The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-11-17
CORONER TO
ACT TODAY
Investigating Poisoning
Of the Portuguese.
NO NEW DEVELOPMENTS
Police Deny That SiIya's Alleged
Joint Had Protection From
Them.

DR.. E. c. Shorey Government Food
Commissioner, who is making an analysis
OF the contents Of the two bottles from
which the three Portuguese drank who
met tragic deaths on Wednesday and
Thursday morning., expects to be ready
with his report this forenoon. He2 has
contents of the gin bottles. During his
investigations yesterday DR.. Shorey said
that the results then showed the effect of
the mixture was much like hellebore and
he then commenced making a compara-
| tive test with heilebore
| As soon as his report is in the hands
of High Sheriff Brown the coroner's jury
impanelled Thursday will be summoned
to the police station to hear testimony.
/! The jury is composed of Clinton J. Hutch
ins, Ed Paris, w. E. Bivens, s. Kubey.
Charles Dickinson and Ruby Dexter. The
jury will have much to hear and con-
sider
First, the manner in which old man
Silva died Tuesday morning, will be
Thoroughly weighed Testimony as to his
methods Of manufacturing wine, and
other mixtures, if any, will be taken. Up
on this latter portion of the testimony
much will depend. If it is shown that
methylated spirits entered into the dead
ily concoction the law bearing upon it's
sale by drug stores and other places H.
Icensed to dispose Of 1t to the general pub
llic, will be given an Interpretation which
win decide just how mulch leeway these
dispensers of the deadly liquor have for
its sale.
The question Of whether Silva's death
lcould be considered sudden or the result
of sickness of long standing will be
entered into. There is not much difference
OF opinion on this score, as state
ments of friends of Silva and of DIR.
Pratt point to him as having suffered
from an incurable disease of many years
standing DR.. Pratt yesterday made the
following statement in support of his
icontentiOn:
THE old man Silva had been ill for six
years. For long time he had not had
physician. l saw him after death and in
vestigated the case. From what / found
out l was firmly convinced in my own
mind of the cause of death, and believed
then, and believe now, that there was no
need for coroner'S inquiry nor an
, autopsy. The three subsequent deaths
resulting from liquor taken in that house.
may appear to cast suspicion upon the
Original case, but 1 do not think the facts
: bear out any such conclusion. received
l positive evidence from man living in
! the nurserymans house that the latter
, had taken nothing for three days but tea.
, During this time he had been deathly
sick at his stomach. 1t was denied to me
: in the strongest terms that he had taken
any liquor and believe he had not
The facts far they can be ascer-
= tained seem to bear out DR.. Pratts as
lsertion of the mans illness. He was
quite sick for several days before his
= death. Consul Canavarro had spoken Of
the mans illness to DIR. Pratt and there
seemed to be no reason for having an
autopsy.
DR.. Pratt is positive that the drinks
taken by the three Portuguese victims
was a preparation used by Silva to mix
with his wines He laughs at the idea
that suicide was committed, especially in
view of the mans severe sickness pre-
vious to his death, ami the mans finan-
cal condition.
AS to calling upon the coroner in this
particular case and in any case, DR.. Pratt
says he would most assuredly have done
iso if he had thought the case justified it.
The departments facilities from money
standpoint are not in the best condition
and discretion is used in calling upon the
icoroner.
The statement has been made that the
ipremises of old man Silva on Punchbowl
Istreet where the deadly liquid was drunk
iby the three Portuguese who died from
its effects, was Joint for the manu-
facture and sale of Illicit liquors and
that it is under the protection of the pc.
lice, and has been for the time that Silva
has carried on the trade alleged to have
been his. Deputy Sheriff Chillingwortf
denies most emphatically that the police
department was protecting the joint OF
that its existence was even known. The
police have raided such places time an.
again, demolish the stills, and empty
ing the contents into the street. Portu
guese storekeepers have been arrested
for selling liquor on their premises with
out a license and in Kakaako the man
ufacturers and sellers of swipes have fel
the heavy hand of the law very often
They spring up like mushrooms. how
ever, and their methods are generally 81
secret that it is only by accident tina
their identity becomes known to the po
lice.