The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-11-21
Just What Killed
The Portuguese
MOurners.
CORONER LOOKS
INTO POISONING
Doctors Give Their Ideas OF
What the Stuff Was
Made OF.

hfVNhs coroner's Jury yester-
dap afternoon Honolulu doctors
told what they knew OF the
deaths OF the three Portuguese whose
tokipg on stirred the Punchbowl col
ony to Its depths. The physicians evil
dence for the most part was profcs.
s'onai and their opinions were asked
as TO the causes Of death In each OF the
three cases.
All th, evidence tended to show that
all cf the poisoned men had come to
their end by drinking copiously OF the
deadly contents of old Silva's bottles,
and had died with the same symptoms
nervous excitement. peculiar bind
ness and an uncomfortable desire to
vomit just before death came.
Each physician testified that In his
opinion death came from drinking a
powerful irritant such as would come
from mixture OF white heIlebcre
mixed with wood alcohol or methyIated
spirits, and the presence Of these In
the bottles from which the men obtain
80 their death potions was proven by
the analytical tests made By the chem
ist Of the Board of Health. That the
LIQUID was composed OF white hellebore
and wood alcohol was shown by direct
analysis and confirmed by the chemist
who mixed these ingredients and pro-
Guced the same results-a little whitish
powder upon thin glass. This was
the poison which killed the men.
SILVA MADE WINE.
Z That old man silva manufacture a
wine seemed apparent from the testi-
u.ony of some of the witnesses but
whether he made II for sale or for his
own use was not elected. rhe testl-
mony 40 far adduced did not show that
any distillery apparatus was discover
ed In the search for property or In the
subsequent inventory Of the estate
There was a cask which Consul Cana
varro said held vinegar. or sour vile
ard another which contained "a sr. al
quantity OF wine.
Several gin bottles had been found
which were containers OF the ruic
which the Board Of Health chemist has
characterized as an ant poison. com
posed 81 white hellebore and wood al
cohol. which was used for spraying th'
vines. bushes and flowers which were
grown In the gardens OF old man Silva
/ So far NJ In known the odd mixSur'
which old man Silva used is mix~hr'
rot usual and the physicians were at
loss To know just what could be- termed
q counter-irritant for It's effects.
Portuguese police officer. who dran'
three glasses Of thesliquid and Eve
yet 20 tell the tale. hit upon n courter
hrltant In the shape OF gin.
"Cabral." said he. told me II wa
liquor and I drank it."
Did n have n bad effect upon your
mo. heard u was poisonous IA sooi
~ I had taken the first glass and TAI
and got some water. In the afternoon
aa II hadn't done me any harm. l tool
two more glasses and then went hom
and drank glass ~ gin"
Having drunk almost as much as IN
others this man survived and told tn
story of the manner In which his I'm
fortunate companions had indulged
DR. EMERsoN's TESTIMONY.
Deputy sheriff Chlliingworth acte
as coroner at yesterdays inquest. "h
furymen were clinton J. Hutchins,
NJ Paris. Ruby Dexter. W. r. Biven'
Chas NJ. Dickenson. Sam kuoe,
\ mong those who gave professions
and scientific testimony were Dr. Gee
herbert. Dr. J. Y. Mcdonald. ID
Emerson. Dr. Shorry Dr. Pratt. ~
Carvin. besides the important test
mony of Captain Manuel Costa. Der
uty sheriff Crowell and Albert Myhr'
Dr. Emerson. who performed in
: autopsy on Joe silva. one OF the VIC
TINS. testified as follows:
n saw the body of Joe Silva at IN
morgue Thursday. His face was some
what congested and dark. There wer
n number OF physicians present. maine
. liy: Doctors Herbert. Mcdonald. Way
son. wolters. Pratt and others fodn
no external marks of violence. I oper
ed the body and examined the org'r
within while Dr. Mcdonald opened ~
> head and examined the brain.
"The bowels 7 found were initiate
with gas and considerably conges;c'
indicating some irritant had been
A them. The stomach was congested
. was removed. placed In jar and h1ns
r Cd o. Dr. shorey. chemist for ~
. Beard of Health. small portion
y the blood was handed him In the sa;
= manner. The left kidney was four
|. lconrested. The right was smaller. II