The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-06-15
GUT HIS THROAT
WHILE INSANE
Suicide Used a SickIe---Chinese
Talked and Laughed to
Himself.

SPRAYED in the grass far UP Paiolo
valley, with his throat cut and a small
recently sharpened sickle near the
right hand, the body of Wong Hoo,
Chinese, was found yesterday morning
about O'Clock by Wong Hong, rice
planter, who had employed the suicide
When the report got to town that
Chinese had killed himself up Palolo
it was thought that he might have
been Chu SEQ. the much desired es-
capped burglar for whom the island is
being secured, but Chu SEQ is no doubt
enjoying liberty too much to think of
self-inficted death. If he dies by his
own hand the operation will be per-
formed in a cell without hope of es-
cape.
Wong Hoo's body was the center of
collection of articles that he had
found useful in his laborer's life. Sew
eral feet away lay a large bowl-like
hat much sported by Chinese field
hands, while in another direction and
at some distance, reposed a pair of
wrist guards such as are used by
butchers. Elsewhere was found the
long springy shoulder pole used to sup
port burdens, the style patronized by
Celestial vegetable peddlers. The blade
of the sickle was thickly covered with
blood. In the left hand of the dead
man was clutched several blades of
long grass which he may have grasped
in the death agony or which might
point to an accidental death if there
should be anything in the theory that
he was about to cut the grass thus
held in the left hand when he stumbled
and fell on the sickle in his right, in
stinctively throwing out his right hand
to save himself.
The verdict of the coroners jury,
however, is that Wong Hoo went to
his death of his own will while not
in his right mind and the jurors APP
parently had good reasons for so de-
Gliding. There certainly was no suspi-
cion of foul play and the question was
between suicide and accident of which
the former had by far the weight of
evidence.
Coroner w. P. Jarrett summoned the
following to serve: w. Prestidge, H. P
IAclt)liS, 1hellS INV, NIieNACii' -
Hebron Jr., r. r. Lucas. The inquest
was held last night and lasted nearly
tive hours. Several Chinese of Palolo
testified and all agreed that at times
Wong Hoo had not acted like a sane
man, often talking and laughing to
himself He had no enemies, owed only
81 and had not been quarreling or
drinking DR.. Emerson gave interest
ing testimony as the autopsy surgeon.
1t was his opinion that the man had
killed himself. He had discovered a
blood clot on the brain but that, he
said, would of itself not have been
of sufficient Importance to take the
responsibility of the act of suicide.
One juror had heard of a man walk
ing about with his throat cut and ask
ed if such an occurrence was likely in
this case The doctor said it was pos
siDie for a man to move about with
cut throat though necessarily not for
long: Inconsistencies had probably oc-
CURED soon: life might have remained
for ten minutes. 1t was asked if the
brain returned to normality, as far as
symptoms were concerned, after death
The physician stated that the brain
upon the phenomenon of death regis
tered the final condition preceding the
change.