The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-01-24
ANOTHER
MYSTERY
MOanalua Scene
of a Deed of
Blood.
(From Wednesdays dailyJ


N tragedies came to light yester-
~ day when Thomas Taylor. an
- employee of s. Il. Damon, dis
covered in a field of sorghum at Moa-
nalua. the .decomposed body of a white
man. close by which lay a 32-caliDre
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 pun
gent odor, apparetly proceeding from
some decaying animal matter hidden In
the sorghum. He Investigated, and
came across the body. This was about
1850 "A. IN. Taylor told of the matter
to 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
trolman Gumpfer, who lives in the VI
cinity of Moanalua, and that officer I'M
mediately fastened to town with the
news.
A coroner's jury was speedily e:npan-
eled. consisting Of +. w. Weed, II. Nj.
Ayres, II. A. Giles, Paul Ehlers. Ben
Vickers and J. l.. Aholo. 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 of
the right hand grasping few stalks
of the plant. Close by the left hand
lay a 32-calibre johnson revolver
blue finish and considerably rusted.
The body was in horribly decompos-
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 sturdy built. He wore
coarse gray pants, gray vest, black coat,
black or dark blue tie, soft felt hat,
heavy boots and broad leather belt
with n large steel buckle. The top OF
his head was blown away.
No note or any means OF !dentihca'
ton could be found on the body OF the
deceased. In the pockets of his clothes
were found silver watch, minus the
minute hand, n box OF cartridges, Chi
nese laundry ticket. and $1l.55 In cash.
including two five dollar gold pieces. At.
tachcd to the watch was a piece OF
cord.
On account OF the decomposed state
of the body, rendering an autopsy impos-
sible, 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 II was round
and man Immediately went to work
with a shovel and dug n grave, in which
the remains We're laid away, together
with their story, which, perhaps only
the spirit which inhabited the ghastl,
shell Is CogniZant of.
The Jurors returned to the police sta
ton and rendered the following verdict
THAT the said John Doe, white man.
whose true name is unknown, but iden-
tlty known, came to his death at Mo
analua, in the district of Honolulu. ISL
and of Oahu, on or about January 18th
1902, from a self-inhcted gun-shoi
wound"
Despite every effort on the part of the
police the identity of the dead man up
to an early hour this morning remained
mystery Inquiries were made If any
of Mr.. Damons employees were missing
but such proved not to be the case.
The fact that money was found on the
body is somewhat peculiar, and does
away with the theory that poverty
prompted the fatal shot From appear
ances the body was evidently that II a
well-to-do laborlng man.
No one has been reported missing du-
ring the last two weeks, and 1t Is prob
able that the dead man was either a
fugitive from justice who handed In his
checks in the field on the hill, or one OF
the thousands of transients who visit
Honolulu, who for reasons known only
to himself decided to end his wander
ings with a bullet in the sorghum patch
at Moanalua.