Him
self Near the Insane Asylum
Yesterday.
(From saturdays DailyD

Weary of battling against the world,
slckly and poverty-stricken, Leong
sun, n consumptive Chinese, recently
from Kauai hanged himself early yes
terday morning. The suicide was found
in a dilapidated washhouse behind the
Insane Asylum, where he had been
housed by some friendly Chinese, field
laborers, who took pity on the unfor-
tunate man.
The body was first found by Chi
nese friend who went to visit Leong
Sun. The moment he opened the door
the sight of the suicide hanging by hts
neck from the rafter above, drove him
back to where his companions Were
The alarm was given, telephone mes
sage sent to the police station shortly
after o'clock, and confusion reigned
on the premises until the arrival Of
the police officers. Officer II. j. Hanra-
han was guided to the little house.
which was the last place on earth
where sick man should have lain.
There was no roof, everything was d.
lapidated and ill-smelling. The officer
found the Chinese hanging at full
length with his feet about nine inches
above the floor. About his neck and
tied fast to the rafter above, which
was seven feet two inches above the
floor. was stout three-fourths inch
rope. From the appearance of the body
. ii was evident to the officer that the
suicide had hanged himself several
hours previous to his discovery. De-
composition had already set in. The
rope was cut, the body lowered and re-
moved to the patrol wagon, and the
nickels and dime were all the funds
the man possessed, besides a valise. He
was dressed in three coats and a pair
of trousers, evidently his entire ward
robe.
At the police station the body was
viewed by coroner's jury composed as
follows: j. w. Luning, William Saw
idge, William b. Jones, II. Zerbe, c. j.
Campbell and f. G. Bertleman. DR..
Emerson also made a thorough exam
ination and stated that death came by
strangulation, and that the man had
been dead probably twelve or fourteen
hours.
High Sheriff Brown conducted the
coroner's inquest. A Chinese laborer
named Long Chuck testified that he
had known the deceased for month,
and that the man came from Kauai in
tending to journey on to China to die.
He had come to the premises where he
had killed himself, as there was Chi
nese there whom he knew having lived
in the same city with him in China.
This gave him the privilege of calling
his new found friend cousin" all per-
sons hailing from the same Chinese
city keeping up such a custom. The
witness said Leong Sun had been sent
from Kauai by friendly countrymen
who had raised n subscription. The
man had bad cough and was extreme
ly feeble. He was given the use of the
washhouse and was looked after by the
field hands. He had little money and
gave 1t out sparingly for the purchase
of pork and rice. Not having seen the
sick man, who occasionally walked
about the premises. for a day or two,
the witness on Thursday went to see
him at 4 o'clock and gave him some
tea. Yesterday he again visited the
place and was shocked to see Leong
Sun hanging at the end of a rope. He
ran away and Informed the cousin" of
the deed, and then notified the police.
The man had once said in his hearing,
mo use living: no money to live" and
from this he gathered that he was
much depressed.
See WI Chow, the cousin" referred
to, said they had both resided in the
same village in China, and when the
man was taken sick on Kauai he came
to Honolulu and Immediately sought
him out to help him. as he was poverty
stricken: He was so weak month ago
he could barely walk. Once, in a fit of
melancholy. Leong Sun had impaired
to him that he had only few dollars,
and was therefore unable to secure
medical treatment. and thought it was
of no use to try to live.
officer Hanrahan testified that he
had found the body and cut the rome
which held him to the rafter. He
found wooden stool directly in front
of the mans feet and presumed that
he had stood upon 1t, and after adjust
ing the moose, had kicked 1t away.
Inc jury returned a verdict in ac-
cordance with the above facts. and tho
body was at once buried.