The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-03-30
ATTEMPTED MURDER AND
SUICIDE IN CITY PRISON

ONCE When Kaapuni was sent up to
the offices TO perform his tasks yester-
day morning. he did not stay there, as
was his custom, but went back down
into the jail yard. He had stolen a
quart bottle somewhere and filed it
with the decoction of the ii plant, but
none Of the officers about the prison
suspected that Carrying the liquor
down into the prison. where NahaIe-a
had been put at his task of cleaning up
the cells and corridors. and calling his
fellow murderer into the kitchen of the
prison-Nahale-a was a lifer, serving q
sentence for murder-invited him to
drink up the bottle in token of their
reconciliation in the matter of their
rivalry over the Japanese girl. The
cook OF the prison lent his assistance
TO the discussion of the bottle.
After the men had drunk the liquor
Kaapuni went back to his work and
Nahale-a went back to his. The latter.
however, had not so good a head as
the other and as his actions soon made
1t apparent that he had been drinking.
the turnkey locked him in cell 13 pre-
liminary to an investigation as to where
the liquor had come from at that hour
in the morning. He was noisy there.
but nobody paid any particular atten-
tion. They are accustomed to noisy
drunkards at the prison. All the wit
nesses TO what followed agree that
there had been no words and no quar-
rel that morning nor the night before
between Kaapuni and Nahale-a
SHOT AT CLOSE RANGE.
Be that as it may. the man had not
been locked in cell 1s more than three
minutes. kicking and yelIing, when
Kaapuni came running down from the
offices, holding his right hand in the
bosom Of his shirt
The turnkey on duty at the time, Jim
Kupihea, the receiving clerk at the
prison. ]. NJ. McKinnon. and Henry
Van Gieson. a police officer. were stand
ing at the foot of the gangway lead
ing down into the prison when the man
passed them, on the run. They sus-
pected nothing. They could look right
down the corridor upon which cell IS
faced, and they made no move until
they saw Kaapuni run down to the
door Of the cell and make as though he
would open the door. Then the turnkey
started toward him. 20 prevent that
If such was his intention. when all
three of-the men heard the prisoner in
The cell say:
Go ahead thens Shoot"
And at that moment. there was a
shot Kaapuni must have stuck the
pistol through the bars of the grating
n the door and fired point blank at
he man who was standing there, lean
ng forward. with both hands grasping
he grating. He had not said one word
hat amy of the witnesses heard.
Immediately after firing the shot.
xaapuni turned and saw the turnkey
tarting toward him and the others
standing there. For a moment he held
he gun on them. 1t seemed that he
vas about TO run amuck, to fight his
way out of prison, to add three more
murders TO his already long score. The
turnkey kept coming. The clerk, Nc
Iinnon, started for the office at the
anne moment and armed himself. And
hen Kaapuni turned the gun upon
imself and fired the shot into his own
reast that finished the tragedy and
is own life at the same time. 1t was
ut a few feet. but he was dead al
lost before the turnkey got to him.
STORY OF M'KINNoN.
Il had noticed when he first came
p from the prison, at about four
clock. that there was something
rong with Kaapuni." said Desk Clerk
NJ. McKinnon. II was sitting at the
ssk at the time. and he came in be-
nd the.zailing and sat down there and
sgan to tell me how much he loved
e. He had never been like that be- 1
re. He was thoroughly trustworthy, +
honest as the day is long, but he was
It given to demonstrations of affec-
on. Well, I pushed him away. and
. fell back over a chair. but he did 7
It seem to get angry. On. the con-
airy, he continued to tell me how
uch aloha he had for me- That was
about four o'clock in the morning.
We'll. he went back into the prison.
ter awhile. and then he went up into G
g offices to go about his work. +
IS down in the yard, when 1 saw him
xt. talking to the turnkey and Van
esen. We had just found out that
lhale-a was drunk. and the turnkey
d locked him up in the cell for pun
lment. He was pretty noisy. He had S