The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-07
ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE.

The Advertiser has rarely had story
to tell which gives more pain in the
writing and will give more sorrow in
the reading, than that which relates the
shooting last night of Mortimer l.
Stevens, one of it's reporters, by Edwin
s. Gill. editor of the Republican. The
whole affair is so deplorable that 1t
cannot be thought of coolly; though it
is the purpose of this journal in mar
rating the circumstances leading up to
and including the tragic acts of Mr..
Gill, to be as dispassionate as it can.
Yesterday morning the Republican
printed an extraordinary story supple
mented by a more extraordinary lead
ing editorial, in which the social privacy
of some young ladies from the Main
land was questionably invaded. That
the reader may see for himself what
was said, we print both articles in full.
Naturally the friends of the ladies took
offense and one of them, a man named
Rawlings, went to the Office OF the Re-
publican and had some kind of an en-
counter with Gill. 1t is said that the
editor was slapped or cuffed, 1t is also
said that before Rawlings could COM
NIT an assault he was seized by the
Republican printers At that time Gill
did not seem to be armed with anything
more formidable than pair of shears
the pistol he used on Stevens he may
have got later, fearing more bodily
violence.
Mr.. Stevens felt the insult to the
ladies as keenly as did Mr.. Rawlings
1t is reported that one of the ladies hae
been his friend from childhood. Whei
he read the Republicans article yester'
day he was deeply stirred but he sale
nothing of reprisals. Later he heart
that his friends were to be travestiet
again and that Gill regarded their per
secution as good joke When thi!
news reached him the young man asked
for ten minutes leave and as furthe
events proved he went to interrogat
Gill. What happened at the Republic
an Office appears in. Mr. Stevens print
ed statement story told in the pres
ence, possibly, of death. The reporte
asked the editor if anything more wa
to be said about the ladies; the edito
replied coarsely, Stevens hit him
blow in the face, Gill drew a revolve
and aiming at Stevens stomach free
- - 1,
man near the hip. The rest was mat
ter for the surgeons and the police.
This is the second time that Mr.. Gil
has had a shooting ARRAY, the first on
being in Arizona. His employer an
preceptor, Judge Humphreys, boasts c
having had one or two and was arrest
ed and fined in this city for assault an
battery. Both men were reared in a
atmosphere of gun-fighting and perhaI
regard such things in a more tolerar
light than will the law abiding publ
of this city and this Territory. 1t
less surprising that one of them shou
have tried to commit homicide tina
it is that either should have singled Of
reputable women for insult. The chi
airy of the South may be quick at Il
trigger but it also respects women
this case the nobler quality was forgo
ten in the desire for blood.
The Advertiser does not excuse L
blow given by Mr.. Stevens. great as
proyocation was. But when he we
unarmed to an office where his enen
sat among a score of friends and ef
ployes, he had a right to expect La
play. He would not have complained
blow had been met by blow; he wou
have seen no injustice If the RepuDii
an staff had seized him and bound nj
hand and foot; but he did not tni'
that a manly fist would be met by
cowardly ball. Yet an editor who won
insult a defenseless woman might
expected after all. to shoot an unarm
man. -------