Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1906-11-23
S|EnSfN MENTIONS
WELL known PEOPLE
Mixture Of Fiction and
Fact Told By the
Murderer

A fantastic story of his life. in which
several well known island people were
mentioned. was told by John siemsen,
the San Francisco murderer. and Is
contained in the following article In the
Examiner. November II. The stor,
seems to be strange medley of fact
and fiction:
The identity of John Frederick Hen
ry Siemscn. who, with Louis Dabncr
planned and executed wholesale murder
and robbery is now established by his
own confession. Through the bars at
the Bush-street police station the pris.
oncr told OF his youth, his ambitions
and his downfall.
Siemsen is the son Of John Frederick
Henry Siemsen. who started the first
plantation on the Hawaiian Islands
over twenty years ago. His first prop.
erty was known as the Honokaa plan
tatiOn and It's value ran into the mil
lions In short time. His father lost
the ownership Of the plantation
through the fundamentally, Siemsen
alleges, Of Joseph Marsden. who was
his manager. Undaunted. Siemsen
went to Germany and returned TO the
islands with sufficient money to place
the machinery on and to start the Ele-
Gle plantation. of which August Drecr
became manager.
Dreier. according to the prisoner, is
his uncle by marriage Mrs. Dreier ana
mis- mother being sisters. Dreier Is
now one OF the wealthiest planters In
the Hawaiian Islands. and. Siemsen
says. his money was accumulated
through his dishonest dealings with
Siemsen's father. The murderer learned
that his father committed suicide about
ten years ago and that the alleged per.
idy of his friend caused him to die by
his own hand.
Siemsen has been away from home
for eleven years He left. he says. be.
cause OF his inability to get a portion
of the family holdings, amounting to
100000, and to visit Germany to fnd
his fathers people and learn his his.
tory. II was several years afterwara
that he reached Europe, having SHIFTED
Tor himself except when he received
assistance from one OF his brothers.
Mrs. Henrietta Toogood, who resides
In a tent In Jefferson Square, and who
is friend OF Siemsen's mother. visite,
the criminal at the Bush street station
yesterday and furnished him with ar
account of what had TRANSFERRED since
his departure from the Hawaiian Is
lands. When he learned that his fathc,
had killed himself, that his mother
had married a man named McCarty al
Pearl City, about twelve miles from
Honolulu. siemsen heaped imprecation'
on the heads Of Drcier. Marsden ant
Henry Schaefer, the last named now
manager OF what remains of his faith.
cr's estate.
His mothers failure to answer his
last letter, Siemsen claims. was tn,
cause OF his launching into the world
Of crime. Soon after he met Huldi
Won Hofen the prisoner wrote to hii
mother that he desired to marry ant
settle down In life. He received M
answer to the missive, and then turnc,
to theft as means Of gaming sufiicien
money To start n home and live In ease
MY father owned the first plantation
On the Hawaiian islands," said Stem
sen, when questioned as to his famil,
history. "Hc came from Germany whci
he was youth and very soon h
amassed fortune. Later he lost al
he had and Joseph Marsden was tn
cause of 1t. Then he returned to tn
old country and gathered up enough
money to return to the islands, pur
chase another location and install ma
chnery. Dreier became his manage
at that time, and everything Dreie
possesses in this world today come
from my father.
Il left home eleven years ago.