The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-01-22
REV.. Mr.. KEKELA
LOCKED IN A
PRISON CELL
Aged Hawaiian Missionary to Whom
President Lincoln Gave a
Valuable Watch.

There was a pitiable scene at th'
police station yesterday. A white
haired, venerable Hawaiian was led II
and marched up to the station desk
His brother-in-law preferred charge
of insanity, saying that IL they did not
give the old man money with which tc
ride around in hacks he would become
very angry. A moment later the fol-
lowing appeared on the police blotter:
"Rev. James Kekela, supposed insane,
watch and chain"
There was a scene when the turnkey
searched the old man and took away
the watch. Kekela would not give it
up until he was assured that it would
be safely cared for as he said: when
1 lose that I die"
And there was good reason for the
Rev. James Kekela to prize that watch.
1t was given to him many years ago
by Abraham Lincoln for saving an
American citizen from being eaten by
cannibals in the Marquesas Islands.
Who is Kekela? Here is the story
of his life:
In the little Sunday school conducted
by the father of Rev. Mr.. Parker many
years ago over beyond the Nuuanu
ali, there was a very devout little Ha-
waiian boy. His name was James Ke-
op1 bo praw III, with great de-
sire to spread the tidings of the gospel
among the people of his own islands
and the benighted ones further south,
thousands of miles away.
He studied hard and preached among
his brothers, finally, with a Reverend
tackled to his name, ,going out over the
sea on the hazardous task of carrying
the gospel to the cannibal natives of
the Marquesan group.
Attempts had repeatedly been made
by white missionaries to institute
friendly relations, but without avail,
and the task had been given up. At
last an aged chief, drawing near to
death, sent to Hawaii for some one
to come and explain the strange theory
he had heard about, and Kekela went.
He was received with courtesy by a
few of the islanders, but there were
those who resented and were unfriend-
ly.
For years Kekela struggled to found
a little church among them, and when
he had succeeded the hostile ones threw
stones through his windows, and re-
peatedly burned down his buildings.
At one time they made an attack on his
stone house, and killed nearly all of
his little band of. followers. These
Kekela learned had been tortured to
death and their bodies cooked and eat
en- by the enemies of his church, and
the horror of it nearly drove him away,
but he struggled on and finally came
to be of some influence among them.
Those who did not believe ceased to
torment, at least, and tolerated his lit
tie church, but they We're cannibals
still, and We're continually warning
among themselves. Kekela and his
flock We're always in danger from the
warning factions, but they remained
and labored.
One day a strange ship came to the
islands, and some of her crew landed.
From afar the natives had seen the
ship, and they waited, hidden among
the rocks and brush. The men We're
caught in ambush, but they all escaped
to their boats except one. The ship
was the American whaler Congress,
and the captive was William Whalen.
first officer.
The ship went out to a safe distance
and waited, for she could do nothing
more. On the beach they saw the
reparations for the horrible doom of
their comrade. All night n fire was
kept up, and weird ceremonies We're
performed. The captive, bound hand
and foot, was cruelty tortured, the
savages pulling his ears and nose,
bending back his thumbs, brandishing
their knives over him and committing
all manner of atrocities The poor man
cried out his agony and prayed for
death, but this was not to be until
the sun had risen. He was compelled
to see them carry the wood and pre-
pare the fire upon which his body was
to be roasted alive, and to see the
savage children dancing with glee over
the coming feast.
Just at dawn, when everything was
ready, the missionary Kekela arrived.
He had heard and had come to protest.
His pleading did no good, and he offer
ed ransom, but the cannibals We're
inexorable. Kekela FASTENED away.
and among his flock gathered up all
the articles of value he could, among
them his own boat and all that he
possessed. With these he finally made
a bargain for the life of the American,
though the chief of the cannibal fac
tion was surly, and treachery was
feared. Kekela borrowed a boat, and
unhinding the dazed captive took him
out to his ship. The officers begged him
to go away with them, but TO all their
invitations he shook his head, and said
his mission was among the people of
the islands. They had TO let him re-
turn. What he suffered in the years
that followed only I<ekela knows, but