The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-18


Commodore" Nicholas j. Wea-
yer, of yacht Norma fame. Weaver
came here without invitation as pas
senger on the Alameda on which he
took passage for San Francisco from
the scene of his latest operations at
Apia.
Once boon companion and partner of
IT. w. Allen, alias Billy Hurt" whose
criminal career in this city was cut
short by the timely exposure in the
columns of the Advertiser, the incl
dents of which are still fresh in the
minds of Honolulu residents, it was
only fitting that he should have been
forced to leave Apia by the German
Governor, who had received full infor-
nation of his crooked ways and Grim
inal operations.
1t is not every man, accomplished
crook though he may be, that can sue
cessfully eyade the law time after time
and the end of Weaver is not far dis
tant. OF good presence, an accomplish
ed liar, and a thorough man Of the
world, Weaver had found willing VIC
tins for his nefarious schemes and his
last coup if successful would have made
him independent for life.
Weaver left San Francisco on the
Alameda on January and passed
through this city on the 10th inst. en-
route to Pago Pago, from whence he
went to Apia, presumably to complete
the payments on certain lands on
which he was supposed to hold options,
but really to try to make some pur-
chases in realty, in order to make good
his representations TO various English
capitalists who were and remain today
his latest victims.
With him on the Alameda on her
down trip was woman who passed
herself off as his sister. and who was
represented as such by the 'Commo-
dore." This woman is now deserted by
Weaver aid left on board lumber
schooner in the vicinity of Pago Pago
! Like the rest of the gullible women
who have been ensnared by him, when
caught in a tight place she has been
left to shift for herself with her mon
- gone and without friends in a
strange country.
AS part of his famous trip around
the world in the yacht Norma, Weaver
found himself in the vicinity of Apia
and anchored his craft in the magnifi-
cent harbor for several weeks. While
visiting the natives on shore it oc-
here was a chance to lay the founda-
| tion for future deals, and losing no
| time he proceeded to put his newly-laid
schemes into operation. A few dollars
here. and a few valueless trinkets
there, soon gained the good win of the
trusting natives, and it required very
! little finesse on the part of Weaver
/ to get their signatures, or more likely
their marks" to documents which
they did not understand but which
We're virtually options on their lands.
{ Options of this kind were secured on
5000 acres of fine agricultural land
without the payment of a cent in cash
as partial payment, and for the ridic-
uiously low figure of 25 cents per acre
as a final purchase. price. But it is
here that the native shrewdness OF
Weaver was exhibited. Many a man.
when he found that he could do with
/ the natives as he wished, would have
overstepped the mark and made the op-
tions run for a term of years, or he
might have made the natives, in their
simplicity, sign away by absolute deed
their holdings, but not so with Wea-
3ver-right well he knew that IL he did
I this he would be unable to get the
American Consul to pass upon the pa
pers, so he contented himself by max
ing cut the options for one year only,
and it was through the really worthless
documents that he was enabled to
fleece London capitalists out of neat
sum of money and securing the expen-
diture OF thousands of dollars in ma
chinery and sailing vessels.
Armed with the options, Weaver
went from Australia to England in the
steerage of one Of the ocean liners and
it was not long before he had all Lon
don agog over his colossal schemes
His plans were perfect, there was no
chance to lose the capital invested, and
the returns to be anticipated were
lenormous. In the language of Colonel
lSellers-"There' millions In It. At
tIeast that is the representation made
to the Londoners.
But English capital is always looking
for new fields of investment and with
visions of several thousand acres OF
4 cacao fields under cultivation, exten-
sive pine apple eanneries. general mer-
i chandise stores. lumber yards and a
lline of sailing vessels from Apia direct
4 (Copfinrad On Para