Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-10-27
GIRLS ATTEMPTED
TO BURN SCHOOL
MaunaoIu Pupils Become
Tired of Student
Life.
FLAMES DISCOVERED IN
TIME TO AVERT DANGER
SEMINARY YOUNG LADIES RUSH
CALAMITY TO THE RESCUE
HEADED BY ONE OF
TEACHERS.

"dlIuhu, oCl. GO'-AH uHSuCCebSlul
attempt was made by two young Ha-
waiian girls last. Monday afternoon,
October goth, to burn down Maunaolu
Seminary. What motive led these evil
minded young girls to do such a das.
tardly piece of work is not known.
After dinner last Monday evening
about 8 o'clock, Lucy Kahanu, aged
10, and Hattie Horner Keanu, aged II,
Immediately left the dining hall for
their rooms In the dormitory upstairs.
The balance of the pupils remained be.
low with the teachers and no impor.
lance was attached to the absence of
the two girls until, half an hour after.
wards, when smoke was first dlscov.
cred by Miss Rice, one of the teachers.
issuing from the hospital room which
adjoins the dormitory.
On rushing upstairs Miss Rice found
the room full of smoke and that fire
had already caught the flooring and
the walls OF the hospital room. An
alarm was soon sounded. The big
girls came to the assistance of Miss
iNiNts anu WIN buNh'NS vi Nutil NH'
lassies fought the flames with great
daring and GOODNESS, and soon brought
the fire under control.
In the meantime, the cry of Fire!
FIRE." was being sounded, the hun.
dred or so of young girls being kept in
perfect control by those in charge, and
although the excitement ran high as
usual in such momentOus times, the
institution has no fatality TO record,
which news is received with welcome
by the parents of the children who
have been placed there.
Hattie Keanu and Lucy Kahanu (the
latter has sister at Kamehameha
Girls SCHOOL, were suspected of the
deed, and they have made complete
confession OF their crime.
Hon. II. p. Baldwin and the board
of trustees, and Sheriff l.. NJ. Baldwin.
visited the building last Tuesday and
made a thorough investigation of the
AFFAIR. In the hospital room were stor.
ed bedding, bags and other inflamma.
BILE substances. The girls set fire to
the bags. which were hung up on a
rope In the middle Of the room, and
these. after burning for some time, fell
on the floor and set fire to It,
The time set by these mad girls to
carry out their work was very fortu-
nate time indeed, for, had they waited
until later during the night when all
we're asleep, there is no telling how
many victims there would have been,
and the costly institution built up by
Hon. II. p. Baldwin would have been
in ruins.
II Is surmised that the only prob
able motive that induced these two
girls to set the schoolhouse on fire was
their desire to return to their parents.
They have no aspirations toward an
education. All they want Is to return
to their homes, where they are allow
ed the greatest latitude to do accord.
ing to the dictates of their little sweet
wills" School, where they are requir.
ed to remain under discipline, has no
charms for them.
Lucy Kahanu belongs to Kauai,
while Hattie Horner Keanu belongs to
Lahaina. The latter Is a big girl-big
enough to have better sense-and has
been attending the Lahaina Govern
ment School. This Is the first term OF
the two girls, and, although the semi
nary only opened the second week OF
last September, yet they found school
life unbearable.
The girls were arrested and placed In
Makawao Jail on the charge OF arson
Thursday, Magistrate Copp committed
tic young criminals for trial at the De
crmbcr term of the Second Circuit
Court. Hattie Keanu is released on
bali furnished by her uncle, VIM. Ke
anu. captain OF police Of Lahaina,w while
Lucy Kahanu still langulshes in jail.