The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-06-21
SAY COSTA GAVE
GIANT POWDER

The arrcs, OF Sam Kanoho and Aka
for using giant powder In fishing for
muliet near the knknako rifle range.
which was made by the police on Mon
day. may prove to be more In
teresting than appeared at first. The
men arrested state that they were fur
nished the dynamite with which they
broke the laws OF the Territory. by
Charles Costa. the foreman OF the road
department stables. They recite In de-
tail meeting Costa, being given the
giant powder and using It. After they
brought the dead fish ashore they as
sert that they gave part to Costa and
to other road department men who
were with him.
The road department uses giant pow
der In large quantities, and the charges
are being carefully investigated. The
trial of the men who were caught last
Monday will take place this morning
before Judge whitney, and 1t is ex-
pected that they will plead guilty, as
they hade made full confessions to the
Sneriff.
When his attention was called to the
stated that Costa had spoken to him
OF the matter yesterday morning. say
ing that he understood that he was
accused of giving powder to the men
who were arrested and that he denied
the charge altogether. johnson stated
that there was no powder kept at the
stables and that 1t was all sent direct
| ly to the quarries as soon as 1t was
bought 1t was strictly against the
orders OF the department to keep pow
der in the stables.
| He sent for Costa and asked him
about the matter telling him first that
| If Ii was found that he was guilty.
that he need expect no help from him
and must take his medicine Costa
stated that the fishing with giant
powder had been going on for more
than a month every day at Kakaako
and that he had happened to be In
that vicinity on Monday, shortly be-
fore the arrests We're made. He was
down there at the time on work con-
nected with the department, and had
heard the blasting but had not at
tached any significance to 1t till he
was told of the arrests later. He
stated that he had not been questioned
by the police at all in regard to the
matter.
When asked about taking fish from
the men who were arrested he said that
on one occasion he had taken a single
mullet from one of the road department
men who was with him and who had
been given several. He stated that he
had never given any powder to the
men arrested or to any one else and
that the powder was never kept at
the stables where he could get hold
OF it.
Costa is a captain in the National
Guard and has been In the employ OF
the Road Department for some time
and always with a good record. He
is Republican in politics and in the
last election failed to carry his precinct
for the party. which occasioned a good
deal of talk among the Republican
leaders who had expected a large ma
1ority. He is a man of considerable
wealth in his own name, according TO
reports being worth at least $50, 900.
His estate is in the hands of Judge
Dole. as guardian, and is said to con-
sist of Oahu Railway and Land stock !
and of local bonds.
In all probability the matter will be
brought out this morning in the police |
court and also be brought before the |
Board of Supervisors at their meeting |
tonight. Road Supervisor Johnson says |
that he can hardly believe that Costa |
Is guilty of the offense charged but |
that If he is he will let him out at |
once. Chairman Hustace, when told |
of the affair, said:
THE matter shall be investigated |
and it makes no difference who the
man is, IL he is guilty the axe shall |
certainly fall and fall hard"
The penalty for fishing with explo-
sives is not over 800 or less than 325
hne, or six months imprisonment at
hard labor or both.
---s.<-s.--