The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-01-25
PAST THE
LAW.
E. G. Kaufman
Took His Own
Life.
KILLS HIMSELF
IN TIE BARRACKS
/ Territorial Bandsman, Fearing Ar.
rest, Fires the Fatal
Bullet.
lie Leaves Letter for Captain Berger
lie Leaves a Letter for Captain Berger
Giving His Reasons for
Rash Act.
TORTURED with remorse, and pre-


ferring death to arrest, e. c.
Il Kaufman, a member of the Terri
torial band, committed suicide about 9
o'clock last evening.
Selecting the place where he had Of
ten spent many hours at band practice,
Kaufman went to the music room of
the old barracks on Hotel street, and
holding the muzzle of pistol in his
mouth, pulled the trigger. The bullet
passed through the skull, penetrating
the brain, and lodged in the ceiling
overhead.
Death must have resulted instantly,
and from the position of the body 1t is
evident that the unfortunate man was
standing upright when he fired the
fatal shot.
II. l.. CosweH. night Waterman at
the drillshed, was the first person to
view the body after the rash act had
been committed. National Guardsmen
We're engaged at drill during the even
ing, and Coswell noticing that the door
I of the music room was unlocked and
the paddock missing. feared tnE Some
one had entered into the room, Ior d
wrong purpose.
The door was closed, but yielded
readily to the touch. Coswell was
forced to obtain light in order that he
might view the interior, and as the
dim light of a torch shed a ghOstly
shadow about the room. gruesome
| sight met his gaze.
Lying on the floor in one corner of
the small room, was the body, the
head and face covered with blood and
| little rivulets of the life fluid flowing
over the floor. The head was resting
on the arm of an overturned chair
evidently upset as he fell.
| Under the right knee the handle of
the revolver could be seen protruding
and upon examination it was discover
ed to be of the Smith & Wesson type
| and of 39-calibre. Only one shell had
been fired. the remaining shells being
in their position In the cylinder.
That Kaufman set about the full
| fillment of the last act is evident, for
he left a note addressed to Captain
Berger requesting him to call at the
| postoffice for a letter which would ex-
plain everything. The note as is the
letter, is written in a firm hand that
shows no evidence of fear.
For the last time Kaufman per-
formed his part in the band practice
during the afternoon, and listened to
several musical selections by his fell
low musicians in the evening.
The causes leading up to his final act
were published in yesterdays Adver-
tiser, after a careful investigations at
the request of the mothers OF several
of the children. Fully conversant with
the facts, Deputy Sheriff Chillingworth
was looking for Kaufman all yester-
day Chillingworth called at the lodg-
ing house several times during the day,
but was unable to find his man. Chill
lingworth's presence was noticed in the
lodging house, and undoubtedly Kauf-
mann was informed of il. j. c. Cohen.
manager of the lodging house, told
Chillngworth yesterday that it was
common talk about the place that the
police We're inqulring for Kaufman.
Despite the fact that Chillingworth
had diligently sought Kaufman, he
was not aware until after the man had
killed himself, that High Sheriff Brown
had yesterday afternoon sworn to |
warrant for Kaufmanns arrest on the
charge of 'lascivious conduct" Brown |
had sworn to the warrant after a thor |
ough investigation, and Kaufman was |
to have been arrested today. Owing to
Chllingworth being unusually busy
yesterday, Brown had not informed .
him of the issuance of the warrant
Deputy Sheriff Chillingworth was
notified of the suicide, and hastily |
summoning a jury took them in the .
patrol wagon to the scene OF the death.
The following Jurors will serve Sam
Lyle, Charles spencer Louis Berendt,
Captain Cunning, Fred Smith and w.
Davis.
An Advertiser reporter called at Cap
tain Berger's residence on Miller stree.
at midnight. When asked whether he
had heard anything about kaurmann's
death he was dumhfounded Told the
deed had been comm tied in the band
barracks, he wondered how he could
have gained entrance and a. once went
to the lattice work on his porch to look
fol his key, II was gone
"le was not with the band tonight
when we played at the Hawaiian Hotel,
and | presumed II was because OF tha
newspaper story about him" he sad
Mrs, Berger heard the name Kaufman
DI onouncod by the reporter and came in
10 the parlor 10 inquire what had hap
lened, when told he was dead she was Z
greatly agitated and said
why that Is strange. Mr. Kaufman r
hme here about half past s o'clock to- &
light while Captain Berger and his band r
were at the Hotel | heard somebody
SnoCk AZ the lattice door and I went ont
o see who was there, ] recognized Mr.
<aufman's voice, hut IL sounded strange, "
he merely passed me a note which snld; ~
Captain Berger' You viii have a letter '
n the postohiCe tomorrow morning ~ 81
,. Kaufmann' thought nothing OF II 4
md gave IL 20 the Captain when he came 10
home from the concert A lady was \.
pending the evening with me al tho /,
Inc and | remarked 10 hGr about SIR "
<aufmann's appearances, Now that YOU
tate he shot himself I recall that we
.eard a shot about . o'clock W. Ep0kc II
II Il az the tlme, Il was 80 clear INT %
fruRhl " came from some ~ the bows t
y the armary suppose when be- came n
'llh me note he lTought back The hoy n
o the music Togm" 81
la ~ L.n ] 4