The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-05-23
PROTESTED
Innocence
(From Saturdays Advertisero


Protesting his innocence to the last
and asserting that the witnesses
against him had lied and maliciously
set the wheels of justice grinding him,
Candido Soto, the Porto Rican murder
er of Pasquale Hernandez. was led to
the scaffold in the yard OF oahu prls-
on and dropped through the trap TO
eternity. Five minutes later the phy-
sicians in attendance declared the man
dead, and justice had once more been
done to one who wantonly took life.
In the presence of the prison guards
helmeted and armed with rifles, stand
ing in n line twenty feet from the
scaffold. and with perhaps dozen
Others physicians. newspaper men and
officials, the trap was spru without
a hitch and death must have been in
Simultaneous.
shortly before the hour set for the
execution, High Sheriff Henry, in full
uniform, Jailor Temple Bourke, Drs.
Moore Judd and johnson of Chicago,
under-wardens and newspaper men,
filed into the gloomy corridor, known
as "Murderet's Row." where other men
who are alleged to have desti Dyed hui
man life are kept in cells awaiting
final Judgment of the courts. In cell
1l3 from which the Porto Rican muir
derer of the late Edward Damon was
led forth to the same scaffold, Candldo
Soto sat awaiting his doom. He was
attired in a new suit of dark clothes.
He was a man past middle life, for his
mustache was gray. He sat on a stool
behind his grated door and there listen
ed to the death warrant which was
read by the High Sheriff. During the
reading Soto twisted and twisted a
handkerchief in his hands, but other
wise he was outwardly calm. When
Interpreter Combs began the transla-
ton of the document, Soto betrayed in
terest. and when it was finished, he
arose and in the Spanish tongue asked
permission to say a few words. the
High Sheriff assented.
Then Strengthening himself up TO his
full height and placing his face close
TO the bars, Soto talked quickly and
vehemently, making many gesticula-
tions, his hands moving expressively.
He was halted at times while the in
terpreter translated his words. 1t was
a vigorous protest against the eXecu-
tion on the ground that he was 'inno-
cent of the crime attributed to him and
for which he had been found guilty.
1T happened this way, that Pasquale
Hernandez came to his DEATH he ex-
planned. "As l testified in the Lihue
Jail, did not kill him with my own
hands; did not plead guilty that day
as they said did; stammered little
then. but that was all and l did not
plead guilty On the Saturday l was
sworn to come here ! did not even
plead guilty.
This charge against me was mali
ciously brought.
1T is said by the corporal Caller,
there at Lihue that when he was bring
ing me tied up, / told him L did moi
want to be tied and that l would Kill
him IL he tied me. That Is n lie.
did not say so. Then he said that
told him had killed Pasquale Herman
dez and that is lie of his--I did not
HE said that in the court and that
is a big lie of his, because i never
told him / killed Pasquale Hernandez
This is a very unjust case against
me- He killed himself by his own
hands"
The Sheriff here interrupted the pris-
oner, to signify that he did not wish
to hear any more, but the condemned
man quickly resumed his dying state
ment.
IF 1 had killed him I would have
said / had done so, but nevertheless Il
would not help me. 1t was his owr
knife in his own hands that killed him
I said that he attacked me at the
time" but the rest was lost in the
creaking of the door and the noise oi
the jailors as they entered the cell &c
place the straps about the mans arms
Soto was led then to the scaffold by
the jailor, being met almost at the
brink OF the trap by Father Clement
of the Catholic Mission, whose lips
moved in prayer until the end came
Soto seemed to take an interest in tn,
proceedings. He looked down at thu
trap then up to where the rope passed
around the heavy beam overhead ant
then at the men who fastened the les
straps. The black cap darkened his
vision, the moose was adjusted and witt
whirr OF the electric dynamo, the
trap was sprung at 11:04 and at 11:t
the man was pronounced d 4aG by DIS
Moore and Judd.
Soto had quarrel with Hernande
in house at Lihue one night Th
other inmates We're scared away, ant
on their return they found Hernande
dead. The murderer wGs trace to hi
own cottage where ne was making
preparations for flight.