The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-01-18
SURRENDERED
HIMSELF To
THE LAW

Moromura Kuichi, the Japanese MUIR
derer from Halawa, for whom the po-
lice have been searching since he cut
the throat of his friend Numata in
their quarters at the Japanese camp
on New Years night, gave himself up
last night to the authorities. The man
is a quiet. MISUNDERSTANDING Japa-
nese, of erect, military bearing and
about the last one who would be sus-
pected from his appearance of having
the lifc's blood of another upon his
hands.
The story he tells Is that he acted In
self defense in killing Numata, who
had attacked him while he lay in his
bunk and who had been killed by his
own knife, held in his own hands. Nu-
mata, with two others, had threatened
to kill him, Moromura, and he had
grasped Numata's wrist and so turned
n blow delivered at him that 1t had
entered the throat of. and killed. the
man who had been the aggressor. At
the time when Moromura had fled In
his underclothes, after seeing Numata
fall. he did not know how dangerous
had been the wound inflicted, finding
out definitely Sunday that the man
was dead. Then he worked his way
into town and surrendered himself. to
the Rev. G.. Motokawa, by whom he
was taken to the police station last
night. The story of the killing as told
by the murderer seems n strange one,
but the bearing of the man after he
had been brought into the police sta
ton and the straightforward manner
In which he answered all the questions
asked him was impressive and inspired
confidence.
Since the murder he has been hiding
in the cane fields near the scene of the
crime. For days he lurked there, lis
tening to the conversations of the men
passing along the roads in an endeavor
to learn the fate of his victim, and at
night he would visit the camp, trying
in some way to get possession of his
discharge papers from the Japanese
army, the papers which carried with
them the commentator of his empe-
ror and which he valued as the most
precious of all his possessions. Dur
ing all this time he had lived on a few
bananas, purchased from Chinaman,
from whom he had also been able to
buy an undershirt. An old pair of
overalls he had picked up at Puloa. He
had no shoes and his feet We're torn
and cut in his passages through the
cane fields.
On Sunday he knew that his friend
had died. That night he began his
walk to Honolulu. crawling through
the cane fields by day and taking to
the road at night. With his lacerated
feet his progress was slow. Last night
he reached the outskirts of the town
at Kalihi. where he took a rapid tram
sit car as far as Liliha street. Here
he engaged a Japanese hack and was
driven to the residence of Mr.. Motto
xawa, to whom he wished to make his
Mr.. Motokawa took him into his
house, clothed and fed him, Mrs. Mo-
Ottawa making up a bundle of other
clothes for him. Then he accompanied
his confessor to the station, where he
vas booked for investigation. At no
line during the examination at the
station did the confessed murderer
show the slightest sign of fear. With
mis- heels together, shoulders thrown
back and head up, he answered all
questions promptly and without the
east suspicion of quibbling. When
,sked what he had done with his
lnife he told of the circumstances of
he killing, selling the reverend mans
Lrm and illustrating how the act of
urning the knife upon the throat of
he one who welded 1t had been done.
Then he Strengthened back to atten-
ion. At no time had he made any
,lans to try and leave the island.
The story told by the man is con-
irmed by good deal of information
which has come to the police from the
plantation, where 1t would
eem that the murderer had a better
equation than the man he killed.
lis story also confirms the tips re-
eived on Sunday by Chief Taylor, who
ad been told that the man was Turk
ng in the vicinity of the Halawa ditch
nd who, accompanied by Detective
AXE of the County Attorneys depart
nent and by Interpreter Mkt, had kept
watch for several hours on Sunday
light in deserted warehouse there,
linking that the heavy rains would
rive the murderer in for shelter.