The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-07-11
MURDERER BREAKS JAIL
FUJIHARA ESCAPED AT HILo
TODAY.
Wireless Telegram Asks for Photograph
With Which to Trace Fugitive-The
Man and His Crime.

Fujihara the Japanese murderer who
has twice been sentenced to death is at
large He escaped from the Jail at Hilo
some time last night or this morning.
Only the most meager information on
this subject has as yet been received
here. The only information which
reached Honolulu today on the subject
came in a wireless telegraph message
from Sheriff H. S. Overend of Hilo to
High Sheriff Brown. The news of the
escape of the murderer was announced
in the following brief dispatch Send
by first steamer photograph. Fujihara
escaped.
This message was received late this
afternoon by High Sheriff Brown and
up to the hour of going to press moth
ing further had come. The dispatch
was dated Hilo July II, so it is evident
that the escape of Fujihara occurred to-
day or last night and was not discover
ed until this morning.
As soon as Sheriff Brown received the
message he set about securing photo
graphs of the murderer These pic
lures cannot be sent to Sheriff An
drews however before Tuesday when
the Mauna Loa goes to Hawaii In the
interim the officers on Hawaii VIII put
forth every effort to run the murderer
down. A reward for his recapture will
probably be offered by the Sheriff of
Hawaii. AS this is matter which is
not under the control of High sheriff
Brown.
High Sheriff Brown and the local Off
cials are very curious to learn the man
Merlin which Fujihara escaped. The lit
tie Japanese murderer may have over
powered his guards and escaped by vio-
lence or else strategy may have given
him his liberty. No mention was made
in the wireless message as to whether
the Japanese killed Or injured any
IN, hi "a
fact that no reference was made to
any such occurrence it is believed by
the officers here that Fujihara did not
kill anyone or else they would have
been apprised of the fact.
What makes the affair seem so
strange however is the fact that the
instant the death sentence is pronoun-
ced on a prisoner a death watch should
be placed over him. Whether this was
done in the case of Fujihara is not
known. In any event If such a watch
was placed over the man it must have
been through criminal. .carelessness that
the prisoner was allowed to escape.
When Fujihara was confined in the
Oahu prison he was not given the
slightest liberty but was kept locked in
a small cell. The little fellow showed
a meekness and resignation which was
remarkable in man who was guilty of
such an atrocious murder as Fujihara.
lie was always uOclle ana never gave
the prison officials the slightest trou-
BILE or annoyance. He may have played
the same dodge on the Hilo prison Off
cials and have worked his escape
through this means. Other advices are
expected every minute regarding the
details of his escape.
The local officers are all on the watch
for the man and will strive to annex
the reward of $3.50 which it is said will
be offered him.
Fujihara was convicted nearly a year
ago of the murder of another Japanese
near Hilo. Fujihara killed the man in
the cane field, the affair growing out of
trouble about a woman. Judge Little
sentenced him to be hanged. Appeal was
taken to the Supreme Court and only
a few days ago the sentence was con-
firmed AS the date for the hanging
had gone by new date had to be set
but this had not yet been done. Full
hara was sent back to Hilo where the
execution was to take place, and con-
fined in the Jail there.