The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-30
KILLED BY ELECTRICITY
IN M'INERNY'S OLD STORE
How Chinese-Hawaiian Boy Met a
Sudden Death While Trying to
Turn on Lighting Switch.

While in the act of turning on an
electric switch in McInerny's store,
shortly after ; o'clock Saturday after
noon, Henry Ahfai, a Hawaiian-Chi-
nese boy about nineteen years of age
received a shock which resulted in his
death five minutes later Drs. Chas.
Z. Cooper and a. n. Sinclair made ev-
cry effort to resuscitate the unfortunate
lad, whose heart fluttered feebly for
several minutes. and then stopped.
\ coroner's jury was sworn in at Nc
Irerny's store by High Sheriff Brown.
The jury viewed the body, listened to
testimony of eye-witnesses to the traS-
edy. inspected the switch which had
dealt its death fluid TO the boy. and
then held an inquest in the office of
Deputy Sheriff Chillingworth at the
police station, where the evidence of
DR.. Cooper and Manager Gartley and
superintendent Henry Hudson, of the
Hawaiian Electric Light Company,
was heard. Upon the request of the
jury the high sheriff sent the body to
the morgue that a postmortem might
be held To ascertain the condition of
the victims heart. The jury also in
spected the body in the police station
yard, where burns and blisters were
found upon the boys right hand, the
one which had come in contact with the
rietaI parts of the switch The jury
VIII sit again today at 1870 To listen to
the results of the postmortem exami-
ration. and to hear the testimony OF
those who were present when the boy
received the death shock.
Shortly after ) o'clock Ed McInerny,
who was waiting upon a customer.
asked Mr. Stevens, one of the clerks.
to turn on the electric lights. Mr..
Stevens was about TO comply with the
request when Henry Ahfai, who was
sweeping near the Fort street door,
said Never mind, Mr.. Stevens, I'll do
it," He dropped his broom and went
to the door. The switch is located on
the inside of the doorway. The door
when open conceals the switch, and
often the employees thrust their hands
between the door and the door frame,
just above the second hinge, to raise
the lever. On Saturday a large glass
umbrella case was against the door.
and to get at the lever meant either to
remove the case and open the door to
raise it, or to insert the hand through
the small space in the crack mention
ed. Ahfai proceeded to take the latter
course. 1t being a much quicker meth
cd. as he had done hundreds of times
before. To accomplish this he had to
clasp the iron column supporting the
front Of the building at the entrance
With his left hand, stand on the iron
threshold plate and raise his right
hand above his head to the lever. The
10
Affairs stature. and in thrusting his
hand through the crack he practically
had no control of its movements. He
was used to finding the lever in this
manner.
Mr.. Stevens and Mr.. McInerny, who
had turned to other duties in the store.
were startled upon gazing by chance
toward the entrance, to see Affairs
body drawn closely and rigidly against
the door, a look of pain Overspreading
his features. He was standing in al
most the position he had assumed on
reaching for the lever. The switch
had been but partly raised; the lights
were merely glimmering. Some one
shouted to Ed McInerny. telling him
of the disaster. and he. in turn. shout
away from the body. Keep away!
You'll he killed." Mr.. Stevens took an
umbrella and thrust the lever down, /.
" hereupon the rigid body became limp
and fell into the arms of Mr.. McIner- =
ny The boy was conscious. and while
the employees were pouring water upon I
his face he was requested TO close
his eyes to keep the water from get j
ting into them. which he did. He seem /
ed to recognize those about him, al .
though he never spoke. DIR. Cooper was
summoned and applied restoratives.
and made several injections, but to no
purpose Dr.. Sinclair also responded. :
There was the faintest fluttering of the
heart but shortly before g o'clock he
was pronounced dead. High Sheriff