The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-12-10
SAW A BURGLAR
THROUGH KEYHOLE
Francisco Castro, Caught IL
Act, Plunged HeadlOng
Down Stairway.

Prison life has no terrors for Fran
cisco Castro, stalwart Porto Rican,
for on Tuesday night, within forty
eight hours after his release from the
Reef, he committed burglary in the
first degree and may spend the next
five years in the same old place. On
Monday he was released by High Sher-
if Henry, having served a ffteen-day
sentence on a charge of vagrancy,
Two weeks before that he had been
released after serving eight months
for highway robbery, committed IN
Palama.
On Monday Castro looked up some
of his old companions, among them
Joe Cadi, and made informal calls on
denizens of the Winston block. One
of the roomers is Portuguese woman
named Vincent. On Tuesday evening,
accompanied by Cadi, Castro called
upon the lady and left her room about
9 o'clock.
About 1870 a neighbor of the Vim
cent woman heard a noise in the lat
ter's room, and wondered about it,
knowing that Madame Vincent was
out She tiptoed to the door and
peeked through the keyhole. She saw
the figure of man bending over a
small bureau, apparently ransacklng
the contents. The woman called an
other woman and invited here to take
look. She, also, saw the man at
work Then one of the women ran to
the room of j. p. LOoney, who has
charge of the Winston block, and
brought him to the door. He looked
through the keyhole and was satisfied
that the strange visitor was a burglar
and all three agreed that he was Cas-
tro. Mr.. Looney used pass-key and
quietly unlocked the door. The noise
aroused the man inside, and as the
door swung open a few inches he flung
himself against it and closed it. The
three outside put forth all their
strength and gradually forced the
door.
The intruder gave up, and as he did
so the three plunged into the room.
The burglar made leap at them, but
stumbled, and. striking the stairway
just opposite, went headlong to the
bottom. The alarm was given, but the
burglar made his escape. Joe Cadl
about this time emerged from the
darkness of one of the tenement
kitchens, stunning a guitar.
The police were notified and yes
terdav- morning Chief zofs Detectives
Kalakiela divided his force to search
for Castro. During the forenoon De-
tective Minieville learned that the
man had visited the Free Dlspensary
to have some bruises attended to, and
he knew then that the identification
of Castro by the keyhole method the
night before was correct. So an 9TH
GER was stationed at the dispensary,
and others near Castro's old residence
in Palama. The physician in charge
of the dispensary had requested Cas-
tro to return in the afternoon at z
o'clock.
About 80 Castro was located at
Camp No. 2 and taken to the station,
where he was investigated. A visit
TO his room resulted in the finding OF
the clothing he had worn the night
before. The trousers were very dirty
and torn about the legs, the result OF
the long slide down the stairway. HIS
feet showed many deep and painful
bruises. These were made by striking
the steps during his headlong flight.
Castro however, was quick at prov
ing an alibi. He said the bruises
were the result of an attempt to Tx
fagpoIe on a building in Kakaako. lie
had used ropes, South Sea style, to
shin up the pole, but had fallen, and
that accounted for the bruises afd the
condition of his clothing.
Mrs. Vincent on taking stock or
the contents of her room found that
$40 gold piece and small diamond
were missing. The theft of this mer-
chandise is the basis of the charge
of burglary in the first degree when
has been entered against Castro.
Francisco Castro is a dangerous man
in the community. Ever since his ar
rival in the Islands he has proved
troublesome He has long jail rec
ord. and the charges run down from
highway robbery and larceny to minor
offenses. He is powerfully built. AS
a worker in the prison luna gangs ne
/ is regarded as one of the best. lie
dislikes light labor, preferrlng the
| heaviest and hardest the lunas can put
him to. Cadi is still held for investl-
| cation.