Rock Island Argus., 1902-10-14
wITcHcRAFT OF TODAY
IN INsULAR POSSESSIONS

victed and fined for the practice OF
sorcery, will come as a surprise, if
not shock. to the American peo-
pie.
| Kahunaism, which is the native
name for witchcraft, has long been
existant in the islands, and even the
utmost efforts of the missionaries to
stamp out the practice for nearly Il
eentury has proven an utter failure
So firmly rooted i'm the minds of the
natives has the practice become, that
1.-THE legislature attempted at its first
session to 1egalize the witch doctors
as practitioners of medicine. t,'
I'm mary parts -of the islands no
other physician than a kahuna with
their herb compounds are called in
cases of sickness, and the faith in
their powers has not abated in the
slightest because of their failure to
prove the efficacy of the medicines
prescribed.
| The case in point occurred at Wailu-
! ku. ON the island of Maui. last week
when n kahuna. after a legal trial and
conviction before the district nagis-
trate, was fined S125 and costs. There
is still upon the statute books of the
territory a law prohibiting the prac-
tioe of witchcraft, anaana, hoopiopio,
etc. all of which are native names for
the same thing. This statute provides
that ANY personawho shall attempt
the cure of another by the practice of
sorcery. witehcraft. anaana, hoopiO-
pic. hoounanauna. hoomanamana. or
other superstitious. or deceitful meth
obs, shall. upon conviction thereof
before district magistrate, be fined
in sum not less than 500 nor more
than 5000, or be imprisoned at hard
labor for not to exceed six months. :
| According TO the story told i'm court,
in March. Kanohkokuahiwi and his
two sons, Kalani and Kaiianut. were
taken sick at their residence near
Waihee, Maui. and Neau, kahuna
woman witch doctor of some note in
the district. was called in to care for
them. In n couple of weeks Kalani,
one of the sons, died and, according
to. the story told to the court. he
mewed like a cat just before he
breathed his last. Neau, the l<ahuna.
hearing of this feature of the case,
attributed the boys death TO his con
nection with the killing of cat be
longing to her own grandchild, and
added the direful prediction that all
persons who had been in any way
connected with the killing of the cat
would surely die. BY Il singular CO.
incidence the deceased boy had as
sisted i'm the execution of the cat, and
the father and remaining son, who
were also sick. had assisted him in
doing away with the bothersome fe-
line.
In spite of this the wife of the sick
man went to the kahuna again and
asked that she use her magic powers
to cure the husband and son. After
much solicitation and promises of re-
ward. Neau, the kahuna, agreed to in
woke the spirits to aid her. bllt adj
mitted that in view of the enormity
of the crime which had been com
mitted by the sick men, the task
would be an extremely difficult one.
She buckled down to the work. and
a pig was ''imied'' (sacrificed) ANA
eaten, with all the mysterious rites
and incantations of Wahineaea and
other aumal<uas. This brought no
cure for the sick men, and a second
and third. and finally n fourth pig,
rites. but all to.no purpose. and both
the father and second son died.
Then the widow, satisfied that the
kahuna had been instrumental in
praying her husbands and sons to
death. had Neau arrested for prac-
ticing witchcraft contrary to law.
Neau. an aged and wrinkled Hawaii
an woman, was perfect picture of
Macbeth's witch as she appeared i'm
court. The iuting forehead, bright
eyes and witch-like features were
| added to by a cone-shaped hat, max
ing the resemblance more perfect
than any stage realism could give it.
The relatives of the deceased men
testified in court that they had been
present and assisted in the incanta-
tions of the llahuna. They told OF
the long midnight vigil with its Inys
terious rites, and called upon the
spirits for aid, and how in spite of
it all both father and son died. The
witnesses expressed the belief that
the kahuna had caused the death of
the two men, at least by her incan-
tations and because she was angry
for their connection with the killing
of her granddaughter s cat. Neau
made no defense, admitting that she
did practice kahunaism, but claiming
that she had attempted TO save the
lives of the men, and their great crime
had made the spirits deny her appeal.
Deputy Sheriff Saffery appeared for
the prosecution and the woman CON
Quoted her own defense. Judge Nc
Kay, before whom she was tried.
found the woman guilty of witch
craft, as charged, and imposed fine
of $125 and costs.
On the other islands similar cases
of kahunaism have been reported
within the past few months, but this
| is the first legal cognizance of the