The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-22

| 4 MOTHER OF Honolulu's frequent
| i& tragedies came to light yester-
| Il day when Thomas Taylor, an
| employe Of S. L. Damon, dis
covered in a field of sorghum at Moa-
nalua, the decomposed body of a white
| man, close by which lay S2-calibre
revolver in the chamber of which were
found three cartridges and two empty
shells.
Taylor was working in the field.
which is situated on the mauka side Of
the road, Eva of the Star dairy. when
his suspicion was excited by a pun
gent odor, apparetly proceeding from
some decaying animal matter hidden In
the sorghum. He investigated. and
came across the body. This was about
1880 a. m. Taylor told of the matter
to a man named Charles Ramos and
asked him to go over to the Star dairy
and notify the police by telephone Of
the finding of the body.
The telephone not being in working
order Ramos informed Mounted Pa
trolnnan Gumpfer. who lives in the vi
cinity of Moanalua, and that officer I'M
mediately hastened to town with the
news.
A coroner's jury was speedily empan-
eled, consisting of T. w. Weed, IL. M.
Ayres, H. A. Giles, Paul Ehlers. Ben
Vickers and j. L. Ahoio. About
O'Clock the jury arrived on the scene
and viewed the remains. The spot
where the body was found was about
200 yards from the road, and situated
between rows of sorghum about three
feet high. The man lay on his back
with arms outstretched, the fingers or
the right hand grasping Few staihs
of the plant Close by the left hand
Law a 32-calibre Iver-Johnson revolver.
blue finish and considerably rusted.
The body was in horribly decoinpo
ed condition. and had probably IAN
there nearly two weeks, exposed to sun
and rain.
The man was. as far as could be as
certained, of middle age. and OF medium
height and sturdily built. He wore
coarse gray pants. gray vest, BLACK coat
black or dark blue tie soft felt nat,
heavy boots and broad leather belt
with a large steel buckle. The top OF
his head was blown away.
No note or any means of !dentihca-
tion could be found on the body OF the
deceased. In the pockets of his clothes
were found a silver watch. minus the
minute hand. a. box OF cartridges, a Chi
nese laundry ticket. and $11.55 In cash.
including two five dollar gold pieces. At
tached to the watch was a piece OF
cord.
on account of the decomposed state
Of the body rendering an autopsy iInpos-
sib!e, an inquest was held in the sor
ghum field, and under the blue sky and
amid the swaying stalks. the witnesses
told what little they knew Of finding OF
the body.
After the testimony had been taken,
Deputy Sheriff Chillingworth ordered the
body to be buried where 1t was found
and a man Immediately went to work
with shovel and dug grave, in which
The remains were laid away, together
with their story, which, perhaps. only
The spirit which inhabited the CHASTITY
she'll is cognizant of.
The jurors returned to the police sta
:on and rendered the following verdict:
THAT tie said John Doe. white man.
whose true name is unknown, but iden-
ity known. came TO his death at Mo
.nalua. In the district OF Honolulu, Isl
md Of Oahu, on or about January eth
SOP. from seIf-inhicted gun-shot
wound"
Despite every effort on the part OF the
,olice the identity of the dead man up
o an early hour this morning remained
mystery. Inquiries were made If any
Il Mr. Damon's employees were missing,
'ut such proved not to be the case
The fact that money was found on the
'ody IS somewhat peculiar, and does
way with the theory that poverty
the fatal shot. From appear
noes the body was evidently that II
veH-to-do laboring man.
No one has been reported missing Gu
ing the last two weeks. and It Is prob
BILE that the dead man was either q
fugitive from justice who handed in his
hecks in the field on the hill. or one OF
he thousands OF transients who Visit
who for reasons known op!J
0 himself decided to end hts waD1nr-
1gs with a bullet in the sorghum patch
I 5foanalua- ,, -