The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-08-08
IT WAS
AN ACCIDENT
MAKES CLEAR HIS
STORY OF THE
HOMICIDE.
SAYS THE CAPTAIN FELL ON
THE KNIFE.
There Was a Struggle and He Bit the
Captains Nose--Ingenlous But Con-
tradicted BY Other Evidence.

Tanbara, the japanese murderer of
Captain jacobson has already outlined
the defense which he will set up. He
has up to the present had no questions
to ask of any Of the witnesses but has
repeatedly wanted to make his state
ment, Attorney Breckons told him that
he would be given every opportunity
of so doing at the proper time but
Tanbara managed to interpolate once
yesterday the statement that he did not
kill the captain
After the preliminary hearing before
Commissioner Gill was over yesterday.
Tanbara talked very freely to District
Attorney BreckOns and Deputy Mar
shal Handy and practically outlined
the defense upon which he will base
his hopes of escape from the moose.
THE captain kicked me" said Tan
bara, "and | fastened my teeth in his
nose. He kicked me on my shin and it
hurt and made be very angry. When
fastened by teeth I'm the captains
nose" Did you bite hard?" queried
Attorney BreckOns, Yes / bit very
hard and the captain reached past me
and grabbed the big knife l tried to
get it away from him and he cut him
self across the face. Then we fell
down, the captain on top and the cap
tain fell on the knife"
Breckons paid a visit to the under
takers late yesterday afternoon and
examined the body OF Captain Jacob
son for cOrrobOration of the nose biting
story. They found none.
DR.. COfer also states informally that
the shape and direction of the wound As
not one that would leave the impress
sion that the deceased had fallen upon
it. At the top of the cut the slash -
| me- Tsl1N c1Ff htrf 70 Nyrr,,
and three quarters of an inch as it
descends. The wound is apparently the
result of a downward slash from a
knife clasped in the hand of an assail-
| ant. 1t was certainly not the result of
direct stab.
Other evidence offered combative of
Tanbara's statement lies in the testt-
mony of Nelson and More who found
| the blade of the knife in the captain S
| body and the handle Clasped in Tan
! bara's hand, with such force as to
make the taking away of 1t a matter
/ of great difficulty. Tanbara of course
may claim that he had succeeded in
| wrestling the knife from the captain at
| the time they fell.
The peculiar nature of the wound,
which is almost circular in shape as il
| the weapon had been twisted in the
cash, is thought to have been explained
! by the twisting of Tanbara's wrist by
| Nelson in his attempts to get the knife
! from him 1t is thought unnatural that
| Tanbara should have held on to tile
knife so vigorously if the affair had
been an accident.
Oto the cook was put on the witness
stand again this morning by District
Attorney Breckons and made to des-
cribe in detail the positions of the cap
tain and the cabin boy during their
struggle, before he passed by them
through the donkey room on his way
to call the mate. Oto stated that the
boy was on the port side of the galley
facing towards the staTboard side. This
tailed with his previous testimony of
not being able to see the right hand OF
the cabin boy from where he stood pre-
pairing his meal. The captain, he said
was opposite the boy, The shelf where
the knives We're kept was at the port
side.
The captain, according to the coOl
was nearest the knives. This was al
apparent contradiction and OtO finally
made a drawing in which he marked
the position of the two, the shelf where
the knives We're and the whole plan OF
the galley The drawing showed very
clearly that the cabin boy and not the
captain was neares- the cutlery. Al
the Interpreter was needed elsewhere
and the stenographer was also in r.
quisition Commissioner GIL adjourned
the examination until one o'clock TIM
afternoon.
The men will all be paid off in tn,
commissioners office today. Hackfell
and Company have advanced suficien
money for towage, wages, docking, al
port expenses and sufficient for th'
widows needs. There was no money
carried by the captain as he did no
expect stopping until the schoone
reached Saichow, where a draft woul'
have awaited him. The men were sen
aboard with second mate Nelson yes
terday have all secured their clothes
A new crew has been shipped and tn
schooner will get away tomorrow in al
likelihood.
CONTINUED on page two)