The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-01-11
Public Carriages
Conveying the
UnCIean.
CRIMINAL ACT OF
DAVID NAhOOLEWA
Agent Of Board of Health Must
Answer for His
ldiocy.

UFrom Thursdays Daily)
Eight lepers rode about the streets
of Honolulu last night in public hacks.
Eight persons far gone with the
disease that has of all things saddened
and injured Hawaii, We're put in public
conveyances and sent by Board of
Health agent to the leper receiving
station at Kalihi.
These same hacks after depositing
their unclean freight sought and car
ried other passengers. Perhaps the
wife of one of the most distinguished
citizens of Honolulu rode in one of
these ieprous- tainted hacks.
Perhaps some mother of beautiful
and healthy children sat in one of these
death haunted vehicles, and with bare
hands touched the cushions on which
a few minutes before had reclined the
unfortunate outcasts of humanity.
The eight lepers came from Maui on
the gasoline schooner Eclipse. They
had been collected on that Island, and
were sent by Sheriff Baldwin in care
of his deputies to Honolulu on orders
from the Board of Health. The duties
of these deputies ended when they de-
livered their charges to an agent of
the Board of Health here.
When the Eclipse arrived David Ma
hoolewa, who is trusted agent Of the
Board of Health, received them.
Nahoolewa should have had at Sor-
enson's wharf, where the Eclipse tied
up. an ambulance of the Board of
Health to convey the lepers to the
station.
He says he found no one at the
boards stables, so he telephoned for
two hacks to stand "a.
The hacks came. One was number
217, driven by Abraham Kekai, and the
number and name of the driver of the
other could not be ascertained last
night by the Advertiser.
Nahoolewa piled the eight lepers into
the hacks and sent them to Kalihi in
the custody of the drivers. The hack
men We're promised 81 each for their
loads, and We're told that the Board
of Health would foot the bill.
When the hacks returned from Ka-
lihi they went on Stand "a and waited
for customers. 1t did not matter that
one of the lepers was so terribly
diseased that the sores of the leprosy
were fearfully apparent on his face,
and that the matter from these sores
might make the hack very fright
full source of evil.
Nahoolewa must have been conscious
of having done wrong thing, or more
likely the censure of someone who
learned of his criminally foolish con-
duct, must have scared him, despite
his years of familiarity with the hand
ling of leper freight.
Nahoolewa called up Executive Off
Ger Pratt of the Board of Health a
short time afterward. Here is DR..
Pratts statement of the conversation
between Nahoolewa and himself:
"Nahoolewa," says DR.. Pratt, rang
me up at my house after nine o'clock
and said that he had been taken to
task by Deputy Sheriff Chillingworth !
for using public hacks for conveying
eight lepers to the Kalihi receiving
station from the schooner Eclipse. He
said that he had sent the lepers in
hacks, and that he realized he had not
done right.
II was astonished at the mans state
ment. and asked him why he had not
used the Board of Health's wagon.
Nahoolewa replied that he had gone
to the stable OF the board to get the
wagon, and finding none there, had
ordered the hacks. II was late and /
did not question him further about the
matter. but told him to be at the office
of the board at o'clock in the morn
ing.
II shall thoroughly investigate his
stsry and act on the best information .