The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-05-20
PROTESTED
INNOCENCE
Soto Dies on GaIioWs
Confessing No
Crime.

| Protesting his innocence to the las
and asserting that the witnesses
against him had lied and malicious J
set the wheels of justice grinding him
| Candida Soto. the Porto Rican murder
err of Pasquale Hernandez. was led tc
| the scaffold in the yard of Oahu pris-
on and DROPPED through the trap to
eternity Five minutes later the ply
sicians in attendance declared the man
| dead. and justice had once more been
done to one who wantoaIy took life.
In the presence of the prison guards,
helmeted and armed with rifles, stand
ing in a line twenty feet from the
scaffoId. and with perhaps dozen
others. physicians. newspaper men and
officials, the trap was sprung without
! hitch and death must have been in
Simultaneous.
Shortly before the hour set for the
execution. High Sheriff Henry, in full
uniform, Tailor Temple Bourke, Drs.
Moore. Judd and Johnson of Chicago,
under wardens and newspaper men,
filed into the gloomy corridor, known
as "Murderer's Row. where other men
who are alleged to have >destr Dyed hui
man life are kept in cells awaiting
final judgment of the courts. In cell
113. from which the Porto Rican muir
derer of the late Edward Damon was
led forth to the same scaffold, Candida
attired in a new suit of dark clothes.
He was man past middle life, for his
mustache was gray. He sat On 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 CT 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-
lions, his hands moving eXpreSsively.
He was halted at times while the in
terpreter translated his words. 1t was
a vigorous protest against the execu-
ton 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
came to his DEATH he ex-
planned. LAS 1 testified in the Lihue
Jail, I did not kill him with my own
hands; I did not plead guilty that day
as they said I did; 1 stammered little
then, but that was all and L did not
plead guilty. On the Saturday l was
sworn to come here 1 did not, even
plead guilty.
This charge against me was mali
ciously brought.
1T is said by the corporal Gailer)
there at Lihue that when he was bring
ing me tied up, L told him l did not
want to be tied and that l would kill
him if he tied me. That is a lie.
lid not say so. Then he said that I
told him 1 had killed Pasquale Herman
1eZ and that is a lie of his-I did not.
He said that in the court and that
IS big lie Of his, because 1 never
told him 1 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 -lear any more. but the condemned
man quickly resumed his dying ate
nent.
IF I had killed him I would have
said 1 had done so, but nevertheless it
would not help me. 1t was his own
Snife in his own hands that killed him.
said that he attacked me at the
-ime-'' but the rest was lost in the
,reaking of the door and the noise of
he jailors as they entered the cell to
place the straps about the mans arms
Soto was led then to the scaffold by
he jailor, being met almost at the
brink of the trap by Father Clement
If the Catholic Mission. whose lips
moved in prayer until the end came
Soto seemed to take an interest in the
He looked down at the
rap. then up to where the rope passed
around the heavy beam overhead and
hen at the men who fastened the leg
straps. The black cap darkened his
yision. the moose was adjusted and with
L whirr of the electric dynamo the
rap was sprung at 11:04 and at lie
he man was pronounced 4aG by DIS
Moore and Judd
Soto had a quarrel with Hernandez
n a house at Lihue one night. Tie
,ther inmates were scared away. and
IN their return they foua4 Hernandez
lead. The murderer was trace 10 his
,wn cottage where ne was making
for flight.